Subject: Re[2]: 1 Sam 31:5: was Saul necessarily dead?
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 1999 17:40:57 -0500
Ian asked:
Would you doubt that Jacob was dead in Gen 50:15 (which uses
quite similar wording and progression of verb forms)? What about
Nabal's death in 1Sam25:39?
The difference in both of these cases is that the narrative has
already stated that the person in question has died (Gen 49:33, 1 Sam
25:38). This is not actually stated in 1 Samuel 31:4-5 - especially
if M"T may be a participle not a QATAL form, as Dave has pointed out.
It is clear that both Saul and the armour-bearer died, but not clear,
I think, that Saul died before the armour-bearer fell on his sword.