"WHY DO YOU STILL SPEAK OF YOUR AFFAIRS?": POLYPHONY IN MEPHIBOSHETH'S EXCHANGES WITH DAVID IN 2 SAMUEL

Determining the truthful party in the debate between Mephibosheth and Ziba in 2 Samuel has proved to be quite a crux for scholars. Arguments have been made based on a wide variety of textual evidence. Yet the evidence itself is often ambiguous. This is especially true when it comes to Mephibosheth&#...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Vetus Testamentum 2004-01, Vol.54 (3), p.344-351
Main Author: Princeton, Jeremy Schipper
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ambiguity
Domestic workers
Exegesis and biblical criticism
Historical books
History and sciences of religions
Honesty
II Samual
Narrative poetry
Narratives
Oaths
Old testament
Political speeches
Polyphony
Thrones
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Summary:Determining the truthful party in the debate between Mephibosheth and Ziba in 2 Samuel has proved to be quite a crux for scholars. Arguments have been made based on a wide variety of textual evidence. Yet the evidence itself is often ambiguous. This is especially true when it comes to Mephibosheth's speech. By examining not only what he says but how he says it, I will argue that Mephibosheth's exchanges with David invite a multiplicity of interpretations, which problematize the reader's attempts to clarify his motives and to decide whether or not he is being honest. The textual evidence does not reveal clues to guide the reader in evaluating the truthfulness of Mephibosheth's speech as much as it reveals the complexity of interpreting his speech in the first place.
ISSN:0042-4935
1568-5330
0042-4935
DOI:10.1163/1568533041694564