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“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
(Romans
8:2)
Samuel
– Hebrew Prophet – Britannica
The following is the Article “Samuel – Hebrew Prophet” from
Encyclopedia Britannica:
Samuel (flourished 11th century BCE, Israel) was a
religious hero in the history of Israel, represented in the Hebrew Bible (Old
Testament) in every role of leadership open to a Jewish man of his day—seer,
priest, judge, prophet, and military leader. His greatest distinction was his
role in the establishment of the monarchy in Israel.
Biblical accounts of his life
Information about Samuel is contained in the First Book of
Samuel (called in the Roman Catholic canon the First Book of Kings). The
ancient designation of the two books of Samuel does not indicate that he is the
author (in fact, his death is related in 1 Samuel 25) or the hero of the books;
indeed, it is difficult to deduce what the title was intended to mean.
Samuel, the son of Elkanah (of Ephraim) and Hannah, was
born in answer to the prayer of his previously childless mother. In gratitude
she dedicated him to the service of the chief sanctuary of Shiloh, in the
charge of the priest Eli. As a boy Samuel received a divine oracle in which the
fall of the house of Eli was predicted (1 Samuel 1–3). When he became an adult,
Samuel inspired Israel to a great victory over the Philistines at Ebenezer
(chapter 7). The proposal of the elders of Israel to install a king was
indignantly rejected by Samuel as infidelity to Yahweh, the God of Israel
(chapter 8). By the revelation of Yahweh, however, he anointed Saul king and
installed him before all Israel (chapters 9–10). Saul was vindicated as king by
his leadership of Israel in a campaign against the Ammonites (chapter 11);
after this, Samuel retired from the leadership of Israel (chapter 12). He
reappeared, however, to announce the oracle of Yahweh rejecting Saul as king,
once for arrogating to himself the right of sacrifice (chapter 13) and a second
time for failing to carry out the law of the ban—a primitive institution by
which persons or objects were devoted to the deity, normally by
destruction—against the Amalekites (chapter 15). By the oracle of Yahweh,
Samuel secretly anointed David as king (chapter 16). He then faded into the
background, appearing at the sanctuary of Naioth (chapter 19). He died, and his
ghost was evoked by a necromancer, or sorceress, at the request of Saul; he
then announced a third time the rejection of Saul (chapter 28).
Conflicting traditions about Samuel
Samuel thus appears as a leader in all Israel; his
leadership is exercised in war and law, but his authority is basically
religious, mostly prophetic, although with some features of priestly authority.
He appears at first as being hostile to the monarchy and then as being
favourable to it. He is the spokesman of Yahweh in the election both of Saul
and of David. Yet, the picture is not entirely straightforward, and a close
examination of the material, as conducted by a large number of critical
historians, reveals inconsistencies that raise questions about both the history
of Samuel and the sources in which this history has been preserved. The same
examination reveals that none of the material in its present form was
contemporary with the events; if one source is taken as controlling, then the
other materials lose all historical value.
The two major divergences in the First Book of Samuel lie
in those passages that critics call the “pro-monarchic” source (1 Samuel
9:1–10:16) and those passages called the “anti-monarchic” source (1 Samuel 8
and 10:17–27). In the pro-monarchic account of the rise of Saul, Samuel is an
obscure village seer (with distinct evidence of occult practices). The
institution of the monarchy and the election of the king occur according to the
will of Yahweh as revealed to Samuel. The story of the anointing, however, has
no story of accession to complete it; instead, there is the account of Saul’s
victory over the Ammonites. Examination discloses that this is still another
account of Saul’s rise without an anointing story; Saul is chosen king as the
judges—the leaders of the Israelites during their conquest of the land of
Canaan—were chosen, by a charismatic display of military courage and
leadership. Samuel was very probably intruded into this narrative.
The anti-monarchic account presents a different picture of
the kingship and of Saul and Samuel. In this account Samuel is a figure known
through “all Israel” (a term of uncertain meaning at this period); his
authority rests on his position as judge. The institution of kingship comes not
from divine revelation but from the request of the elders of Israel, and this
request is treated by Samuel as rebellion against Yahweh. The king is chosen
not by divine election but by lot, implying that no special qualities were
required, and the bashful candidate has to be summoned from a hiding place.
This story is related to the account of Samuel as judge in chapters 7 and 12,
and he is clearly presented as the last of the judges; it is indicated that the
system of the judges was rejected by the Israelites not because of its failure
but because of their worldliness. This tradition has two questionable features:
Samuel is the only judge who is a permanent magistrate as well as a military
leader, and his conclusive victory over the Philistines in chapter 7 cannot be
historical, since it is contradicted by the subsequent military exploits of
Saul and David.
The story of the birth and vocation of Samuel at the
beginning of 1 Samuel is regarded by critics as legendary because of a number
of obviously unhistorical features. This narrative is the major piece in
establishing the role of Samuel as a prophet, but it is questionable whether
the “prophet” as a distinct religious figure had emerged among the Israelites
at this early date. The story is also at the root of the priestly role imposed
on Samuel at a later date in 1 Chronicles 6; but this is an effort to explain
in terms of the later priesthood the sacred functions performed by Samuel.
Mobile
There are also two different accounts of the rejection of
Saul by Samuel. The first story (1 Samuel 13) describes Samuel’s action as
motivated by Saul’s assumption of the prerogatives of the priesthood. It is
quite unlikely that either the powers of the king or the prerogatives of the
priest were as closely defined as this in the early period. In the second story
(chapter 15), Samuel is motivated by the failure of Saul to observe the ethic
of the holy war. This story does not exhibit the same improbability. It seems
that there was a firm tradition of a split between the two men but an inexact
memory of the details.
Significance of Samuel
There must have been some reason why Samuel was important
enough to be remembered for a major role in the establishment of the monarchy.
Yet, his roles as prophet, seer, and judge are all incredible in certain
respects, apart from the fact that each of them is considerable. The problem
may be resolved by identifying a role for Samuel that receives only passing
mention because it no longer existed when this material was written. This is
his leadership of the sons of the prophets, a group of young men organized for
ecstatic worship. Indications are that they were a group of fanatical religious
and national conservatives. That they were young and active gave Samuel a base
of power that was physical as well as moral. As conservatives, they must have
been torn between the threat to Israel posed by the Philistines and the promise
that the new political system, alien to religious and national traditions,
offered against this threat. This internal division in Israel is reflected in
the person of Samuel, who stood with most Israelites on both sides of the
question.
The two major divergences in the First Book of Samuel lie
in those passages that critics call the “pro-monarchic” source (1 Samuel
9:1–10:16) and those passages called the “anti-monarchic” source (1 Samuel 8
and 10:17–27). In the pro-monarchic account of the rise of Saul, Samuel is an
obscure village seer (with distinct evidence of occult practices). The
institution of the monarchy and the election of the king occur according to the
will of Yahweh as revealed to Samuel. The story of the anointing, however, has
no story of accession to complete it; instead, there is the account of Saul’s
victory over the Ammonites. Examination discloses that this is still another
account of Saul’s rise without an anointing story; Saul is chosen king as the
judges—the leaders of the Israelites during their conquest of the land of
Canaan—were chosen, by a charismatic display of military courage and
leadership. Samuel was very probably intruded into this narrative.
The anti-monarchic account presents a different picture of
the kingship and of Saul and Samuel. In this account Samuel is a figure known
through “all Israel” (a term of uncertain meaning at this period); his
authority rests on his position as judge. The institution of kingship comes not
from divine revelation but from the request of the elders of Israel, and this
request is treated by Samuel as rebellion against Yahweh. The king is chosen
not by divine election but by lot, implying that no special qualities were
required, and the bashful candidate has to be summoned from a hiding place.
This story is related to the account of Samuel as judge in chapters 7 and 12,
and he is clearly presented as the last of the judges; it is indicated that the
system of the judges was rejected by the Israelites not because of its failure
but because of their worldliness. This tradition has two questionable features:
Samuel is the only judge who is a permanent magistrate as well as a military
leader, and his conclusive victory over the Philistines in chapter 7 cannot be
historical, since it is contradicted by the subsequent military exploits of
Saul and David.
The story of the birth and vocation of Samuel at the
beginning of 1 Samuel is regarded by critics as legendary because of a number
of obviously unhistorical features. This narrative is the major piece in
establishing the role of Samuel as a prophet, but it is questionable whether
the “prophet” as a distinct religious figure had emerged among the Israelites
at this early date. The story is also at the root of the priestly role imposed
on Samuel at a later date in 1 Chronicles 6; but this is an effort to explain
in terms of the later priesthood the sacred functions performed by Samuel.
There are also two different accounts of the rejection of
Saul by Samuel. The first story (1 Samuel 13) describes Samuel’s action as
motivated by Saul’s assumption of the prerogatives of the priesthood. It is
quite unlikely that either the powers of the king or the prerogatives of the
priest were as closely defined as this in the early period. In the second story
(chapter 15), Samuel is motivated by the failure of Saul to observe the ethic
of the holy war. This story does not exhibit the same improbability. It seems
that there was a firm tradition of a split between the two men but an inexact
memory of the details.
Significance of Samuel
There must have been some reason why Samuel was important
enough to be remembered for a major role in the establishment of the monarchy.
Yet, his roles as prophet, seer, and judge are all incredible in certain
respects, apart from the fact that each of them is considerable. The problem
may be resolved by identifying a role for Samuel that receives only passing
mention because it no longer existed when this material was written. This is
his leadership of the sons of the prophets, a group of young men organized for
ecstatic worship. Indications are that they were a group of fanatical religious
and national conservatives. That they were young and active gave Samuel a base
of power that was physical as well as moral. As conservatives, they must have
been torn between the threat to Israel posed by the Philistines and the promise
that the new political system, alien to religious and national traditions,
offered against this threat. This internal division in Israel is reflected in
the person of Samuel, who stood with most Israelites on both sides of the
question.