“The Lord Has Rejected You As King Over Israel”: Saul's Deposal from the Throne

Abstract

This article presents a literary analysis of the extant text of Samuel 15 and argues that Saul's deposal is represented as the result of his lack of recognition of God's authority over him as king. Identifying Saul's behavior as exemplifying one of the ancient views of Israelite monarchy, the article also elucidates the relationship between the king and God reflected in the relevant chapters of the book of Samuel.