A Final Statement: 23:1–7 David’s last words are presented as a formal oracle. Although there is little reason to doubt that David wrote this oracle, it is unlikely to reflect his actual last words; rather, it is his last major pronouncement, comparable to a last will and testament. Jacob, Moses, and Joshua make similar speeches (in Gen. 49; Deut. 32–34; Josh. 23–34, respectively). Such a pronouncement would be given tremendous significance as a dying wish. This document would have been difficult to place within the court narratives but nevertheless would have been of vital interest to readers from the time of later kings. This interest would be partly curiosity, much as similar royal pronouncements receive wide media coverage today because of wide public interest. But David’s reputation a…