Suited to the throne: The symbolic use of clothing in the David and Saul narratives

Journal for the Study of the Old Testament

Volumn 21, Issue 71, 1996, Pages 27-37

  Prouser, Ora Horn ^a  

^a JEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY   (United States)

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[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 60950401336     PISSN: 03090892     EISSN: 14766728     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/030908929602107103     Document Type: Article

References (30)

1. Some studies include, H.A. Brongers. 'Die Metaphorische Verwendung von Termini fur die Kleidung von Göttern und Menschen in der Bibel und im Alten Testament', in W.C. Delsman et al. (eds.), Von Kanaan bis Kerala (Neukirchen: Butzon and Bercker Kevelaer, 1982)
2. D.R. Edwards, 'Dress and Ornamentation', in ABD, II, pp. 232-38
3. T.H. Gaster, Myth. Legend and Custom in the Old Testament (New York: Harper and Row, 1969)
4. Edgar Haulotte, Symbolique du Vetement selon la Bible (Lyon: Aubier, 1966)
5. Some studies on the symbolism of clothing in the ancient Near East include A.L. Oppenheim, 'The Golden Garments of the Gods', JNES 8 (1949), pp. 172-93
6. and M.E. Vogelzang and W.J. van Bekkum, 'Meaning and Symbolism of Clothing in Ancient Near Eastern Texts', in H.L.J. Vanstiphout (ed.), Scripta Signa Vocis (Groningen: E. Forsten, 1986), pp. 265-84
7. There has been much literature written on the significance of the hem in the Bible and the ancient Near East. See, for example, R.A. Brauner, 'Old Aramaic and Comparative Semitic Lexicography', Gratz College Annual of Jewish Studies 6 (1977), pp. 25-33
8. E.L. Greenstein, "To Grasp the Hem" in Ugaritic Literature', VT 32 (1982), pp. 217-18
9. Paul Kruger, 'The Hem of the Garment in Marriage: The Meaning of the Symbolic Gesture in Ruth 3.9 and Ezekiel 16.8', JNSL 12 (1984), pp. 79-84
10. Meir Malul, 'Studies in Biblical Legal Symbols - A Discussion of the Terms Kanaph, héq, and hosen/hesen, their Meaning and Usage in the Bible and the Ancient Near East'. Shnaton: An Annual for Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies 9 (1987). pp. 191-210 (Hebrew)
11. J. Milgrom, Numbers (The JPS Torah Commentary; Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 1990), p. 410
12. F.J. Stephens, 'The Ancient Significance of Sisith', JBL 50 (1931). pp. 59-70
13. 'His Story versus her Story: Male Genealogy and Female Strategy in the Jacob Cycle', in A.Y. Collins (ed.), Feminist Perspectives on Biblical Scholarship (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1985), p. 110. The narratological use of clothing has also been studied by D.A. Seybold, 'Paradox and Symmetry in the Joseph Narrative', in K.R.R. Gros-Louis, J. Ackerman and T.S. Warshaw (eds.), Literary Interpretations of Biblical Narratives, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1974), pp. 59-73
14. W.L. Moran found similar uses of clothing in ancient Near Eastern texts. His analysis of the Gilgamesh Epic is based on the use of dressing as a structuring device. 'Gilgamesh'. The Encyclopedia of Religion, V, pp. 557-60
15. R.A. Brauner argues that on the basis of ancient Near Eastern parallels, one could understand David's action as not only removing Saul's sovereignty over him, but also eliminating that by which David could ally himself with Saul. ( 'Old Aramaic', pp. 26-27)
16. See P. Kruger, 'The Symbolic Significance of the Hem (kanaf) in 1 Samuel 15.27', in W. Ciaassen (ed.), Text and Context (JSOTSup, 48; Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1988), p. 106
17. Fokkelman emphasizes that Samuel's return with Saul was not a forgiving gesture, but rather an attempt at preventing the people's loss of faith in their leader (Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel [2 vols.; Netherlands: Van Gorcum, 1986], p. 108)
18. Fokkelman, Narrative Art, II, p. 105
19. It is consistent with the narrative as a whole that the same image be used to highlight Saul's downfall and David's rise to power. J.P. Fokkelman has noted that all of 1 Sam. 13 through 2 Sam. 1 is an interaction between these two events ('Saul and David: Crossed Fates', BibRev 5 [1989], p. 25). A similar phenomenon can be seen in the Joseph story where stripping becomes the equivalent of losing, and receiving garments symbolizes winning
20. This corresponds with the ancient Near Eastern view of nudity as a sign of socially low status except in certain ritual acts (Vogelzang and van Bekkum, 'Meaning and Symbolism', p. 267)
21. In comparative literature, similar phenomena are seen. In several Akkadian texts, the removal of garments leads to disastrous situations, or is a sign of dishonor and loss of power. This can be seen, for example, in the Descent of Ishtar in which as she enters the netherworld, she is stripped of all of her garments and jewelry. For a fuller discussion, see Vogelzang and Bekkum. 'Meaning and Symbolism', pp. 267-68
22. This analysis can be connected with the idea that the narrative describing the Davidic rise could have been written as political propoganda, thus narratologically emphasizing the fall of Saul and the ascension of David to the throne. For an excellent analysis of these narratives as political propoganda see Keith Whitelam, 'The Defence of David', JSOT 29 (1984), pp. 61-87
23. Cf. P.D. Miscall, The Workings of Old Testament Narrative (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1983), p. 60
24. Cf. D.M. Gunn, The Fate of King Saul (JSOTSup. 14; Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1980), p. 79
25. Fokkelman, II, Narrative Art, pp. 198-99
26. Gunn, The Fate of King Saul, p. 80
27. D. Gunn understands this nakedness as being symbolic of Saul's helpless state (The Fate of King Saul, p. 83)
28. Fokkelman sees this as the complement of Saul's ripping of Samuel's garment in 1 Sam. 15.27. Saul's rejection is then complete (Narrative Art, II, p. 459)
29. J.P. Fokkelman understands this tearing of the garment as symbolizing her loss of virginity (Narrative Art, I, p. 110)
30. D.N. Freedman has shown through ancient Near Eastern parallels that the removal of a splendid garment, or its staining or tearing is a sign of a foolish person or a lost future. In other words, clothing was a symbol of the character or worth of a person ('Subāt Bāšti: A Robe of Splendor', JANES 4 [1972], pp. 91-95)