Reading as It Is Written?
A Study of How Swedish Children's Bibles Handle Narrative Inconsistencies in 1 Sam 16–17
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58412/hyb.v3i3.41929Keywords:
children's bibles, lausanne movement, 1 Sam 16–17, Hebrew BibleAbstract
This article examines how Swedish children's Bibles address narrative inconsistencies in the story of Saul, David, and Goliath in 1 Sam 16–17. Two main inconsistencies are identified: (1) David appears to meet Saul for the first time on more than one occasion, and (2) Goliath seems to be killed in two different ways. Through an analysis of 41 children's Bibles, the study maps how these inconsistencies are handled in retellings for young readers. The findings show that children's Bible authors take considerable liberties in omitting, rearranging, and reformulating the narrative to achieve a more cohesive and coherent narrative structure. The implications of these adaptations are discussed in relation to the Lausanne Movement's view of biblical interpretation, which emphasizes both the historical and literary contexts of the text. Finally, the article reflects on the consequences of a simplified view of the Bible for children's future understanding of biblical texts.
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