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Give Us a King!: Samuel, Saul, and David
Everett Fox's translation of the biblical books from Genesis through Deuteronomy has been widely acclaimed as a scholarly, religious, and literary masterpiece. Praising its unique and authoritative approach, the New York Times Book Review said, "It makes it possible for us to take up the Scripture as if we had never seen it before."
In Give Us a King! Fox turns to the two books of Samuel, which contain some of the Bible's most famous stories and most unforgettable the barren Hannah, who will be mother to the prophet Samuel; the tragic King Saul; Bathsheba, the object of King David's illicit desire and the future mother of King Solomon; and King David himself, the romantic hero who becomes a legendary but morally compromised monarch.
Accompanied by illuminating commentary and notes, Fox's masterful translation re-creates the echoes, allusions, alliterations, and wordplays of the Hebrew original, so that the reader is finally able to experience in English the full power of the ancient saga of the original once and future king.
In Give Us a King! Fox turns to the two books of Samuel, which contain some of the Bible's most famous stories and most unforgettable the barren Hannah, who will be mother to the prophet Samuel; the tragic King Saul; Bathsheba, the object of King David's illicit desire and the future mother of King Solomon; and King David himself, the romantic hero who becomes a legendary but morally compromised monarch.
Accompanied by illuminating commentary and notes, Fox's masterful translation re-creates the echoes, allusions, alliterations, and wordplays of the Hebrew original, so that the reader is finally able to experience in English the full power of the ancient saga of the original once and future king.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published November 2, 1999
3 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Everett Fox
17 books14 followersEverett Fox is a scholar and translator of the Hebrew Bible, a graduate of Brandeis University. He is currently the Allen M. Glick Professor of Judaic and Biblical Studies and director of the program in Jewish Studies at Clark University.
Dr. Fox received a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D from Brandeis University in 1968, 1972, and 1975, respectively. He has been at Clark since 1987. Dr. Fox serves as director of the program in Jewish Studies, and is also affiliated with the programs in Race and Ethnic Relations and Comparative Literature.
Dr. Fox's main scholarly focus is the rhetoric and internal coherence of the Hebrew Bible, and how they may be brought out in translation. In 1995, Everett published The Five Books of Moses, which tries to echo characteristics of the Hebrew text; in November of 1999, Give Us a King! Samuel, Saul, and David, a translation of the book of Samuel along similar lines, appeared. He is also interested in how the Bible has been transformed at each stage by generations of Israelites, Jews, and Christians. He teaches courses in which texts serve as windows to the attitudes and concerns of Jews through the ages.
Dr. Fox's activities in translation have led him to some unexpected places. He was a religious consultant on the animated film Prince of Egypt, and has been collaborating with an American-Israeli artist, Schwebel, who sets the David stories against the backdrop of 1980s Jerusalem.
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Dr. Fox received a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D from Brandeis University in 1968, 1972, and 1975, respectively. He has been at Clark since 1987. Dr. Fox serves as director of the program in Jewish Studies, and is also affiliated with the programs in Race and Ethnic Relations and Comparative Literature.
Dr. Fox's main scholarly focus is the rhetoric and internal coherence of the Hebrew Bible, and how they may be brought out in translation. In 1995, Everett published The Five Books of Moses, which tries to echo characteristics of the Hebrew text; in November of 1999, Give Us a King! Samuel, Saul, and David, a translation of the book of Samuel along similar lines, appeared. He is also interested in how the Bible has been transformed at each stage by generations of Israelites, Jews, and Christians. He teaches courses in which texts serve as windows to the attitudes and concerns of Jews through the ages.
Dr. Fox's activities in translation have led him to some unexpected places. He was a religious consultant on the animated film Prince of Egypt, and has been collaborating with an American-Israeli artist, Schwebel, who sets the David stories against the backdrop of 1980s Jerusalem.
Read more
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 9, 2019
This has a beautiful alternative translation, but is a bit shy on commentary, so not really what I was looking for. But if you'd like to read a more lyrical version of the first two books of the David Saga, this is a great version.
June 19, 2008
very insightful
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August 14, 2022Poorly copyedited. Extra spaces, letter transpositions, and other inconsistencies and errors occur throughout the text. Distracting and disappointing.
June 8, 2013
Not as good as the Pentateuch, but still fantastic.
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June 18, 2012great!!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews