The extensive use of dialogue in 1 Kings 1-2 should not be overlooked. More generally Rendsburg estimates percentages of 57.5% and 42.5% for narrative and dialogue respectively. The figures are based on a sample of five text portions and the calculation is in terms of the number of verses assigned to either narrative or dialogue. The way in which the data is counted is in need of some refinement. When this is done for 1 Kings 1-2, one finds a more exaggerated set of percentages, i.e. 29% (narrative) and 71% (dialogue). The figures are based on a word by word count of 1 Kings 1-2 and take into account both indirect and direct speech.6 As suggested by this division of the text, speech is again confirmed to play an integral role in the content and shaping of the text.