Explore every episode of the podcast The Tanakh Podcast

This is the chapter in which Elijah ascends heavenwards in a chariot of fire.

But is this in fact a story about Elijah, or possibly it is concerned with his protégé, Elisha?

King Ahaziyahu (Israel) has a domestic accident and is inured, bedridden and concerned for his life.

He sends messengers to the God of Ekron: "Will I live?"

Elijah is sent to intercept the King's delegates.

The critical narrative here is the question of who controls the delegates: Will the king's servants follow the king's instructions or Elijah's, in God's name?

Today we study about Yehoshafat King of Yehuda, righteous king by any assessment but also a man who seeks unity with the Northern Kingdom.

Tragically this pursuit has devastating consequences.

This is the Bible's quintessential story of governmental corruption.The King wants a Nabot's vineyard. Nabot won't sell it. How will the king obtain the vineyard? How does one commit the perfect murder? And who gets the blame?

In our chapter Ahab goes to war with Aram - twice.

Each time, God sends a prophet to support Ahab.

Is God on Ahab's side? Have things shifted in Ahab's royal court?

After Elijah's great victory on Mt. Carmel, Elijah is thrust into deep crisis - he goes into the desert to end his own life!

Why is Elijah so despondent? And what does God try to teach him?

What is the purpose of Elijah's duel at Mt. Carmel. What does it seek to achieve? And why do we hear about Achav's official - Ovadiah - in such detail?

Eliyahu decrees a famine, a drought, that endures for three years! Why did he do it?

Was God commanding Eliyahu or was Eliyahu instructing God?

There are three stories of Eliyahu in this chapter:

1. In Nahal Karit - the ravens and the stream

2. The widow in Zerafat - And the miracle of the oil and flour

3. The revival of the widow's son.

Are these stories Eliyahu's training? Or are they God trying to send Eliyahu a message to rescind the famine?

Our podcast today describes the Northern Kingdom; how after 50 years of great volatility and insecurity, it finds wealth, power and political stability under the royal house of Omri and Achav. But at what spiritual price?

In this chapter we encounter the histories of the Kings of Judah - Rechavam, Aviyam and Assa.

What is happening in Judah during this period?

Jeroboam's son is sick. He asks his wife to disguise herself and approach the prophet.

Why doesn't Yerovam go himself?

Why did she need to wear a disguise?

And what did the prophet say to her?

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.

"In his old age, his wives turned away Solomon’s heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to God."

How did the wisest of men make such a blunder?

Did Solomon actually worship idolatry?

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Our chapter describes Shlomo as a powerbroker in the region, controlling trade and accruing great wealth. But are these the correct priorities?

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?

Chapter 8 describes the festive dedication of the Temple. Our podcast discusses aspects of Solomon's magnificent prayer:

1. Does God reside in the Temple?

2. Is the Temple a Jewish institution or a universal house of prayer?

Why are Solomon's royal buildings subsumed in the account of the Temple? Is this good news or bad news?

Music: Zusha - Festival

Why does our chapter note that we are 480 years (12x40) since the Exodus?

Why is Solomon using a new system of months, never used previously (or subsequently!)?

Why does Solomon create huge cherubs and attach them to the floor of the Temple?

We will try to answer all these questions in our podcast today.

Our chapter describes the way that Solomon develops the Kingdom of Israel to an imperial capital.

Solomon controls the region, has the most powerful army, and warm relations with neighboring leaders like Hiram of Lebanon. He also begins the construction of the temple. But above all, Solomon turns Jerusalem to a center of world wisdom and technology.

What is the purpose of all these achievements? Why is this critical to Solomon's game plan?

On the face of it, this is a chapter about government and taxation, the organization and administration of the kingdom and its financial bouyancy.

But a deeper read identifies some riveting social history behind the bare statistics, which will have ominous effect a generation on.

Solomon loves God. When God asks Solomon what his deepest wish might be, it is the ability to guide and judge the nation.

"Tzedek and Mishpat" is possibly Judaism's core value, and the principle of justice is the highest virtue to which a king of Israel could aspire.

David instructs Solomon to ensure that both Yoav and also Shimi Ben Gera die a bloody death. 

Is David casting his unfinished business on Solomon? 

We contend that David is in fact warning a young an untested Solomon that enemies are waiting, plotting his downfall after King David's death. He instructs him to "be strong and be a man" or else, he will soon find the throne taken from him.

Chapter 1  gives us a conmpetition to succeed King David. Who will be king - Adoniya or Solomon? 

The final chapter of Samuel gives us yet another sin of David, and another admission of guilt! And a story resonant of the Akeida. What does it all mean?

This chapter gives us David's final song - "The spirit of God spoke through me" - and David's dauntless thirty-seven warriors. Who is David - the man of war or the man of God?

David's Song "on the day God saved David from all his enemies and the hands of Saul."

This would appear to be a song from an earlier period in David's life. Why is it here?

How does this song relate to the other two songs in the book of Samuel: Channah's song (or prayer) and David's eulogy for saul?

How does the theology of this song relate to the trials and tribulations of David's life?

Music. Yonatan Razel: "David"

An ancient unrequited sin leads to a 3 year drought.

David Seeks God; God points to the Gibeonites who were slaughtered by King Saul.

Now they demand that David hand over 7 of Saul's descendents.

They want Revenge. May David comply? Will David comply? Can a child be killed for his father's sin? 

David finds himself with another revolt on his hands. 

He tries to avoid having Yoav - the man who killed his son Avshalom - lead the army.

First, he appoints Amassa, but Amassa disappoints.

Second he appoints Avishai. But Avishai defers to his older brother Yoav.

In the end it is Yoav who puts down the revolt.

Yoav is depicted here as a complex character. He is open to the moral call of the "wise woman" who stops his plans of collective punishment, but he murders Amassa - an act which David resents.

Avshalom is dead. The rebellion is over. Or is it?

The instability continues as the tribes of Judah and Benjamin vie for prestige of leading David back to Jerusalem and tribal tensions flare leading to further volatility.

Today we discuss David's conflict of interests and his mixed messages when his army has to face down the forces led by Avshalom.

David instructs Yoav not to kill Avshalom, whereas Yoav instructs the army to kill Avshalom. Who was correct?

Today we discuss two advisors: Achitophel and Hushai. Achitophel seems to be the man who's views are always correct, whose perspective is always wise and insightful. However in our story Avshalom follows Hushai's counsel and rejects Achitophel. We shall propose that Achitophel has a burning personal agenda that skews his thinking.

The mutiny continues. 

Our chapter contains four scenes, four encounters: Two as David flees Jerusalem; two as Avshalom enters the city. 

Avshalom is back in Jerusalem. He wastes no time at boosting his popularity and discrediting his father, King David.

Soon after, he asks for permission to sacrifice in Hebron, the city in which David was crowned, and he launches a mutiny against his father.

David and his close circle abandon the city, preferring to flee rather than thrust Jerusalem into war and bloodshed.

We will examine David's state of mind before and during this tragic and challenging moment. 

Avshalom is in exile. But David is pining for him. Yoav orchestrates his return to Jerusalem, and then Avshalom forces his way back, using Yoav, to high society.

In this chapter we witness David as a conflicted person, conflicted between his values and his parental love.

We also observe Avshalom's fierce resolve, a perseverance which will become dangerous in the upcoming chapters.

David's son Amnon conspires and brutally rapes his own half sister, Tamar. Then, two years later, Tamar's brother Avshalom murders Amnon.

We will show that way that the style of this horrific story brings us to see this as punishment for David's crimes.

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The prophet comes to David and accuses David of murder and adultery and pronounces David's punishment. David admits his sin. Batsheva's child dies.

In the stories of David there is no sin greater than David's adultery and murder in this chapter. We shall see how sin leads to complication and complication to further sin as David is tempted to use his royal power to cover his own misdeeds.

David sends a diplomatic delegation to console the ammonite king Hannun after the death of his father.

However Hannun humiliates David's officials.

This is in essence a declaration of war against Israel as Ammon rally an entire alliance of forces to fight David's army. Yoav and his brother Avishai show their phenomenal military prowess in their management of the battle.

David decides to show his kindness and loyalty to the House of Shaul. He seeks out any remaining descendants and discovers that Mefiboshet, Yonatan's son, a handicapped man, is still alive. Through the story we meet Tziva, the caretaker of Saul's estate, who has essentially assumed control over the assets of the former king. David honours Mefiboshet by having him eat at the royal table, and he instructs Tziva to serve his master Mefiboshet. (However with Mefiboshet in Jerusalem and Tziva handling Saul's estate, the potential for indiscretion will be great. We will meet Tziva and Mefiboshet in later stories.

David fights on every front: Philistines, Moav, Aram, Edom, Amalek, Amon, and succeeds in growing the kingdom to a veritable empire.

The chapter ends with David's growing national administration.

Our discussion will focus upon the military force that David is using and its justification. 

David requests to build the Temple. God says no. Why? Is it because he has blood on his hands? Our chapter offers a different reason.

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David has captured Jerusalem. But how does he bring God to the city? By making a home for the Aron - the Ark of God - in Jerusalem.

But a terrible accident happens as the procession makes its way - the Ark slips and Uzzah tries to save it but is killed.

What is David going to do to repair the situation?

And how does this relate to the argument between David and his wife, Michal bat Shaul?

In this chapter David becomes King over the entire nation and immediately sets to create a new capital city - Jerusalem. The entire chapter depicts the way that David solidifies and stabilizes his position as monarch.

Why Jerusalem? How was it captured? 

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Two officers of Ish-Boshet's army come into his house and murder him in broad daylight.

What do they wish to achieve?

What is their motivation?

In this, the third of the assassination stories, we hear yet again how David does not want to rise to the throne over the death of his political rivals.

we also address two other topics:

1. Ish-Boshet's strange name. And

2. The story of the tribes of Be'erot.

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Avner argues with the King, Ish-Boshet, and as he realizes that the northern faction led by Sauls' son, is weakening, he decides to capitalize on the moment and create a coalition with King David.

However Yoav, David's general, has a vendetta with Avner (Avner had killed Yoav's brother) and he murders Avner.

Now the peace deal is severely jeopardized. Will David manage to salvage the peace and reunite the kingdom under his rule?

David is crowned in Yehuda. But Avner crowns Saul's son, Ish-Boshet, over the Northern Tribes. 

For seven years the generals - Yoav and Avner - are engaged in conflict. We witness one particularly bloody day of fighting. 

Today we address two questions: 

1. Why do we receive two accounts of Saul's death?

2. Was Saul a success? Was he set up for failure?

Saul and his three sons die in battle on Mount Gilboa.

But whereas Saul's son's are killed by the enemy, Saul takes his own life. Was Shaul permitted to end his own life? What were the alternatives?

David and his men return to Ziklag. Amalek have attacked. The town has been burnt and the women and children taken captive.

David goes on the chase.

In this chapter we can understand more deeply what is problematic about Amalek, and we learn some important war ethics.