Don’t Shoot the Messenger! Embedded Direct Speech Conveyed by a Messenger in 2 Samuel 11 and Numbers 22

Abstract

In 2 Sam 11 and Num 22, the direct speech of the first speaker (Joab and Balak, respectively) is passed on and quoted by others. However, the messenger does not convey the message exactly as it had been formulated by the first speaker but instead adapts it to his own point of view. In this short contribution I show that the differences in the Hebrew text between the original message (the first speaker’s direct speech) and the message as conveyed (the embedded direct speech within the messenger’s own direct speech) have a specific function in the narrative. We should respect these differences when we translate. They should therefore not be treated as text-critical problems and be harmonized on the basis of variant readings from ancient versions, as has been done from time to time.