11B. WRITTEN PROJECT ASSIGNMENT: 2 SAMUEL 11-12 (DUE APRIL 15, 11:55 PM) The written project consists of the following five parts. You may use these sections as headings in your paper. Structural Analysis of 2 Samuel 11-12 (1 full-page minimum, single-spaced) Word Study (2 full-pages. Single-spaced bullet points. Double-spaced discussion) Interpretation (4-5 pages, double-spaced) Theological relevance/Application (1 full-page, double-spaced) Bibliography (1 page, single-spaced; formatted according to the SBL Style Guide; see Heading #12) 1. Structural Analysis of 2 Samuel 11-12 (1 full-page single-spaced. Adjust the level of detail in your outline to fit 1 page. There is no need for the outline to be more than one page.) An outline helps you understand how a passage was structure. It helps you get at authorial intent and notice details about the narrative that you might otherwise miss. Read the passages a couple of times and make any initial observations on paper before starting. Incorporate any insights from the outline in the Interpretation section of your paper. Instructions on how to do a structural analysis are in “Written Project Helps” under Lessons. For insights on how to structure your outline, see the similar format in NIVAC, pp.41-43. 2. Word Study (2 full-pages. Bullet points single-spaced; Discussion double-spaced) Old Testament writers often repeat key words to emphasize a theological point; therefore, word studies can give you important insights into the meaning of a passage. Bear in mind that many words are polysemantic; that is they have more than one meaning. Take the verb “to run”. Depending on its context, this word can mean to run a race, to run a store, to run for political office, to run a piece of machinery, or to run a newspaper article. This exercise will help you to appreciate the semantic range of a Hebrew word by using a theological wordbook. Consult http://apu.libguides.com/wordstudy for information on how to do word studies without knowing Hebrew or Greek. The Hebrew word “take” has theological importance in that it highlights the Bible’s larger concern with motivations of the heart. Be sure to incorporate any insights from your study into the Interpretation section of the paper. Use bullet points to list every occurrence of the word “take” (laqakh) in 1 Sam 8:3, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and in 2 Sam 12:4, 9, 10, 11, 30. Use only NOAB for this exercise. For each verse, briefly summarize how the word laqakh is used in that context. Do not quote the verses. The word’s nuance (its subtle distinction in meaning) will differ according to its context. See a sample word study in “Written Project Helps” under Lessons. Do a word study of the verb laqakh using p. 188 in NIVAC and any two dictionaries: Renn (pp. 953-54); Vol. 1 of the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (pp. 481-82); Vol. 2 of the Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament (pp. 648-51); Vol. 8 of the Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (pp. 16-21); Vol. 2 of the New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis (pp. 812-817). Choose two academic commentaries in the reference section of Stamps (see Arnold’s bibliography or the course bibliography under Heading #21) and discuss how they treat laqakh within the literary and theological context of 2 Sam 11-12. Incorporate your insights here with the word study in your double-spaced discussion. Compare how “take” is used theologically in 1 Sam 8 and 2 Sam 11-12. Can you find a theological connection between David’s “taking” of Bathsheba and David’s “taking” of Rabbah in battle? Theological dictionaries for word studies available in the Stamps Theological Library: –R. Harris, G. Archer, B. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Moody Press, 1980. BS 440 .T49 –E. Jenni and C. Westermann (eds.), Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament. Hendrickson, 1997. BS 440 .T4813 –J. Botterweck and H. Ringgren (eds.), Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. Eerdmans, 1974. BS 440 .B5713 –W. A. Van Gemeren (ed.), New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis. Zondervan, 1997. BS 440 .N438 –S. D. Renn (ed.) Expository Dictionary of Bible Words. Hendrickson, 2005. BS 440 .E97 UBBL 310: 1 & 2 SAMUEL 5 3. Interpretation (4-5 pages, double-spaced) Write an academic essay that demonstrates you have understood the main message of 2 Sam 11-12. First, do a close reading of these chapters and then do some research using the bibliography in NIVAC, pp. 44-49 and the list under Heading #21 for a deeper understanding of the message. In addition to NIVAC consult at least three more academic sources. One of these three must be a female or non-Western author. You may use the same commentaries that you used in the word study. You may use the notes in NOAB and devotional commentaries like Matthew Henry, but only in addition to the basic four. Do not use popular Bible studies or sermons posted online. If you are unsure whether a resource meets the requirements for this paper, contact the professor. When referencing an author avoid direct quotations. You want to reference their ideas. Be sure to interact with the scholars you consult and footnote the source and its page number according to the SBL Style Guide found in “Written Project Helps” under Lessons. If you are off-campus, it is your responsibility to find suitable books or commentaries at a local church library, seminary, or Christian college. Use the following questions to help guide your research and reflection. You don’t need to answer every question, but you should address most of them: Did your outline reveal a pattern or other structural feature that might lend insight into the narrative? How might your word study speak to the meaning of “take” in these chapters? Are there other relevant word themes of significance? HINT: “Capture” in 12:26-29? Any insights from Arnold or other commentaries? Which of the Ten Commandments did David break? How did the seriousness of David’s sin compare to the two sins of Saul in 1 Sam 13, 15? Why did God not take away the kingdom from David and his descendants as he had done with Saul and his descendants when David’s sin was graver than those committed by Saul? What does Nathan’s parable in 2 Sam 12:1-4 say about the nature of David’s sin? What does it mean that the Lord has taken away one’s sin (2 Sam 12:13-14)? How might we understand the relationship between “taking away one’s sin” and the punishment meted out? David fasted and lay on the ground to pray for his child following the pronouncement of the child’s impending death (vv. 14-16). What was he hoping for? Why did he bother to pray when God said the child would die? What did this episode show about David’s own understanding of divine pronouncement of judgment? Does God ever change his mind about punishing someone? Why or why not? What role did God’s covenant in 2 Samuel 7 play in divine mercy and judgment? Can a covenant guarantee escape from the ultimate punishment? God struck down the first child between David and Bathsheba for David’s sins, but then the Lord loved their second child Solomon (2 Sam 12:24-25). What do you think the latter has to say about the nature of God? What assumptions does the text make about the role of women in their society, and about the relationship of women to God? Would the story be different if told from the perspective of the female character? 4. Theological Relevance (1 full-page, double-spaced) Discuss the relevance of the passage to your own life of faith. Speak from the heart. 5. Bibliography (1 page, single-spaced) Whenever you cite an author in a footnote you must also list the source in a bibliography at the end of the paper. For guidelines on how to format a bibliography, see Heading #12 below. For your convenience, a quick reference guide for the SBL Style Guide is available for your convenience in “Written Project Helps” under Lesson