Editing Obed-Edom (section)

==Scholarly Views==

Several scholars have noted the existence of uncertainties and disagreements about the Obed-Edom passages.<ref name="Ehrlich1996" /><ref name="Kelly1996" /><ref name="Kalimi2005" /><ref name="Japhet1993" /> However, most scholars agree that in the name "Obed-Edom the Gittite," (as he is called in 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 13) the term "Gittite" refers originally to a Philistine (and therefore a non-Israelite man).<ref name="Ehrlich1996" /> However, in Chronicles "Obed-edom is assigned a levitical pedigree," that is, is described as a Levite, an Israelite member of the tribe entrusted with holy responsibilities.<ref name="Japhet1993" /> This description as a Levite is "usually regarded as the Chronicler's own interpretation."<ref name="Japhet1993" /> As a result of these differing interpretations, several scholars have proposed that the Chronicler has altered the original description of a Philistine Obed-edom in order to make the character a Levite.<ref name="Ehrlich1996" /><ref name="Haran1977">{{cite book|author=Menahem Haran|title=Temples and Temple-service in Ancient Israel: An Inquiry Into Biblical Cult Phenomena and the Historical Setting of the Priestly School|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iHsee69P6KgC&pg=PA79|year=1977|publisher=Eisenbrauns|isbn=978-0-931464-18-8|page=79}}</ref><ref name="Levin2017">{{cite book|author=Yigal Levin|title=The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah: 2 Chronicles 10 - 36: A New Translation and Commentary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mFzyDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA232|date=23 February 2017|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=978-0-567-67172-1|page=232}}</ref><ref name="Kalimi2005" /><ref name="Henze2012">{{cite book|author=Matthias Henze|title=A Companion to Biblical Interpretation in Early Judaism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NH2F3_dnCSMC&pg=PA53|date=9 January 2012|publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing|isbn=978-0-8028-0388-7|page=53}}</ref>  Conservative scholars point out that "Gittite" refers simply to the town of Gath, not to the nationality of the individual.  David had recently been given sanctuary in Gath by Achish, king of Gath (1 Samuel 27:3), and yet it would be erroneous to conclude that David was somehow therefore a Philistine.  Moreover, Gath was one of the originally deeded Levitical cities, given to the Kohathites (Joshua 21:24), from whose family Obed-Edom was descended.  Therefore, his residence in this contested city is not surprising.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Keil |first=C.F. |title=Commentary on the Old Testament |date=March 2006 |publisher=Hendrickson Publishers |isbn=0-913573-88-4 |edition=2nd |location=Peabody, Massachusetts |pages=591-592 |language=English}}</ref>