The answer is that in God’s dealings with men (and angels) there is a corporate responsibility involving men in the same organic relationship. Where is the justice in killing seven sons of Saul for a sin that Saul committed? That is probably the easiest part of the whole matter to answer. One question is: Why did the Lord wait a rather long time between Saul’s murderous deed and His punishment of it on the nation of Israel? A second question is: What did the burial of the bones of Saul and Jonathan have to do with the appeasement of God’s anger? For it was only after this burial of the bones of Saul and Jonathan that "God was entreated for the land" (14).īut the questioner is concerned about another matter. Several questions arise in connection with these strange events. It seems as if it was in connection with the killing of Saul’s sons and the protection of the two bodies by their mother, Rizpah, that David took the bones of Saul and Jonathan from the people of Jabesh-gilead and buried them in the family burial ground in Zelah (12-14). At the request of the Gibeonites themselves, seven sons of Saul were executed (II Sam. However that may be, David was aware of this dastardly deed, for he was not surprised when the Lord explained that the famine in the land of Canaan was due to Saul’s murder of some Gibeonites, in violation of the oath Israel swore to spare their lives. The basis for this conjecture is that, according to I Samuel 22:6 and 23:19, Saul was staying at this time in Gibeah. It is possible, however, that the reference is the bloody murder of 85 people by Doeg, the Edomite, at the command of Saul (I Sam. The questioner observes that this event is not mentioned in Scripture. He apparently killed some of the Gibeonites with whom Israel had made peace. Many centuries later (the period from the exodus of Israel to the reign of Saul is generally considered to be about 400 years), Saul came to the throne in Israel.
At the time that peace was made, the elders of Israel swore an oath not to kill the Gibeonites (15). When Joshua and the Israelites fought against the Canaanites, Joshua made peace with the Gibeonites (Josh. The history of this event is somewhat complicated and, in some instances, as the questioner mentions, not always clear.
The Death of Saul’s Seven SonsĪ brother writes, "Reading II Samuel 21, it seems unjust that seven of Saul’s sons are put to death for their father’s sins against the Gibeonites, which instance is not recorded in Scripture (as far as I can see)." They should still be valid.Emeritus Prof.H.Hanko answers a question about the death of Saul's seven sons, treating the justice of God and corporate responsibility. Verena Lueken, film critic for Germany's daily "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung," asked after the premiere, "Can anyone imagine the filming process? The relationship between the actors and the characters they are playing?" She reached the conclusion: "There are good reasons for the taboo that the Holocaust should not be the stuff of fiction. Is it legitimate for a fictional feature film to tackle the topic of concentration camps? Should brutal deeds, murders and gassing be portrayed by actors? The debate is not new - it has previously surfaced in literature, theater, art and philosophy. "Son of Saul," on the other hand, is characterized by sober simplicity, which makes it all the more impactful.Īfter the premiere in Cannes, critics touched on a fundamental problem in the film. "They often try to tell a story of survivor and heroism," while at the same time romanticizing the past. Nemes explained that he had already been frustrated by Holocaust films. "I wanted to show the story as simply and archaically as possible." That's what differentiates "Son of Saul" from scores of other Holocaust films over the decades. He didn't intend to show everything that went on in the camp, he added.
Nemes said he didn't want to take the position of a concentration camp survivor, explaining his aesthetic approach. The intense use of sound lends the film a great deal of authenticity, to the point that it practically has the effect of a documentary. Only the main protagonist and his direct surroundings are put in focus.Įverything else - even the crimes committed by the Nazis - seems blurry. Unusually, the film is shown in a square format, which pulls the viewer even more into the picture and the happenings in the camp. In an oppressive way, Nemes shows how courageous but also absurd this scheme is. Saul Ausländer (Geza Röhrig, right) comes into conflict with the guards over his burial plans