Abstract
In a recent article in this journal, Yaron Peleg argued Jonathan was David’s ‘female bride’. This response to Peleg’s article re-evaluates each of the main arguments adduced by Peleg in support of his thesis, highlighting significant difficulties with each. This article concludes that the textual data are better explained by the opposite view: instead of de-legitimizing Jonathan, the text presents him as a ‘proto-David’, worthy of the crown. That David comes eventually to lead Israel is a surprise, one that underscores the theology of the books of Samuel.
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