Texts in Conversation
In 1 Samuel 29:9 Achish tells David that he is as good in his eyes as an angel of God, a comparison meant to affirm David’s trustworthiness. Zechariah 12:8 later uses the same imagery when describing how the people will be like David and even surpass him, becoming like an angel of God.
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1 Samuel 29:9
Hebrew Bible
8 But David said to Achish, “What have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day that I first came into your presence until the present time, that I shouldn’t go and fight the enemies of my lord the king?” 9 Achish replied to David, “I am convinced that you are as good in my eyes16 as the angel of God! However, the leaders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go up with us in the battle.’ 10 So get up early in the morning along with the servants of your lord who have come with you. When you get up early in the morning, as soon as it is light enough to see, leave.”
Date: 6th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Zechariah 12:8
Hebrew Bible
7 The Lord also will deliver the homes of Judah first, so that the splendor of the kingship of David and of the people of Jerusalem may not exceed that of Judah. 8 On that day the Lord himself will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the weakest among them will be like mighty David, and the dynasty of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them. 9 So on that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 “I will pour out on the kingship of David and the population of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication so that they will look to me, the one they have pierced. They will lament for him as one laments for an only son, and there will be a bitter cry for him like the bitter cry for a firstborn.
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Some references to mal'akim are comparative or metaphorical. (This is not the equivalent of figurative anthropomorphic language describing Yahweh; in these texts, the humans are primary and the references to angels are figurative) There are passages in which people are compared to angels, but in each case the context very clearly demonstrates that none of these are based on physicality. 1 Samuel 29:9, 2 Samuel 14:17-20 and 19:28 contain comparisons of David to an angel, based on his behavior. In 1 Samuel 29:8-9, when David asks, “What have I done?” Achish answers, “You are good in my eyes, like an angel of God”. In both 2 Samuel passages the comparisons include references to discerning between good and bad. In 2 Samuel 14:17 the woman of Tekoa says to David, “Like an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad”. 2 Samuel 19:28 is similar. Each of these comparisons is based on behavior or judgment, not on physical appearance ..."
Hamori, Esther J.
When Gods Were Men: The Embodied God in Biblical and Near Eastern Literature
(p. 108) De Gruyter, 2008
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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