YINR 929: Tanach Yomi

II Shmuel 22: Psalm Psreview

Chapter 22 and chapter 18 of Psalms are almost identical chapters. David wrote most of the psalms in the book of Psalms, but obviously they all do not appear in the books

II Shmuel 21: Humane Sacrifice?

Chapter 21 reads differently than the previous chapters. Until this point, the chapters were written in simple chronological order describing the trajectory of the reign

II Shmuel 20: Two Wise Women and a General

The appearance of an אשה חכמה in II Samuel 20 immediately recalls the אשה חכמה of Tekoa in II Samuel 14. The parallels are striking: in both, Yoav faces a political crisi

II Shmuel 19: Protect the Crown

This moment has been simmering for a long time. David was king over Israel, but he owed a lot of his military success to his top general Yoav. They were supposed to be ha

II Shmuel 18: Missing the Forest and the Trees

The chapter begins with almost a mirror image of the Batsheva story. There, David remained behind in the city while Yoav and the army went out to fight. Here, David insis

II Shmuel 17: Achito-fall

Who is Achitophel? And why does the Navi give us such a long and dignified end? Achitophel first appears out of nowhere. Avshalom is beginning his rebellion, and we learn

II Shmuel 14: Tekoa Gedola

Yoav once again intervenes in David’s story. This time, he senses that David wants a reunion with Avshalom, but does not want to make the first move. Yoav borrows from Na

II Shmuel 16: Isn't it Ironic

Everyone loves to misuse the word irony. Alanis Morissette’s 1990s hit was famously criticized for not containing much actual irony at all. In Tanach, however, the text f

II Shmuel 15: Rebel Without a Cause

Why does Avshalom rebel? The text is unclear. Avshalom was next in line to be king. David had not yet announced any intention for succession, so Avshalom’s rebellion coul

II Shmuel 13: Tamar

Chapter 13 is another difficult read. Amnon’s rape of Tamar is an idea of his brilliant friend and seems to be condoned by David. Like Yaacov’s failure to act after Dinah

II Shmuel 12: I Will Kill You Until You Die From It

The chapter begins with Natan’s brilliant parable and trap for David. David himself grew up as a shepherd, so he would have been particularly sensitive to the plight of a

II Shmuel 11: A Millstone around your neck and a Millstone one your head

David and Batsheva is one of the more controversial stories in Tanach. Did David sin with Batsheva? Was Batsheva really divorced so it was not an affair? Did David really

II Shmuel 10: Spy Games

When a ruler dies, his offspring have an opportunity to change course. Other rulers who want to keep things the same will try to appease the new leader, sometimes by remi

II Shmuel 9: The Curious Case of the Dead Dog Metaphor

David made a promise to Jonathan that he would watch over his descendants (וְלֹא־תַכְרִית אֶת־חַסְדְּךָ מֵעִם־בֵּיתִי עַד־עוֹלָם) (I Samuel 20:15). He searches the land f

II Shmuel 8: Eye of the Tiger

The average movie is around 2 hours, however the timeframe of the movie usually takes place over longer periods of time. To solve for this, films employ the classic film-

II Shmuel 7: A House or a Temple

David is in a palace and the Ark sits under a tent. Irked by this imbalance, David wishes to build a Temple for God. Initially, Natan the prophet is all in, but then God

II Shmuel 6: Dancing in the Street

After conquering his capital city, David now turns his attention to the Ark of the Covenant. Since the Philistines returned the Ark on two wandering cattle, it had been s

II Shmuel 5: Three Blind Mice

David’s first act as king is to attempt to conquer Jerusalem. As he approaches the city, the Jebusite inhabitants call out to the approaching army: “You will never get in

II Shmuel 4: Right to Execute?

Sometimes you read a chapter of Tanach and it immediately clicks that the chapter reminds you of a similar story you just read in Tanach. For example, the two stories of

II Shmuel 3: Did He or Didn't He?

Avner returns to Ish Boshet following the debacle at the pool in chapter 2, only to be greeted with a shocking accusation. Ish Boshet charges his general with sleeping wi