Samuel

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The prophet Samuel (ca. 1056-1004 B.C.) was the last judge of Israel and the first of the prophets after Moses. He inaugurated the monarchy by choosing and anointing Saul and David as kings of Israel.

Samuel was the son of Elkanah and Hannah, and he was born at Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. Brought to the Temple at Shiloh as a young child to serve God in fulfillment of a vow made by his mother, he succeeded Eli as the high priest and judge of Israel. Because the Philistines had destroyed Shiloh, Israel's religious center, Samuel returned to Ramah, making it the center of his activity.

Samuel made annual circuits through the cities of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, judging the people, exhorting them to stop worshiping idols, and using his influence to hold the tribes together. He seemed able to penetrate the future, and the people looked upon him as a prophet.

Israel at this time was subjected to Philistine domination, constant threats from the Ammonites, and disunion among its own tribes. The people lacked respect for Samuel's corrupt sons, Joel and Abijah, whom he appointed to judge Israel in his stead. The elders urged Samuel to seek a forceful national leader to become king. Samuel acceded and chose Saul, son of Kish of the tribe of Benjamin, and he took an active role in Saul's coronation.

Samuel later broke with Saul because Saul twice disobeyed him. Samuel then proclaimed that Saul was rejected as king of Israel and that his dynasty would not continue on the throne. The prophet transferred his support to David, selecting him and secretly anointing him king of Israel. Samuel's last days are obscured by the conflict between Saul and David. The Bible makes a brief reference to his death and to his burial at Ramah.

Samuel, though counted among the greatest of the judges, like Moses, is also numbered among the prophets. He was not a warrior but, like Moses, was a hero who rallied the spirit of his people in the midst of oppression, keeping alive their hope and faith.

Further Reading

Although there is no single authoritative biography of Samuel, there are numerous volumes of fiction, making it difficult to distinguish between the historical and the legendary. The best short essays are in Rudolph Kittel, Great Men and Movements in Israel (trans. 1929), and James Fleming, Personalities of the Old Testament (1939). The best treatment of Samuel is, of course, in the Holy Scriptures, with commentaries published by each of the major religious groups. Recommended for the historical background are Max I. Margolis and Alexander Marx, A History of the Jewish People (1944); William Foxwell Albright, From the Stone Age to Christianity (1940; 2d ed. with new introduction, 1957); Salo Wittmayer Baron, A Social and Religious History of the Jews, vol. 1 (2d ed. 1952; 2d rev. ed. 1969); and Martin Noth, The History of Israel (trans. 1958; 2d ed. 1960).

(11th cent. BCE). Prophet and last of the biblical judges, who led Israel during a transitional period, between the time of the judges and the beginning of the monarchy.

Samuel's father, Elkanah, came from a noble family in Mount Ephraim. His mother, Hannah, was barren for many years. She prayed in the Sanctuary in Shiloh, in the presence of Eli the priest, asking for a son and vowing to consecrate him as a Nazirite to the Sanctuary for his entire life. After Samuel had been weaned, he was handed over to Eli the priest. God appeared to him with a prophecy foretelling the destruction of Shiloh and of the House of Eli. After Shiloh had been destroyed by the Philistines and Eli had died, Samuel was appointed as judge and prophet of God. As a judge, he roamed the area between Bethel, Gilgal, Mitzpeh, and Ramah. As his sons Joel and Abijah, who also served as judges, judged unfairly, the people demanded that Samuel anoint a king over them, against his wishes but in accordance with God's command. Samuel anointed Saul of the tribe of Benjamin as king, after warning the people about the disadvantages of a monarchical system.

King Saul disappointed Samuel twice, when he offered sacrifices without waiting for Samuel, and once again in the war against Amalek, when he allowed the Amalekite king to survive. Samuel informed Saul of God's prophecy that the kingship would be torn from him and given to another. Samuel went to Bethlehem and secretly anointed David as king. The prophet never again met with Saul. After Samuel's death, on the eve of Saul's battle against the Philistines on Mount Gilboa, a woman (the "witch of En-dor") who had the ability to raise the dead raised up Samuel's spirit, which prophesied that Saul would suffer a military defeat, and that he would die with his sons.

According to the Talmud, Samuel's importance was equal to that of Moses and Aaron. The sages say that the prophet lived only 52 years (Tam. 15a). He judged Israel for ten years on his own and for one year together with Saul (MK 28a). According to the Bible, Samuel was buried in Ramah. Tradition identifies this location with Nebi Samwil, northwest of Jerusalem.

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Prophet and last of the Israelite judges. He was the son of Elkanah of the tribe of Ephraim and his wife Hannah. Hannah had been barren for many years and Samuel was born after she vowed that her firstborn child would be dedicated to the service of God (I Sam chap. 1). He was brought to Eli, the chief priest, at Shiloh at a young age and grew up there as a Nazirite. While still a youth he experienced a theophany in which he was informed of the termination of the line of Eli (I Sam 3:10-14).

Samuel became the most outstanding personality in early Israelite history in Canaan, functioning in a variety of leadership roles: seer, priest, judge and military leader, and he was recognized "from Dan to Beersheba" (I Sam 3:20). His home was in Ramah where he headed groups of prophets devoted to the restoration of the traditional worship. He also acted as judge, regularly visiting the religious centers at Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpah.

Samuel was responsible for the establishment of the monarchy. Growing pressure for national unity, especially in view of the Philistine threat, led the people to demand the appointment of a king. Samuel was totally opposed to such a step which he interpreted as apostasy and rejection of the kingship of God. However, he had to accede to the pressure. His own sons proved unsuitable as they had been shown up as corrupt judges (I Sam 8:1-3) and so, after taking council with the notables of Israel at Mizpah, he selected and anointed Saul the son of Kish of the tribe of Benjamin, and his choice was accepted by the people (I Sam chap. 10).

In the course of time, the relations between the king and the prophet deteriorated. The break came when Saul took over certain functions which Samuel felt belonged to the priest (I Sam 13:8-14) and also over Saul's leniency towards the Amalekites (I Sam 15:1-23). The king repented but relations between the two were not healed and Samuel, deciding to reject Saul's line, secretly anointed David as Saul's successor (I Sam 16:3-13). Subsequently, when David was fleeing Saul, he was given refuge by Samuel in his home in Ramah (I Sam 19:18-23), which was where the prophet was later buried. (Nebi Samwil, the highest mountain overlooking Jerusalem, is the traditional identification of his grave, at various times in history revered by Jews, Christians and Moslems). The death of Samuel is reported twice (I Sam 25:1; 28:3). In the second case, it is part of the story of Saul's request to the witch of En Dor to evoke the spirit of Samuel. This incident forms a powerful conclusion to the account of the fluctuating relationship between the two men.

The NT mentions Samuel among the prophets (Acts 3:24; 13:20) and judges (Heb 11:32). The traditional place of the burial of Samuel is placed at Neby Samwil north of Jerusalem (see RAMATHAIM ZOPHIM).

Concordance
I Sam 1:20; 2:18, 21, 26; 3:1, 3-4, 6-11,15-16, 18-21; 4:1; 7:3, 5-6,8-10, 12-13,15; 8:1, 4, 6-7,10, 19, 21-22; 9:14-15, 17-19,23-27; 10:1, 9,14-17, 20, 24-25; 11:7, 12,14; 12:1, 6,11, 18-20; 13:8, 10-11,13, 15; 15:1,10-14, 16-17,20, 22, 24, 26-28, 31-35; 16:1-2, 4, 7-8,10-11, 13; 19:18, 20, 22,24; 25:1; 28:3,11-12, 14-16,20. I Chr 6:28,33; 9:22; 11:3; 26:28; 29:29. II Chr 35:18. Ps 99:6. Jer 15:1. Acts 3:24; 13:20. Heb 11:32

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