From Saul's failure to David's reckoning, 'Human Kingship' examines the dangers of power – review

Rabbi David Silber's book, Human Kingship: Studies in the Book of Samuel, explores the inherent dangers of unchecked power in biblical kingship, particularly the absence of a formal mechanism to remove a king from office. The book, drawing on 40 years of teaching, examines the failures of figures like Saul and the moral compromises of David, highlighting how punishment often fell on their families or dynasties rather than their tenure. Silber questions what truly stands between a king and disaster when no procedure exists for removal, suggesting it is the king's self-awareness and adherence to "tzedek u'mishpat," justice and righteousness.

• The book analyzes Samuel's critical depiction regarding the monarchy, noting his reluctance and self-interest in the establishment of kingship.
• Saul's initial evasion of the crown is interpreted as a refusal to be accountable, leading to his eventual downfall.
• A key analysis of David cutting Saul's cloak at Ein Gedi reinterprets the act not as mercy, but as a public declaration of Saul's loss of authority, giving David's men permission to act.
• Silber concludes by referencing Hannah's prayer for a king who would uphold justice, suggesting that such a leader, willing to take personal responsibility, remains a profound and unclaimed ideal.