Difference between revisions of "Samuel"

<p> ("asked of God".) Greek '''''Τheaitetus''''' ; or probably "heard of God". Last of the judges, first of the successional prophets ''(Moses Was A Prophet, '' &nbsp;Deuteronomy 18:15 '', But More A Lawgiver; '' &nbsp;Acts 3:24 '', "All The [[Prophets]] From Samuel And Those That Follow After," '' &nbsp;Acts 13:20 '', Shows Samuel Was First Of The Succession)'' ; founder of the monarchy. He gives name to the two books commemorating the first foundation of the kingdom under Saul, and its firm establishment in David's person and line. Son of [[Elkanah]] of Ramathaim [[Zophim]] in Mount Ephraim, and Hannah. (See [[Ramathaim]] [[Zophim; Hannah]] ) </p> <p> The father, though sprung from [[Korah]] the Levite, lived in Mount Ephraim, and became incorporated with Ephraim. So the [[Levite]] in &nbsp;Judges 17:7 was "of the family of Judah" by incorporation. On the brow of the double summit of Ramathaim Zophim was the city of Samuel's birth and residence in after years, at its foot was a great well (&nbsp;1 Samuel 19:22). While sleeping in the sanctuary Samuel received his first call of God; "he did not yet know Jehovah," i.e. by personal revelation (&nbsp;1 Samuel 3:7, compare &nbsp;1 Samuel 3:1; &nbsp;Acts 19:2). Only at the third call (compare &nbsp;Job 33:14), and by Eli's instruction, Samuel replied, "speak, Lord, for [[Thy]] servant heareth." With delicate consideration for Eli's feelings Samuel lay until morning shrinking from telling him Jehovah's revelation, and only at his solicitation told all. </p> <p> The gentleness of the child intensified the awfulness of the doom announced through him to the old priest. [[Henceforward]] all Israel, from Dan in the far N. to Beersheba, recognized Samuel as prophet of Jehovah, "for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in [[Shiloh]] by the word of the Lord, and the Lord let none of his words fall to the ground." [[Twenty]] years elapse after the fall of church and state at the fatal battle of Ebenezer, and the destruction of Shiloh the seat of Jehovah's worship (&nbsp;1 Samuel 7:2-3, etc.). Then Samuel again appears and exhorts Israel, now lamenting after the Lord, to "put away" their idols and "Ashtaroth" in particular (each man besides general sins has his particular besetting sin), and to "return unto [[Jehovah]] with all their hearts." [[Gathering]] them at Mizpeh, Samuel poured water before Jehovah in confession of sin and in token of their consequent utter prostration and powerlessness (&nbsp;2 Samuel 14:14, inward dissolution through distress; &nbsp;Psalms 22:14; &nbsp;Psalms 58:7; &nbsp;Isaiah 12:3; &nbsp;John 7:37). </p> <p> Realization of our weakness is the necessary condition for receiving almighty strength (&nbsp;Isaiah 40:29-30; &nbsp;2 Corinthians 12:9-10). The people, hearing that the [[Philistine]] lords were come up against them, begged Samuel's unceasing intercessions. The Lord heard him (&nbsp;Psalms 99:6; &nbsp;Jeremiah 15:1). As Samuel was offering the burnt offering the [[Philistines]] drew near to battle; and Jehovah with a thunderstorm defeated them, and [[Israel]] pursued them to Bethcar. At the very spot where 20 years previously Israel was routed Israel set up the [[Eben-Ezer]] stone, commemorating victory over the Philistines by Jehovah's help (&nbsp;1 Samuel 7:7-14). (See [[Eben]] -EZER.) </p> <p> The Philistines restored the cities and adjoining districts which they had taken from Israel, close up to [[Ekron]] and Gath, the cities of the Philistines; and the effect of Israel's victory on the [[Amorites]] was they kept peace with Israel (compare &nbsp;Joshua 10:6; &nbsp;Judges 1:34-35). He visited on circuit as judge Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpeh, the three chief sanctuaries W. of Jordan. His home and judicial center was Ramah, where he built an altar. Strange to say, notwithstanding the awful warning in Eli's case of the danger of not correcting children, Samuel had two sons, Joel and Abiah, whom he made judges in Beersheba, and who unlike their father turned aside after lucre and bribes, and perverted judgment (&nbsp;1 Samuel 8:1-3). The father seems somewhat to blame in respect to them, the only blemish recorded of Samuel. This was the occasion of the [[Israelite]] elders requesting for a king. </p> <p> [[Displeased]] at the request, Samuel had one unfailing resource, he prayed to Jehovah. The Lord punished them by granting their desire (&nbsp;Psalms 106:15), which was a virtual rejection of Jehovah Himself, not merely of Samuel. Yet the Lord did not abdicate His throne over the theocracy. The king was but Jehovah's vicegerent holding office only on condition of loyalty to his [[Liege]] above; Israel, under the unfaithful Saul, at Nilboa by [[Bitter]] experience learned what a vain defense is a king reflecting their own unbelieving carnalism. In spite of Samuel's warning of the tyrannies of a king, Israel insisted on having one, "like all the nations," to "judge" them and "fight their battles." They preferred an arm of flesh to Jehovah's spiritual defense under Samuel. Samuel duly anointed SAUL by God's direction, and after Saul's victory over [[Nahash]] renewed the kingdom at Gilgal; here he appealed to the people as to his own past integrity in office, in times when bribery was too prevalent. The people attested his purity, from whence he has been named the Israelite Aristides. </p> <p> God by sending a thunderstorm in an unusual time, then May or June, declared both his integrity and the people's sin. Samuel assures them nevertheless God will forgive and bless them if loyal to Him, but otherwise He will consume both them and their king (1 Samuel 9-12). ''(On His Title "Seer", See Prophet.)'' The people consulted him on every subject of difficulty (&nbsp;1 Samuel 9:6-10), and eiders trembled before his approach as the representative of superhuman power and holiness (&nbsp;1 Samuel 16:4-5). His characteristic spiritual work was unceasing crying to Jehovah at times, "all night," in intercessory prayer (&nbsp;1 Samuel 15:11; &nbsp;1 Samuel 7:7-8); so the [[Antitype]] "continued all night in prayer to God" (&nbsp;Luke 6:12). Also bold witness for God's law, which as prophet he represented, even before Saul when transgressing it. He maintained the supremacy of the divine rule above the secular at the very beginning of the kingdom. </p> <p> His sacrificing was not as a priest, but as a Levite and prophet especially called to do so by God, though not of the family of Aaron; a presage of the better dispensation wherein not those alone of one favored family or caste, but all, are privileged to be king-priests to God. Saul's sin lay not in his usurping the priest's office, but in disobedience to God as represented by His prophet ''('' &nbsp;1 Samuel 10:8 ''; '' &nbsp;1 Samuel 13:8 ''; '' &nbsp;1 Samuel 13:15 '', On Which [[Occasion]] Samuel Enunciated The [[Eternal]] Principle, "To [[Obey]] Is [[Better]] Than Sacrifice," I.E. Not That [[Sacrifice]] Was Not Required, For God [[Ordained]] It, But It Can Never Be Made A [[Cloak]] For [[Neglecting]] The Moral, [[Spiritual]] End For Which The Positive [[Ordinance]] Of Sacrifice Existed.)'' Samuel tore himself from Saul, who desired his prophetic countenance before the people; his rending the garment symbolized the rending of Saul's kingdom from him. </p> <p> Samuel saw Saul no more, yet grieved for one whose self-incurred doom he could no longer avert, until Jehovah expostulated "how long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him?" (&nbsp;1 Samuel 16:1, compare &nbsp;Psalms 139:21-22). [[Tender]] sympathy never led Samuel to give Saul public sanction; but now he is called on to anoint another in Saul's room, and to be of one mind with God in all that God does. Samuel founded "the schools of the prophets," to which belonged "the sons of the prophets," whose education, beside the law, was in sacred, vocal, and instrumental music and processions (&nbsp;1 Samuel 10:5; &nbsp;1 Samuel 10:10; &nbsp;1 Samuel 19:19-20; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 25:1; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 25:6). (See [[Naioth]] .) </p> <p> Here David fled as to his spiritual home. Then Saul, by sending messengers to take him from Samuel's very presence, virtually insulted the prophet, but was himself brought under the power of the Spirit. Here David learned the elements of that sacred and prophetic psalmody of which he subsequently became the great representative. Thus Samuel was his spiritual father and the originator of the religious schools of which our modern [[Christian]] universities are the offshoot. At his death (&nbsp;1 Samuel 25:1) all the [[Israelites]] were gathered together and lamented him and buried him in his house at Ramah. (See [[Ramah]] .) The " '''''Αcta Sanctorum''''' " (Aug. 20) say his remains were translated front [[Judaea]] (A.D. 406) to Constantinople, and received with pomp at the pieter [[Chalcedon]] by the emperor Arcadius, and conveyed to a church near the palace of Hebdomon. </p>

<p> God hath heard, &nbsp;1 Samuel 1:20 , a child of prayer, the celebrated [[Hebrew]] prophet and judge, &nbsp;Acts 3:24 &nbsp; 13:20 . He was a Levite by birth, &nbsp;1 Corinthians 6:20 , and the son of Elkanah and Hannah, at Ramah in Mount Ephraim, northwest of Jerusalem. At a very tender age he was carried to Shiloh, and brought up beside the tabernacle under the care of Eli the high priest. Having been conserated to God from his birth, and devoted to Nazariteship, he began to receive divine communications even in his childhood, &nbsp;1 Samuel 3:1-21; and after the death of Eli, he became established as the judge of Israel. He was the last and best of the Hebrew judges. We contemplate his character and administration with peculiar pleasure and reverence. The twelve tribes, when he assumed their charge, were in a low condition both morally and politically he freed them from all foreign yokes, administered justice with vigor and impartiality, promoted education and true religion, united the tribes, and raised them higher in the scale of civilization. </p> <p> Their demand of a king, in view of the advanced age of Samuel and the vile character of his sons, showed a great want of faith in God and of submission to his will. Yet He granted them a king "in his wrath," &nbsp;Hosea 13:11 . Samuel anointed Saul as their first king; and afterwards David, who in due time was to take the place of Saul already, rejected by God. As long as he lived, Samuel exerted a paramount and most beneficial influence in Israel, even over Saul himself. He instituted the "schools of the prophets," which were long continued and very useful. He died at the age of ninety-eight, B. C. 1053, honored and lamented by all. Even after his death the unhappy Saul, forsaken by the God was pleased to cause Samuel to appear, with a prophetic message to the king. In &nbsp;Psalm 99:6 he is ranked with Moses and Aaron. See also &nbsp; Jeremiah 15:1 &nbsp; Hebrews 11:32 . </p> <p> The two [[Books Of Samuel]] could not all have been written by him, because his death is mentioned in &nbsp;1 Samuel 25:1-43 , B. C. 1055. Thus far it is not improbable that he was the author, while the remaining chapters are commonly attributed to [[Nathan]] and Gad, B. C. 1018. Why Samuel's name is given to both books cannot be known. In the [[Septuagint]] they are called the First and Second Books of Kings. See KINGS. The two books comprise the history of Samuel, Saul, and David. They are quoted in the New Testament, &nbsp;Acts 13:22 &nbsp; Hebrews 1:5 , and alluded to in the Psalms, etc. </p>

<p> [[Samuel]] ( ''Săm'U-El'' ), ''Heard Of God.'' A great prophet, the last judge of Israel before the monarchy, which he introduced by anointing Saul. He appears also as the head of a school of prophets. 1 Sam. chaps. 1-5. He was the son of Elkanah a Levite, descended from that Korah who perished in the wilderness. &nbsp;Numbers 16:1-50; &nbsp;Numbers 26:11. Little is recorded in detail of his administration. For a number of years he judged Israel—this is the sum of what is told—though whether his authority was recognized by all the tribes may admit of question. The places to which he is said to have gone on circuit were all in the south of Palestine, &nbsp;1 Samuel 7:1-17; and when he appointed his sons to office it was in Beer-sheba, the extreme south. </p>

<p> ''''' sam´ū́ ''''' - ''''' el ''''' ( שׁמוּאל , <i> ''''' shemū'ēl ''''' </i> ; Σαμουήλ , <i> ''''' Samouḗl ''''' </i> ): The word "Samuel" signifies "name of God," or "his name is El" (God). Other interpretations of the name that have been offered are almost certainly mistaken. The play upon the name in &nbsp; 1 Samuel 1:20 is not intended of course to be an explanation of its meaning, but is similar to the play upon the name Moses in &nbsp; Exodus 2:10 and frequently elsewhere in similar instances. Thus, by the addition of a few letters <i> ''''' shemū'ēl ''''' </i> becomes <i> ''''' shā'ūl ''''' </i> <i> ''''' mē'ēl ''''' </i> (שמואל , מאל שׁאוּל ) "asked of God," and recalls to the mother of Samuel the circumstances of the divine gift to her of a son. Outside of 1st Samuel the name of the great judge and prophet is found in &nbsp;Jeremiah 15:1; &nbsp;Psalm 99:6 and in 1 and 2 Chronicles. The reference in Jeremiah seems intended to convey the same impression that is given by the narrative of 1 Samuel, that in some sense Samuel had come to be regarded as a second Moses, upon whom the mantle of the latter had fallen, and who had been once again the deliverer and guide of the people at a great national crisis. </p> 1. Sources and Character of the History: <p> The narrative of the events of the life of Samuel appears to be derived from more than one source (see Samuel , Books Of ). The narrator had before him and made use of biographies and traditions, which he combined into a single consecutive history. The completed picture of the prophet's position and character which is thus presented is on the whole harmonious and consistent, and gives a very high impression of his piety and loyalty to Yahweh, and of the wide influence for good which he exerted. There are divergences apparent in detail and standpoint between the sources or traditions, some of which may probably be due merely to misunderstanding of the true nature of the events recorded, or to the failure of the modern reader rightly to appreciate the exact circumstances and time. The greater part of the narrative of the life of Samuel, however, appears to have a single origin. </p> 2. Life: <p> In the portion of the general history of Israel contained in 1 Samuel are narrated the circumstances of the future prophet's birth (chapter 1); of his childhood and of the custom of his parents to make annual visits to the sanctuary at Shiloh (&nbsp;1 Samuel 2:11 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 2:18-21 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 2:26 ); of his vision, and the universal recognition of him as a prophet enjoying the special favor of [[Yahweh]] (3 through &nbsp;1 Samuel 4:1 ). The narrative is then interrupted to describe the conflicts with the Philistines, the fate of Eli and his sons, and the capture of the ark of God. It is only after the return of the ark, and apparently at the close of the 20 years during which it was retained at Kiriath-jearim, that Samuel again comes forward publicly, exhorting the people to repentance and promising them deliverance from the Philistines. A summary narrative is then given of the summoning of a national council at Mizpah, at which Samuel "judged the children of Israel," and offered sacrifice to the Lord, and of Yahweh's response in a great thunderstorm, which led to the defeat and panic-stricken flight of the Philistines. Then follows the narrative of the erection of a commemorative stone or pillar, Eben-ezer, "the stone of help," and the recovery of the Israelite cities which the Philistines had captured (&nbsp;1 Samuel 7:5-14 ). The narrator adds that the Philistines came no more within the border of Israel all the days of Samuel (&nbsp;1 Samuel 7:13 ); perhaps with an intentional reference to the troubles and disasters of which this people was the cause in the time of Saul. A brief general statement is appended of Samuel's practice as a judge of going on annual circuit through the land, and of his home at Ramah (&nbsp;1 Samuel 7:15-17 ). </p> <p> No indication is given of the length of time occupied by these events. At their close, however, Samuel was an old man, and his sons who had been appointed judges in his place or to help him in his office proved themselves unworthy (&nbsp;1 Samuel 8:1-3 ). The elders of the people therefore came to Samuel demanding the appointment of a king who should be his successor, and should judge in his stead. The request was regarded by the prophet as an act of disloyalty to Yahweh, but his protest was overruled by divine direction, and at Samuel's bidding the people dispersed (1 Sam 8:4-22). </p> <p> At this point the course of the narrative is again interrupted to describe the family and origin of Saul, his personal appearance, and the search for the lost asses of his father (&nbsp;1 Samuel 9:1-5 ); his meeting with Samuel in a city in the land of Zuph, in or on the border of the territory of [[Benjamin]] (Zuph is the name of an ancestor of Elkanah, the father of Samuel, in &nbsp;1 Samuel 1:1 ), a meeting of which Samuel had received divine pre-intimation (&nbsp;1 Samuel 9:15 f); the honorable place given to Saul at the feast; his anointing by Samuel as ruler of Israel, together with the announcement of three "signs," which should be to Saul assurances of the reality of his appointment and destiny; the spirit of prophecy which took possession of the future king, whereby is explained a proverbial saying which classed Saul among the prophets; and his silence with regard to what had passed between himself and Samuel on the subject of the kingdom (1 Sam 9:6 through 10:16). </p> <p> It is usually, and probably rightly, believed that the narrative of these last incidents is derived from a different source from that of the preceding chapters. [[Slight]] differences of inconsistency or disagreement lie on the surface. Samuel's home is not at Ramah, but a nameless city in the land of Zuph, where he is priest of the high place, with a local but, as far as the narrative goes, not a national influence or reputation; and it is anticipated that he will require the customary present at the hands of his visitors (&nbsp;1 Samuel 9:6-8 ). He is described, moreover, not as a judge, nor does he discharge judicial functions, but expressly as a "seer," a name said to be an earlier title equivalent to the later "prophet" (&nbsp;1 Samuel 9:9 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 9:11 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 9:19 ). Apart, however, from the apparently different position which Samuel occupies, the tone and style of the narrative is altogether distinct from that of the preceding chapters. It suggests, both in its form and in the religious conceptions which are assumed or implied, an older and less elaborated tradition than that which has found expression in the greater part of the book; and it seems to regard events as it were from a more primitive standpoint than the highly religious and monotheistic view of the later accounts. Its value as a witness to history is not impaired, but perhaps rather enhanced by its separate and independent position. The writer or compiler of 1 Samuel has inserted it as a whole in his completed narrative at the point which he judged most suitable. To the same source should possibly be assigned the announcement of Saul's rejection in &nbsp;1 Samuel 13:8-15 . </p> <p> The course of the narrative is resumed at &nbsp;1 Samuel 10:17 ff, where, in a second national assembly at Mizpah, Saul is selected by lot and accepted by the people as king (&nbsp; 1 Samuel 10:17-24 ); after which the people dispersed, and Saul returned to his home at [[Gibeah]] (&nbsp;1 Samuel 10:25-27 ). At a solemn assembly at Gilgal, at which the kingship is again formally conferred upon Saul, Samuel delivered a farewell address to his fellow-countrymen. A thunderstorm terrified the people; they were reassured, however, by Samuel with promises of the protection and favor of Yahweh, if they continued to fear and serve Him (11:14 through 12:25). Later the rejection of Saul for disobedience and presumption is announced by Samuel (&nbsp;1 Samuel 13:8-15 ). The commission to destroy Amalek is delivered to Saul by Samuel; and the rejection of the king is again pronounced because of his failure to carry out the command. Agag is then slain by Samuel with his own hand; and, the latter having returned to his home at Ramah, the narrator adds that he remained there in seclusion until the day of his death, "mourning" for Saul, but refusing to meet him again (1 Samuel 15). [[Finally]] the death and burial of Samuel at Ramah, together with the lamentation of the people for him, are briefly recorded in &nbsp;1 Samuel 25:1 , and referred to again in &nbsp;1 Samuel 28:3 . </p> <p> Two incidents of Samuel's life remain, in which he is brought into relation with the future king David. No indication of date or circumstance is given except that the first incident apparently follows immediately upon the second and final rejection of Saul as recorded in &nbsp;1 Samuel 15 . In &nbsp;1 Samuel 16:1-13 is narrated the commission of Samuel to anoint a successor to Saul, and his fulfillment of the commission by the choice of David the son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite. And, in a later chapter (&nbsp; 1 Samuel 19:18-24 ), a second occasion is named on which the compelling spirit of prophecy came upon Saul, and again the proverbial saying, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" is quoted (&nbsp;1 Samuel 19:24; compare &nbsp;1 Samuel 10:11 , &nbsp;1 Samuel 10:12 ), and is apparently regarded as taking its origin from this event. </p> <p> The anointing of David by Samuel is a natural sequel to his anointing of Saul, when the latter has been rejected and his authority and rights as king have ceased. There is nothing to determine absolutely whether the narrative is derived from the same source as the greater part of the preceding history. Slight differences of style and the apparent presuppositions of the writer have led most scholars to the conclusion that it has a distinct and separate origin. If so, the compiler of the Books of Samuel drew upon a third source for his narrative of the life of the seer, a source which there is no reason to regard as other than equally authentic and reliable. With the second incident related in &nbsp;1 Samuel 19:18-24 , the case is different. It is hardly probable that so striking a proverb was suggested and passed into currency independently on two distinct occasions. It seems evident that here two independent sources or authorities were used, which gave hardly reconcilable accounts of the origin of a well-known saying, in one of which it has been mistakenly attributed to a similar but not identical occurrence in the life of Saul. In the final composition of the book both accounts were then inserted, without notice being taken of the inconsistency which was apparent between them. </p> <p> Yet later in the history Samuel is represented as appearing to Saul in a vision at Endor on the eve of his death (&nbsp;1 Samuel 28:11-20 ). The witch also sees the prophet and is stricken with fear. He is described as in appearance an old man "covered with a robe" (&nbsp;1 Samuel 28:14 ). In characteristically grave and measured tones he repeats the sentence of death against the king for his disobedience to Yahweh, and announces its execution on the morrow; Saul's sons also will die with him (&nbsp;1 Samuel 28:19 ), and the whole nation will be involved in the penalty and suffering, as they all had a part in the sin. </p> <p> The high place which Samuel occupies in the thought of the writers and in the tradition and esteem of the people is manifest throughout the history. The different sources from which the narrative is derived are at one in this, although perhaps not to an equal degree. He is the last and greatest of the judges, the first of the prophets, and inaugurates under divine direction the Israelite kingdom and the Davidic line. </p> 3. Character and [[Influence]] of Samuel: <p> It is not without reason, therefore, that he has been regarded as in dignity and importance occupying the position of a second Moses in relation to the people. In his exhortations and warnings the Deuteronomic discourses of Moses are reflected and repeated. He delivers the nation from the hand of the Philistines, as Moses from [[Pharaoh]] and the Egyptians, and opens up for them a new national era of progress and order under the rule of the kings whom they have desired. Thus, like Moses, he closes the old order, and establishes the people with brighter prospects upon more assured foundations of national prosperity and greatness. In nobility of character and utterance also, and in fidelity to Yahweh, Samuel is not unworthy to be placed by the side of the older lawgiver. The record of his life is not marred by any act or word which would appear unworthy of his office or prerogative. And the few references to him in the later literature (&nbsp;Psalm 99:6; &nbsp;Jeremiah 15:1; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 6:28; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 9:22; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 11:3; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 26:28; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 29:29; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 35:18 ) show how high was the estimation in which his name and memory were held by his fellow-countrymen in subsequent ages. </p> Literature. <p> The literature is given in the article, Samuel , Books Of (which see). </p>