Show Notes
In this chapter, David gets close enough to Saul that he can cut off the corner of his coat. Why doesn't David murder Saul? What moral principles guide David?
-- Originally recorded January 28, 2023
More from The Tanakh Podcast
Yerovam has become king in the North. But he needs a new religious center. If the prople keep celebrating their holidays at the Temple in Jerusalem, he will lose legitimacy. Yerovam builds two new Temples in Dan and Bethel setting up a golden calf (!) in each shrine. But, the Tanakh tells us that this was a grave error. Chapter 13 reveals the people's confusion. Is Yerovam legitimate or illegitimate?
Solomon is dead. The people come to crown his son Rechavam (Rehoboam) and ask for a tax break. Rechavam takes bad advice and responds to the people in an imperious, disdainful manner. In response, the northern tribes revolt and split from Rehoboam's kingdom, forming their own State and appointing Yerovam (Jeroboam) as king. This is the moment that split the kingdom, never to be reunited.
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Our chapter speaks of twenty cities that Shlomo transfers to Hiram king of Tyre. Why is Solomon giving away land in the Land of Israel? Why was Hiram unsatisfied with the cities? What might we learn about the state of the economy during the latter Solomonic years?