While drawing on the resources of the new biblical "narratology," this reading of 1 Samuel diverges from the mainstream in fundamental ways. It pretends to no ideological neutrality, but espouses a "critical narratology" informed by such cultural practices as feminism and psychoanalysis. It follows a structuralist tradition which finds meaning more in the text's large-scale mythic patterns than in close reading of particular passages. It seeks methods specific to 1 Samuel rather than ones applicable to biblical narrative in general. Organizing the text through the three interlocking thematic fields of class, race, and gender, the author asks how such a canonical book may function in a modern context where these themes continue to be of crucial importance. "Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant." -Isaiah 55:3 As they have for centuries, people still turn to the Hebrew Bible to hear afresh the life-giving words of God's everlasting covenant. Berit Olam ("The Everlasting Covenant"): Studies in Hebrew Narrative and Poetry brings to all interested in the Bible, be they lay people, professional biblical scholars, students, or religious educators, the latest developments in the literary analysis of these ancient texts. This multi-volume commentary reflects a relatively new development in biblical studies. The readings of the books of the Hebrew Bible offered here all focus on the final form of the texts, approaching them as literary works, recognizing that the craft of poetry and storytelling that the ancient Hebrew world provided can be found in them and that their truth can be better appreciated with a fuller understanding of that art. The authors reflect a variety of religious traditions, professional backgrounds, and theoretical approaches. Yet they share a common desire to make available to all of God's people the words of the everlasting covenant in all of their beauty. 344 pages.