A Son to Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel

by Peter J. Leithart

Samuel. Saul. David. Goliath. Jonathan. When we think of 1 & 2 Samuel, these names and the stories that make them memorable generally come to mind. But these narratives are more than mere history. Peter Leithart offers here a typological reading of 1 & 2 Samuel as a unified book. By giving careful attention to the book's literary structures and its patterns of types and antitypes, Leithart unveils the symbolic world of Samuel's cumulative and cohesive story. His reading enhances our understanding of New Testament Christology while at the same time giving us a framework for applying the Old Testament to our own lives.

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction, Old Testament, Christian, Biblical Studies, Christianity, Religion

370 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Peter Leithart received an A.B. in English and History from Hillsdale College in 1981, and a Master of Arts in Religion and a Master of Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in 1986 and 1987. In 1998 he received his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge in England. He has served in two pastorates: He was pastor of Reformed Heritage Presbyterian Church (now Trinity Presbyterian Church), Birmingham, Alabama from 1989 to 1995, and was founding pastor of Trinity Reformed Church, Moscow, Idaho, and served on the pastoral staff at Trinity from 2003-2013. From 1998 to 2013 he taught theology and literature at New St. Andrews College, Moscow, Idaho, where he continues to teach as an adjunct Senior Fellow. He now serves as President of Trinity House in Alabama, where is also resident Church Teacher at the local CREC church. He and his wife, Noel, have ten children and five grandchildren.

Reviews

[Gwilym Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's tough to review commentaries by Peter Leithart, as I find them simultaneously so helpful and so unnerving. On the one hand, this is a very stimulating book, and gave me lots of food for thought in terms of the meaning and message of 1-2 Samuel. Leithart does a number of things well. He's good at reading OT narrative as story. He's very good at tracing story arcs across the whole of OT books: where so much OT narrative preaching tends toward the atomistic, with little concern for the message of the whole, Leithart sees the big picture. He's often stimulating on structure, he notices important details, he has good things to say on typology, he makes good connections with the rest of the OT. The particularly striking idea at the heart of this commentary is that the rise and fall of David is described so as to make it clear that the King is a new Israel, a representative of the nation. I thought that was persuasive. But there were lots of other great insights too.

But the trouble is that he isn't safe. He isn't safe exegetically. His exegetical maximalism is often fruitful, sometimes speculative, occasionally off the wall. With the corrobaration of other Adamic connections, I'm willing to believe that Goliath's scaly armour is meant to evoke the serpent of Genesis 3; in the context of more solid parallels, I'm intrigued by the fact that Nabal's name is Laban backwards; I draw the line at his biblical-theology of lentils in 2 Samuel 23. Neither is he entirely safe hermeneutically. He has a bit of a tendency towards the character study. There isn't much by way of application in this commentary, but lots of the application there is is about applying David's example to Christian leaders. It's not that many of his comments here are entirely illegitimate - it's just I'm not sure he strikes the right balance. For a typological reading of Samuel, much of his application is surprisingly, well, untypological. And he isn't safe theologically either. Whether it's his take on God the trickster, or his comments on justification, he's very happy to subvert traditional Christian teaching, without taking the time to plug it into a wider framework. Sometimes he might have a point, but he isn't very responsible.

And responsibility is probably the thing. Leithart's great strength is his willingness to try ideas on for size. So many commentaries on narrative are frankly quite dull - bad at telling stories, bad at understanding them, and reductionistic on meaning. Leithart is never dull. But his great weakness is his willingness to try ideas on for size. He's very happy to just throw thoughts out, without much in the way of evaluation. Mutually contradictory structures, speculative typologies, subversive ethical suggestions - they're all just left hanging. It's what makes his books stimulating - and it's what makes them difficult to commend. They're just a little bit irresponsible.

Which is why I find it so hard to review Peter Leithart commentaries. On the one hand, I find them highly stimulating, and I think I'd always want to read him on any book I'm tasked with preaching (certainly, Deep Exegesis helped me on John, and Leithart's commentary helped me on Kings). But on the other hand, I read him with a veritable sack of salt at the ready. And so I'm torn - I could give this book 2 stars - because I'm not sure I really want all my friends to read it. I could give it 4, because I learnt so much from it. I'll settle on 3.

[Caleb M. Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent commentary.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

For almost a year and a half, we have been walking verse by verse through 1-2 Samuel in our podcast, “40 Minutes in the Old Testament.” Even though he doesn’t realize it, Peter Leithart was our “guest” in those sixty-five episodes. His insights frequently found their way into our conversations, if not explicitly then certainly implicitly. His typological approach matches my own, as does his bent toward intertextual interpretations and the incorporation of NT materials to illumine the books of Samuel. These books are best read Christologically, for they find their God-designed dénouement in the incarnation and work of the Son of David. For anyone looking for a commentary that is theological, practical, and focused on Christ as the goal of Scripture, I cannot recommend this one highly enough.

[Salvador Blanco · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all the critique Leithart gets for his exegetical imagination he also deals with the nitty gritty details that other commentaries don't always deal with. The math of chronologies. The textual variants. The possible scribal errors. All with a Christo-centric and typological reading of the text reminiscent of patristic exegesis. You will be edified. I was glad I read this slowly.

If you think chiasms are overrated then get ready to cringe throughout this commentary, but hear the man out!

I've seen people critique Leithart for not providing application, but I'm learning more and more that faithful exegesis doesn't always require synthesized application. Sometimes it's okay to live in the world of the Bible and see who you are and are not in the narrative. This should be sufficient application at times.

Good quotes:

"God's faithful people are poor and feeble because elites are hostile to God. In our day, America's political and cultural elites are hostile to Christ and to faithful Christians, and the structures of power encourage wickedness: The more one has to lie and cheat and ruin his family to become a President or U.S. Senator, the less Christians will want to pursue that life. The same dynamics are apparent in the church: The more a preacher has to compromise his message to build a megachurch, the less attractive megachurches will be to serious Christians. Given that the system seems to be set up to encourage compromise and unfaithfulness, we should be joining Hannah in pleading that the Lord would shatter the bows of the mighty and cast down nobles. We should be praying for ecclesiastical (and social) revolution" (46).

"The fall of leaders in the church is not always a tragedy; it may well be a sign of God's work to renew His people" (61).

"The Lord fights Philistines wherever they are; whether they are in Ashdod or Gath, Ekron or Beth-shemesh; whether they are in Beijing or Baghdad, Washington D.C., or Wheaton" (65).

I was pleased to read Leithart's consistent takes on justice. Reflecting on the famine in 2 Sam. 21:1-14 (the plague that happened in David's reign due to Saul's sinful attack against the Gibeonites) Leithart writes, "That wrong needed to be made right before the Lord would be moved with entreaty for the land. Sons suffer the consequences of the sins of their fathers, and the sons must make amends and rectify wrongs. Ignoring evils a previous generation is not an option; we must either repent of them or suffer the consequences" (295-6).

He adds this note: "This passage thus belies the convenient conservative idea that contemporary Americans bear no responsibility for our ancestors' treatment of blacks or American Indians. If the fathers did evil, the sons are responsible to make restitution and will labor under the curse of God until they do" (295).

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good lay-level commentary of 1 & 2 Samuel. Leithart’s focus is to keep his commentary on the ground-level. He focuses on a lot of practical application which is drawn from profound theological conclusions. This commentary is a wonderful example of how the distinction between “theological” & “practical” is mainly a contrivance of seeker sensitive evangelicalism.

[Shea Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful. Reading Leithart illuminates the scripture in wonderful ways and I was blessed by this work.
There is always more gold to mine out of the scriptures and I want to dig more after this reading.
Used for family worship aid.

[Robert Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a commentary with a difference. I love and hate most things that the man writes, both because they're brilliant and because their wrong! "A Son to Me" is no different. There are tons of amazing insights, and several things that are just plain weird. People in search of a commentary that obeys the rules of modern scholarship will be very disappointed. On the other hand, he does interact with other scholars --- when he feels like it.

Who should read this book? People who are interested in what the Bible is saying. I want a copy in case I ever preach through Samuel. As he says in the introduction, this is preeminently useful to people who are trying to incorporate their lives into the Bible's meta-narrative. Examine yourself and see if, really, you are trying to fit the Bible (and therefore God) into the meta-narrative handed to you by the world.

[Lindsay John Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leithart always compels me. I’ve read bits of this before but it was great finally being able to read it all the way through

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just completed this book as part of my men's Bible Study. As if 1&2 Samuel wasn't enough to chew on this book brings it to a new level. This book is a study, not a Beach side riveting read. Leithart is truly a Biblical scholar who answers many of the natural questions that arise after reading these books. As Christians, I think we really highlight David's finer moments and overall leadership. The reality is David's story is Israel's story also our personnel story. All three (Israel, David & us) is a story of God's redemption, our failure (ingratitude), punishment, repent, redemption x Infinity..... This book really captures the story and how it points forward to Christ.

If David was a US President he would be without doubt the most scandalous. regardless, God does not see our leaders as we do and 1&2 Samuel makes it clear that a nation will also be punished along side their leader when he rejects God's providence.

As an aside, the Bible Project has great summaries on every book of the Bible (in addition to other themes) and if their overview of 1&2 Samuel interest you this book is a natural next step to dive into the detail along side the scripture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJOju...

A good study book, but be ready for a slow read and a lot of rereading of the concepts.

[Jennifer Ritchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My four star rating is an indicator of personal enjoyment, not agreement with all the author’s ideas. Leithart is always observant and interesting, but a significant number of his points seem like a stretch to me, and a few just completely off the wall. But I really enjoy the stimulation of thinking through these things, and I almost always benefit from Leithart’s very observant analysis of the details in the text. I just wouldn’t recommend him to newbie Christians or young people who aren’t thoroughly grounded in Scripture.

[Zachary Garris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent commentary. Leithart provides helpful discussion of the text but also connects themes throughout the book and the rest of the Bible that most scholars would not make. Highly thought-provoking.

[Paul Veldhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at Samuel. The author occasionally “stretches it” to make leaps in the text, but overall it was a good way to get some in depth knowledge of David.

[Will Dole · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 update: even better this time. So many themes I didn’t remember. I basically stand by everything below, but with an even deeper appreciation for Leithart’s work.
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Leithart is one of the most unique thinkers I’ve ever read. He has an amazing attention to detail in the text, and a seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of Scripture which allows him to draw connections between and inferences from those details.

He also, somewhat frequently, stretches those details to make paper bridges between texts that simply can’t be walked over. For example, the idea that David poured out the water in 2 Sam 23 because Jesus hadn’t spilled his blood yet struck me as…looney.

If you’re only going to grab one commentary on Samuel, this shouldn’t be it (in that case, go with Davis). But if you’re already reading a more traditional commentary (Baldwin, Youngblood, etc), then I highly recommend reading Leithart. He will challenge and stretch you and surprise you in the way others won’t. Sometimes that will give you great insight into the text (Goliath is a scaled servant of the serpent who loses his head to a messiah). It will always force you to pay attention to the text. And that is a great gift.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

We just concluded preaching through 1 and 2 Samuel and this was far and away my favorite commentary. Leithart writes beautifully. You can pick this book up and read it cover to cover—an unusual feat for a commentary. Leithart writes poetically and with thoughtful biblical-redemptive themes woven throughout.

The only minor weakness is that there are a couple of conclusions he lands on that aren’t correct (for instance, he says that the Philistine God Dagon was mermaid-like in appearance. This common understanding has been disproven.) But Leithart’s exposition contains countless nuggets and I commend it to you.
For more reviews see www.thebeehive.live.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an eminently readable commentary that is meant to be read as a book, not simply as a reference book. Leithart is an outstanding biblical theologian, that is to say, he sees and explains the themes of the book and how they are connected to the rest of the Bible.

The book is enlightening and instructive as it helps the reader be able to learn from Leithart's method and shed light on other books of the Bible and how to rightly understand them. I highly recommend this work to those looking to understand 1 and 2 Samuel, as well as how to learn Leithart's hermeneutic.

[Devin Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Leithart is one of my favorite theologians and authors. Typology is a great method in reading scripture and by doing so opens up so much. This commentary on 1-2 Samuel does a lot of that and only compliments the OT message by bringing the focus on Jesus. That isn’t to say Leithart doesn’t deal with the historical context, he definitely does and is exemplary in his ability to make further OT intertextual connections.

This is not a critical commentary and Leithart works from the foundation that scripture is inspired. If you want a fresh perspective on 1-2 Samuel, get this commentary.

[Stephen Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really an enjoyable read. Not every connection Leithart makes is equally tight, but enough of them are persuasive that the argument works well as a whole. He brings out several patterns and connections in Samuel that I had never noticed before.

Most interesting to me was his treatment of Saul as a kind of culmination of the Judges. Saul represents both what was successful in the judges and the moral failures that repeatedly undermined them.

Leithart sometimes reaches, but he also repeatedly made me see familiar stories with fresh eyes.

[Kristin Tabb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always excellent in his attention to exegetical details and commitment to biblical theology, Leithart always manages to balance scholarly observation, contemporary relevance, and the ability to to not only read the lines, but (as is so important in interpreting Hebrew narrative) to read between them as well. Occasionally his typological interpretations require an exegetical reach, but even there, he scores points for creativity. Always a joy to read Leithart.

[Aurora Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the most interesting arguments in the book is Leithart's case for reparations. Other than that, it is mostly a structural analysis. The introduction argues that the literary patterns and symbols contained within the bible are actually embedded into reality itself, merging scholarly literary analysis with biblical inerrancy.

[Peter Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leithart's Bible commentaries are my favorite writings of his. In my opinion he is better than James Jordan. If you want to learn how to read the Bible carefully then pick up Leithart. You will not agree with everything, but you will come away with a fresh appreciation for and deeper understanding of God's Word.

[Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I think some of his insights are just amazing and helpful, there are many that are a bit too much of a stretch. But his intro and defense of typological interpretation is worth the price of the book itself.

[Drew Svendsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought he did a great job connecting 1-2 Samuel with Genesis and the metanarrative of the Bible. He drew connections with Adam and Jacob and Joseph, ones that I would not have considered. I appreciated how it was different than most other commentaries that I’ve read

[Jonah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just great. A breath of fresh air in biblical studies.

[Seth Mcdevitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the commentary I used to teach through 1 and 2 Sam on Sunday nights. Thorough and concise. Would be perfect for a personal or group study of 1 and 2 Sam. Worth your money.

[Mark Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating (and dense!) analysis of Israel’s monarchical wrestlings. Scripture is more intricately planned than we’ll ever fully understand. 5/5

[Ian Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to rate this one. In some places, his insightfulness leads to gold; other times, it goes off the rails.

[Jared Lovell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! An all around great commentary with seemingly limitless insights. I highly recommend!

[Emma R. Pilcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Anna Kling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful and intriguing. I am looking forward to listening to this one again.

[Travis Wise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bounces from observation to observation like a dog after a frisbee. Some great catches, but a labor to follow. Less could be more. Unless it’s more editing, which would also have been more.