Bibliographic information:
Yap, Timothy. “The Function of the Women’s Victory Song in 1 Samuel.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 65, no. 2 (2022): 277-88.
Description:
Comprising of only six Hebrew words, the victory song of the women (“Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands”) punctuates David’s wilderness narrative at three critical junctures (1 Sam 18:7, 21:12 [Eng, 11], and 29:5). Why is this song repeated three times? What functions does the song serve? The purpose of this article is to examine the function of the victory song of the women within the narrative of David’s fugitive years. This article argues that the women’s song functions both negatively as well as positively within the narratives of Samuel. Negatively, the song is responsible for inciting jealousy within Saul, thereby commencing Saul’s persecution of David. The song is also what causes David to feign madness before Achish. Due to the song’s emphasis, Philistines fail to stop in their attack on Saul and the Israelites. Positively, the song functions to remind David of his calling in a time when his faith wavers. The song further redeems David from finding refuge in the Philistines and prevents him from joining the Philistines in fighting against Saul and his fellow Israelites.
Publisher:
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (website: https://www.etsjets.org/JETS_current)