תנופות לחם לשאול המלך: שמואל א י, 4 במגילה מקומראן ובתרגום השבעים

In 1 Sam. 10:4 the Masoretic text reads שתי לחם. As against it 4QSama reads תנופות לחם, which is supported by the Septuagint. Recent commentators of Samuel have opted for the latter reading. Nevertheless, the MT has the lectio praeferenda: in cultic contexts the derivatives of the root נו״ף belong to the diction of the Priestly Document, and this diction pervades the secondary contributions (additions and elaborations) of late scribes. Hence, the priestly quality of תנופות betrays its being a gloss. Its purport was to identify the two breads donated to Saul with the two תנופות breads prescribed as the Feast of Weeks offering in Lev. 23:17. This midrashic identification has implications on both the aggadic and halakhic planes. The aggadah probably determined that Saul’s anointment had taken place on the eve or on the very day of Shabuoth, which accords with the aggadic tendency of assigning calendrical dates to biblical events. As for halakha, it took issue with the fact that breads set apart for dedication at a sanctuary (Bethel) had been given to a layman. By specifying that the breads were תנופות the Jewish interpreter made it clear that their being handed to Saul conformed to the law: plausibly, Saul was supposed to present the breads at the sanctuary.