A really incredible translation of a really great story

books:

	• The David Story: A Translation with Commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel Robert Alter W. W. Norton & Company, 2000 - 448 pages average customer review:based on 21 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Read this!

Illuminating. Robert Alter is more than worth owning for those of us who enjoy clarity in translation.

David's story comes to life

When Robert Alter writes comments about the text and content of Bible stories, he speaks on the basis of broad knowledge of the language and culture of ancient Israel coupled with deep understanding of the literary forms that shape the stories internally and in relation to each other. Alter's "The David Story," translation and commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel is, among other things, a good read. Alter's translation is extremely readable all by itself. In his comments he reveals problems with the various manuscripts that contribute to translation challenges. He also applies literary analysis that assist the reader to hear the story as a story, not just a raw Bible fact.
I highly recommend this book to anybody who is serious about studying the Bible or about telling Bible stories authentically.

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david hamelech is so cool!

I really like how he looked at four different texts/translations and decided which one he thought fit best in each context while at the same time footnoting whatever the Masoretic text said, whether he chose it or not. I would have liked it better if there had been parallel Hebrew and English texts, but not everybody likes that (or can read it).
It's more than a translation and less than a commentary, as you might have guessed from the title. I kind of like commentaries more, but this is pretty cool.

A really incredible translation of a really great story

It's really a shame that Robert Altar has "only" translated Samuel I and II and the Five Books of Moses because once you read one of his translations with all of their glorious commentary, using another commentary on another book of the Bible feels sort of empty. I am terribly sad about finishing this book. It's amazingly readable; the footnotes are ample and very satisfying. If you want to read the Books of Samuel and gain an understanding of them and an appreciation for them, I can't imagine there is a better book for you to buy.

I would add that this book also approaches the story from what I guess you would call a literary-historical perspective. Hence, it doesn't really matter whether you are religious or not, or what your religion is. Alter will help you see the David story for what it is: one of the richest and best stories ever produced.

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Educational and Controversial

Literary scholar Robert Alter follows up his translation of the Torah with a new translation of the books of Samuel. A Hebrew scholar and literary critic, Alter brings the techniques of secular criticism to biblical scholarship. This translation is not a book of exegesis, but a lucid, readable application of cultural and ethnic studies to scripture, in an attempt to make clear what has historically been muddied by theological intervention.

Alter's Samuel text aims for a broad audience with applications distinct from the manner of religious translators, who sometimes perform remarkable literary gymnastics to sanitize scripture for their pious readers. This version is unashamed of the fact that David is not the well-scrubbed young hero of Sunday school and the Mitzvah, but is actually a deeply conflicted and troubling figure. Alter points out the almost-lurid language the biblical historian uses to describe the fall of Eli, Samuel, and Saul, followed by David's decline into a parody of himself.

This translation makes use of multiple sources to reconcile the sometimes troubling Hebrew, and the extensive footnotes point out how much information has actually been lost to the passage of three millennia. Alter's attempts to trace multiple emendations of the master text are sure to be controversial, but these attempts point out just how conflicted the whole process of scripture inevitably must be.

David, Saul, and Samuel are truly fascinating characters as they appear in this translation, but the most interesting figure may be the author who gave us the text we now celebrate. Alter attempts to trace the literary and theological choices which that author made in setting this powerful story down for posterity. Even for readers who have little interest in theological issues, the literary study in this translation is fascinating, controversial, and a real education.

Some readers are likely to balk at parts of this translation. The supporting critical literature Alter has chosen is more utilitarian than encyclopedic. And because there are some linguistic gaps in the master text, there are several conjectural leaps on the page, which Alter acknowledges in his copious notes. Anyone who takes a dogmatic attitude toward the translation of scripture is likely to balk at some of this scholar's less-than-pious decisions.

But for improving comprehension of the original Hebrew literature for English-speaking audiences, Alter is a valuable addition to most libraries of study. His snappy, readable translation pairs well with his educational notes to create a book that is sure to spur discussion and more intense thought about scripture. And it also makes the ancient epic into a fun read.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

A fresh translation of the Old Testament story of David and Goliath. This David is fully human, an ambitious, calculating man who navigates his life's course with a flawed moral vision. Translation and commentary together enable a great work of literature to emerge from the Bible.

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