Born, 1Sa 1:19-20; it is dedicated to Jehovah, 1Sa 1:21-28; ministers before Jehovah, 1Sa 2:11, 18-21
Samuel (Heb. Shemû’êl, perhaps “heard by God”, “asked of God” or “God has heard”; Gk. Samouel). By interpretation it has been given the meaning of “Name of God”; but it seems that his mother meant “God has heard”, a combination of the verb shâma and the noun ‘íŠl. Israel’s first great prophet after Moses, Jeremiah places him alongside the great lawgiver Moses (Jer 15:1). His father, Elkanah, was a Levite from the Kohath family (1Ch 6:26, 33, 34) who lived in the territory of Ephraim, which is why he was also considered an Ephraimite (1Sa 1:1). The city where he lived was called Ramataim de Sofim (Ramá; 1: 1, 19; 2:11), a city that had various identifications, but perhaps the most successful is assimilating it to modern Ramallah (see CBA 2: 457-459 ). The biblical account says that Elkanah had 2 wives: Ana and Penina. The 1st was his favorite, but it was barren (1Sa 1: 2, 7, 8). After a deep examination of conscience and much prayer, Ana made the promise that if God gave her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord as a Nazirite. God heard her prayer and gave her a son, whom she named Samuel. After he was weaned she took him to the high priest Eli, who lived in Shiloh, to have him prepared in the tabernacle for the service of the Lord (1:9-28). At Shiloh, Samuel lived in a room adjoining the sanctuary and very close to the high priest’s, wearing a simple linen ephod, the garb of priests and Levites, and performing simple tasks, such as opening the doors of the sanctuary in the morning (2:18; 3:1, 3, 4, 15). According to Josephus, he was still a child (12 years old) when the Lord revealed to him the punishment that would fall on the house of Eli because of the profane conduct of his sons (because he had not corrected them as he should have done; 3 : 1-18). The Lord appeared to Samuel on another occasion, but the message containing that revelation has not been recorded. As a highlight of all this, the nation recognized him as a prophet when he reached adulthood (vs 20, 21). In time, God’s judgments fell on Israel and the house of Eli. His sons died in battle, the ark fell to the Philistines, and the high priest died, perhaps of a heart attack, upon hearing the news of the disaster (4:1-18). Archaeological evidence reveals that Shiloh’s destruction occurred around this time, perhaps by the Philistines. Shiloh (fig 464) is never mentioned again as the seat of the sanctuary, but only as a desolate place (Jer 7:12-14; 26:4-6), because when the ark was returned to the Israelites, it remained in Kiriath. jearim, where he stayed for many years (1Sa 7:1, 2). Since then he became the leader, prophet and judge of Israel. He exhorted the nation to abandon idols and serve only the true God. At Mizpah, probably modern Tell en-Natsbeh, he called the people together to make a covenant with God. The Philistines believed that this great assembly had hostile intentions, and they attacked it. Encouraged and led by Samuel, the Israelites fought valiantly and won a great victory over their enemies; thus they regained their freedom. As long as Samuel was their leader, the Philistines did not bother them anymore (1Sa 7:3-14). That triumph reaffirmed his authority as the undisputed judge of the country. Every year he administered justice at Gilgal, Bethel and Mizpah, as well as Ramah, the city of his residence (vs 15-17). It seems that in the performance of these duties Samuel had the help of 1048 prophets who lived in communities. The first mention of them is in his day (10:5; 19:20). As the years progressed, Samuel appointed his 2 sons as additional judges and stationed them in Beersheba, on the southern edge of the country. But, unlike his father, they were corrupt, and people complained about them. Dissatisfied with the lack of continuity of strong leadership, the Israelites concluded that the establishment of the monarchy would be the best solution to their political problems. That is why they asked him to appoint a king over them. The prophet did not approve of this request, and even took it as a disagreement with his administration. But God ordered him to accede to the demands of the people, pointing out that by expressing their desire to move from a theocratic form of government to a monarchy, they were not rejecting him, but the supreme leader, God himself. Samuel was instructed to warn them about the disadvantages of his decision, and the inevitable consequences that this change of government would bring about in their lives (1Sa 8: 1-22). Following God’s directions, Samuel anointed Saul, first privately in Ramah and then in a public ceremony at Mizpah (chs 9-10). A third ceremony was held at Gilgal after Saul’s victory over Nahas, king of the Ammonites (11:14-12:25). But Saul’s behavior soon revealed to Samuel that there was cause for great concern. The new king began to manifest an independent attitude and persistent disobedience to divine guidance. Consequently, the prophet was forced to tell him first that his kingdom would not continue (13:8-14), and later that he would be taken from him (15:22-29). Samuel did not see Saul again after this incident, although he mourned for him (v 35). Then, at God’s command, he accomplished the dangerous task of anointing David king of Israel, even though Saul was still in full exercise of his powers (16:1-13). When Saul began to pursue him, David took temporary refuge with Samuel (19:18, 19). Shortly after this the old prophet passed away, and David fled as a fugitive to the southern Judean wilderness (25:1). Samuel appears again in connection with King Saul’s visit to a spirit medium (necromancer) who was practicing her profession illegally at Endor. Saul asked the woman to put him in contact with the deceased prophet. The spirit that appeared to the woman during the session pretended to be Samuel, and she foretold Saul’s death* (1Sa 28:3-19). That this spirit was not that of the deceased Samuel is evident from the Scriptures, which teach that there is no consciousness after death and condemn necromancy and spiritualism as the work of the devil. Samuel was a great man. In the NT he appears among the heroes of the faith (Ac 11:32). He manifested himself as a political leader who recovered the independence and freedom of his people, and who managed to preserve it during the long period that his administration lasted. He was in communion with God from his childhood, and constantly acted in accordance with divine direction. As a judge he enjoyed the high esteem of the people for his impartiality, his loyalty and his honesty. As the founder of the kingdom of Israel, he displayed humility and prudence in stepping aside when the people called for a new leader. On the other hand, he was a man who would accept no compromise when the honor of God was at stake or when a direct order from the Lord had not been carried out. The bloody severity exercised against Agag (1Sa 15:33) is an illustration of this. However, Samuel had a tender heart. He constantly prayed for his people (12:23) and never stopped loving Saul, even when he was forced to reject him as king. Unfortunately his sons did not follow in his footsteps (8:3). Bib.: FJ-AJ v.10.4. Samuel, Books of. They contain the historical record of the Hebrew people from the birth of Samuel,* the last of the judges, to the establishment of the monarchy under Saul, and to cover the reign of David* practically to its very end. In all the old Hebrew manuscripts, 1 and 2 S. constitute a single volume, which is given the name of Samuel and that in the Hebrew canon was among the Old Prophets (Jos. until 2 R., less Rth_ The Masoretes discovered that 1Sa 28:24 was in the middle of the book as it appeared in the text they had at their time The division of the book of Samuel into 2 parts originated with the LXX translators around the 3rd century BC with the titles of “First of the Kingdoms” and “Second of the Kingdoms”. In this arrangement 1 and 2 R. appeared as “Third of the Kingdoms” and “Fourth of the Kingdoms”. In the Latin Vulgate, translated by Jerome towards the end 4th century AD, titles changed to read “Kings” instead of “Kingdoms” I. Author The books do not provide us with any information about who their authors might be According to 1049 tradition Jewish, Samuel himself would have written the first 24 chapters of 1 Sa. (until the death of the first). offer). The rest of 1 Sa. plus 2 Sa. would have been written by the prophets Nathan and Gad (1Ch 29:29). When the book was divided into the Hebrew Bibles (AD 1517), and later into the Bibles in modern languages, the original name “Samuel” was attached to both portions, although that name is not mentioned even once in the Bible. 2nd part (appears for the last time in 1Sa 28:20). Samuel’s name no doubt applied to the whole, because his life and his ministry dominate the 1st portion of the book in their combined form. Quite apart from the issue of who the author is, the title is appropriate in view of the important role played by the last of the judges, as one of the greatest prophets (evidently founder of the schools of the prophets), God’s appointed instrument for the establishment of the Hebrew kingdom. If the combined book were the work of a single author, it would have to have been written after David’s death (2Sa 23:1). However, it is more reasonable to conclude that 1 and 2 S. were written by several authors, and that they are the collection of 2 or more narratives, each complete in itself. Be that as it may, they constitute an inspired record of an important period in Hebrew history. 447. Remains of the first 2 columns of a scroll of the book of Samuel found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. The LXX departs in some portions from the Masoretic text, especially in 1Sa_17 and 18. That these differences in wording may have originated in a different Hebrew manuscript from the one used by the Masoretes and which became the normative Hebrew text, is evident from a manuscript of Samuel discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls*. From numerous fragments, found in Cave No. 4 of Qumran, it has been possible to reconstruct about 2/3 of a scroll of 1 and 2 S. This scroll has a close relationship with the LXX (fig 447). II. Books 1º and 2º. While 1 Sa contains the account of the transition of Hebrew rule from administrative and military “judges” (which lasted about a century; c 1111-c 1011 BC), 2 Sa refers exclusively to David’s reign ( which lasted about 40 years; c 1011-c 971 BC). The somewhat sudden transition from centuries of pure theocracy (exercised through prophets and judges) to monarchy was a time of…