References (121)
And it came to pass, when the time was come, that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel [meaning "God hears prayer" – Hebr. Shmoel] – "because I have asked him of the Lord (Yahweh)."
But Samuel ministered before the Lord (Yahweh) as a young man, wearing a linen ephod.
Then the Lord (Yahweh) remembered Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the young Samuel grew up (grew up) with the Lord (Yahweh).
And the young Samuel grew up (literally walked) and became great and good, both with the Lord (Yahweh) and with people.
And the young man (Hebr. naar) Samuel ministered before the Lord (Yahweh) under Eli. [Samuel is now about twelve years old. His name literally means "God hears prayer" or "the one heard by God."]
And the word of the Lord (Yahweh) were rare at that time; prophetic visions (revelations) were not common.
and God's (Elohim's) lamp had not yet gone out. Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the Lord (Yahweh), where God's ark was also located. [Both the lamp and the ark are symbols of God's presence. In , instructions are given that the lamp should burn every night until dawn. What happens now takes place just before dawn because the lamp is still burning.]
The Lord (Yahweh, I Am, God's personal name, signifying his presence among his people) called Samuel, and he answered, "Here I am."
[Here I am (Hebr. hineni) is an expression that does not primarily refer to one's physical or geographical location. Instead, it is a word that means "I am at your disposal" or "I am ready to take responsibility." Everyone who gives this answer is an example of a person who takes on some form of leadership role when they say hineni – here I am. Abraham says it in , Isaac in , Jacob in , Moses in , the prophet Isaiah in , and others.]
The Lord (Yahweh) called Samuel again [for the second time]. He got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, you called me." But Eli replied, "I did not call, my son. Go back to bed."
Samuel had not yet learned to recognize the Lord (Yahweh) or received any [prophetic] word [revelation] from the Lord (Yahweh).
The Lord (Yahweh) called Samuel a third time. He got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, you called me." Then Eli understood that it was the Lord who was calling the boy.
Eli therefore said to Samuel, "Go back and lie down. When he calls you, say, 'Speak, Lord (Yahweh), your servant is listening. Samuel went back and lay down in his place.
Then the Lord (Yahweh) came and stood near (positioned himself next to) and called as he had done before [this is the fourth time the Lord calls]: "Samuel, Samuel." Samuel answered, "Speak, your servant is listening."
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Samuel, "Behold, I am going to do a thing (Hebr. davar) in Israel, so that everyone who hears it will lose both ears. [Literally, it says that God will utter a word so that it materializes in the same way as when God spoke and it came into being in creation.]
And Samuel lay down until morning and opened the doors of the house of the Lord (Yahweh). And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision.
Then Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son," and he answered, "Here I am." [Hebr. hineni, see .]
And Samuel told him [Eli] all the words and hid nothing from him.
And he [Eli] said, "It is the Lord (Yahweh), let him do what is good in his eyes." [Eli knew that his sons Hophni and Phinehas were not doing what was right, so this message must have been hard for him to hear.]
And Samuel grew up, and the Lord (Yahweh) was with him and did not let any of his words fall to the ground. [The prophetic words he spoke were fulfilled.]
And all Israel, from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south], knew that Samuel was becoming a prophet of the Lord (Yahweh).
And the Lord (Yahweh) appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord (Yahweh) revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh through the word of the Lord (Yahweh).
[At this time, neither Egypt nor Assyria was a world power. Israel fought with its neighbors, the Philistines in the west and Moab and Ammon in the east. The Philistines, who were a seafaring people, had imported knowledge of ironworking and were militarily superior in this area. This, combined with increasing immigration from the west, led them to take over more territory. They were organized in five cities on the Mediterranean coast. The following passage describes how Eli's family is destroyed, the words that the Lord spoke to Samuel are fulfilled, see , . As earlier in history, disobedience has consequences, see ; . On this occasion, God uses a pagan people, the Philistines, see , , and in this way God shows his omnipotence over all peoples, even those outside the covenant.]
And Samuel's word came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to war against the Philistines and camped beside Even-Ezer [meaning "stone of help," perhaps Izbet Sartah], and the Philistines camped in Aphek [in the valley of Elah].
And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the Lord (Yahweh) with all your heart, and remove the foreign gods and Asherahs [poles for idol worship] from among you, and turn your hearts to the Lord (Yahweh) and serve him only, then he will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines."
And
Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to
Mitspah [just over 10 km north of Jerusalem], and I will pray for you to the Lord
(Yahweh)."
[Several cities share this name, which means "watchtower" and is used for various places that served as military posts. This mitspah has been identified with Tell en-Nasbeh, an 8-hectare city that guarded the main road from north to south between the Judean mountains and the mountains of Ephraim.]And they gathered together at
Mitspah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord
(Yahweh) and fasted that day and said there, "We have sinned against the Lord
(Yahweh)." And
Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mitspah.
And the sons of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God (Yahweh Elohim) for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines."
And Samuel took a lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord (Yahweh). And Samuel cried out to the Lord (Yahweh) for Israel, and the Lord (Yahweh) answered him.
While Samuel was offering the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel, but the Lord (Yahweh) thundered with a great thunder over the Philistines that day and confused them (caused panic) that day, and they were struck down before Israel.
Then
Samuel took a stone and set it up between
Mitspah and Shen, and named it Even-Ezer
[Stone of Help], saying, "Thus far the Lord
(Yahweh) has helped us."
[Hebr. even means stone and ezer means help.]So the Philistines were subdued and did not come again within the border of Israel, and the hand of the Lord (Yahweh) was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life (as long as he lived).
And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
But Samuel was displeased when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the Lord (Yahweh).
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
And Samuel spoke all the word of the Lord (Yahweh) to the people who asked him for a king.
But the people refused to listen to Samuel's voice, and they said, "No, but let us have a king over us,
When Samuel heard all the words of the people [demanding a king], he repeated them in the ears of the Lord (Yahweh). [He did not answer the people, but repeated what they had said privately before God.]
So the Lord (Yahweh) said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice and give them a king." And Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go, every man to his city."
And they went up to the city, and when they entered the city [Ramah], behold, Samuel came out to meet them to go up to the high place.
And the Lord (Yahweh) had shown Samuel a day before he came and said:
And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord (Yahweh) said to him, "Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall have authority over my people."
Then Saul approached Samuel at the gate and said, "Tell me, I beg you, where is the seer's house?"
And Samuel answered Saul and said, "I am the seer; go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today, and tomorrow I will let you go, and I will tell you all that is in your heart.
And Samuel took Saul and his servants and brought them into the hall and had them sit in the place of honor among those who were invited, which was about 30 people.
And Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the portion that I gave you, which I told you to set aside."
And the cook took the thigh and what was on it and set it before Saul. And [Samuel] said, "See what has been saved, set it before you and eat, for it has been saved for you for the appointed time, and I say, I have invited the people." So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
And they rose early, and it came to pass at dawn that Samuel called Saul on the roof and said, "Get up, so that I may send you away." And Saul rose, and they both, he and Samuel, went outside.
As they went down toward the edge of the city [ancient cities were always located on high ground, so the edge of the city probably refers to the gate in the wall], Samuel said to Saul, "Tell your servant to go on ahead of us." And he went on [out of the city]. "But stay here a while so that I may let you hear the word of God (Elohim)." [Samuel had a message from the Lord for Saul that he wanted to share with him privately.]
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said [verses 1b-8 are Samuel's longest recorded speech to a person, 147 Hebrew words]:
"Is it not the Lord (Yahweh) who has anointed you to be prince over his inheritance?
And it came to pass, when he [Saul] turned his shoulder (Hebr. shechem) to depart from Samuel, that God (Elohim) transformed (overturned) him and gave him another heart, and all these signs occurred on the same day. [The word shoulder (Hebr. shechem) is used here and in ; . Saul is transformed inwardly, but it is not permanent, see .]
And Saul's uncle said to him and to his servants, "Where did you go?" And he said, "To look for the donkeys, and when we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel."
And Saul's uncle said, "Tell me, I beg you, what Samuel said to you."
And Saul said to his uncle, "He told me plainly that the donkeys had been found." But he did not tell him what Samuel had said about the kingdom.
And Samuel called the people together at Mizpah [just north of Jerusalem, where Samuel had previously gathered the people; see ]. [Several cities share this name, which means "watchtower" and is used for various places that served as military posts. This mitspah has been identified with Tell en-Nasbeh, an 8-hectare city that guarded the main road from north to south between the Judean mountains and the mountains of Ephraim.]
So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen [the lot fell on that tribe]. [Probably by casting lots, see ; .]
And Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see the one whom the Lord (Yahweh) has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?" And all the people shouted and said, "Long live the king."
Then Samuel spoke the commandments (the binding legal decisions) about the king to the people, and wrote them in a book and laid it before the Lord (Yahweh). And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his house.
And he took a yoke of oxen and broke it in pieces and sent them throughout Israel by messengers, saying, "Whoever does not follow Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen." And the fear of the Lord (Yahweh) fell upon the people, and they went out as one man.
And the people said to Samuel, "Who is this who said, 'Shall Saul reign over us? Bring forth the men, that we may put them to death.
Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us go up to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there."
And Samuel said to all Israel, "Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you have said to me, and I have set a king over you.
Samuel then said to the people:
"It is the Lord (Yahweh) who chose (literally, made) Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
Then the Lord (Yahweh) sent Jerubbaal [Gideon, see ] and Bedan [probably another name for Barak, see ] and Jephthah [] and Samuel [he mentions himself as the last judge; some Greek manuscripts of the Septuagint and the Syriac translation write Samson, see ] and delivered you from the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety.
Then Samuel cried out to the Lord (Yahweh), and that same day the Lord (Yahweh) sent thunder and rain, and all the people were very afraid (seized with great fear; trembled greatly) before the Lord (Yahweh) and Samuel.
[Normally, there is never any rainfall in Israel during the harvest season, so this is something very remarkable. The downpour probably also destroyed the grain harvest for that year, see .]
And all the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim) that we may not die, for we have added this evil to our sins, asking for a king." [Here the people do not say "our God" but "your God," thus distinguishing themselves from Samuel.]
And Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid, for you have indeed done all this evil, but do not turn away from following the Lord (Yahweh) and serving the Lord (Yahweh) with all your heart,
He waited seven days, the time Samuel had set []. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people [Saul's army] scattered from him (began to abandon him).
Just as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went to meet him to greet him.
But Samuel said, "What have you done?"
Saul replied, "Because I saw that the people were scattering from me and that you did not come at the appointed time, and that the Philistines were gathering at Michmash,
Samuel said to Saul, "You have acted foolishly [only priests were allowed to sacrifice], you have not kept (guarded, protected, preserved) the Lord (Yahweh), the commands (the clear commandments – Hebr. mitzvot) of your God (Elohim) that he commanded (Hebrew tsavah) you [], for now the Lord (Yahweh) would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
Then Samuel got up and went from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin [the city of Gibeah in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin]. And Saul counted the people who were with him, about 600 men.
And Samuel said to Saul, "The Lord (Yahweh) has sent me to anoint you king over his people, over Israel; therefore, listen now to the voice of the word of the Lord (Yahweh).
And then the word of the Lord (Yahweh) came to Samuel. He said:
"I regret (mourn-comfort – Hebr. nacham) that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away (turned away) from following me and my word, he has not fulfilled the commands." And Samuel was grieved, and he cried out to the Lord (Yahweh) all night. [Hebr. nacham in verses 11, 29, and 35 is sometimes translated as "regret," but the word means both to feel sorrow and to comfort, as well as the actual "change" in the process of moving from sorrow to giving comfort. The name of the prophet Nahum, which means comfort, has the same Hebrew root (nhm), see also ; ; . God feels sorrow that Saul fell into sin, but now begins the process of comforting and giving a new king. In , it is precisely the "human aspect" of changing one's mind that is emphasized—no, that is not how God is!]
And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And they told Samuel and said, "Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he has set up a monument for himself and has gone on and gone down to Gilgal."
And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you by the Lord (Yahweh)! I have done the commands that the Lord (Yahweh) has spoken."
And Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears and the lowing of oxen that I hear?"
And Samuel said to Saul, "Stop! And I will tell you what the Lord (Yahweh) said to me last night." And he said to him, "Speak."
And Samuel said, "Even though you are small in your own eyes, you are the head of the tribes of Israel. And the Lord (Yahweh) has anointed you king over Israel,
And Saul said to Samuel, "I have obeyed the voice of the Lord (Yahweh) and have gone the way the Lord (Yahweh) sent me, and have captured Agag, king of the Amalekites, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
But Samuel replied:
"Does the Lord (Yahweh) take as much pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as in obeying the voice of the Lord (Yahweh)?
Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice
and listening (and doing) than the fat of rams.
Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned, for I have transgressed the word of the Lord (Yahweh) and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.
But Samuel replied to Saul, "I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord (Yahweh), and the Lord (Yahweh) has rejected you from being king over Israel."
And Samuel turned to go his way, and he (Saul) took a firm grip (here the word chazaq is used, which means strong, firm, and brave) on the corner of his cloak, and it tore (cracked, broke).
And Samuel said to him, "The Lord (Yahweh) has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else who is better than you.
And Samuel returned after Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord (Yahweh).
And Samuel said, "Bring Agag, king of the Amalekites, to me." And Agag came to him in chains. And Agag said, "Surely the bitterness of death is relentless."
But Samuel said,
"As your sword has made women childless,
so shall your mother be childless among women." And Samuel cut Agag into pieces before the Lord (Yahweh) in Gilgal.
Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Givath-Shalom.
And Samuel never saw Saul again until the day he died, for Samuel mourned (Hebr. ) for Saul. And the Lord (Yahweh) regretted (mourned-comforted – Hebr. nacham) that he had made Saul king over Israel. [See comment in .]
[The third unit in the Books of Samuel deals with how the young David comes to the throne. It consists of seven units that go from positive events to negative ones. The first four describe his anointing, his service as a harpist, his victory over Goliath, and his popularity and friendship with Jonathan. At the center, the narrative turns, and in a chiastic pattern, three stories follow that describe his struggles and how Saul becomes increasingly harsh toward David.]
The Lord (Yahweh) said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul? See, I have rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have chosen a king for myself from among his sons."
And Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." The Lord (Yahweh) replied, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the Lord (Yahweh).
And Samuel did as the Lord (Yahweh) had said and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, "Do you come in peace (shalom)?"
But the Lord (Yahweh) said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his height, for I have rejected him, for it is not as man sees, for man looks at what is before his eyes, but the Lord (Yahweh) looks at the heart."
And Jesse called Abinadab [Jesse's second eldest son, see ] and had him pass before Samuel. And he said, "The Lord (Yahweh) has not chosen this one either."
And Jesse had seven of his sons come before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord (Yahweh) has not chosen any of these."
And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are these all your young men (Hebr. naar)?" And he [Jishai] said, "The youngest (insignificant) remains, but behold, he is tending the sheep."
And Samuel said to Jishai, "Send and bring him, for we will not sit down until he comes here."
And Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord (Yahweh) came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
Now David had fled and escaped. He went to Samuel in Ramah [3 km east of Gibeah] and told him everything Saul had done to him. He and Samuel went [together, which describes their fellowship] and stayed in Naioth [the tent camps at the school of the prophets in Ramah].
[Naioth is only used in this chapter and is probably not a city, but describes a campsite in Ramah. Hebrew nave is used for shepherd's tents and navah is dwelling and also field. It is probably the name of the area where Samuel's school of prophets was located. Probably the same place mentioned in with a dining room that could seat 30 people.]
Then Saul sent messengers to take David. But when they saw the company of prophets prophesying and Samuel standing as head (leader) over them, the Spirit of God (Elohim) came upon Saul's messengers, and they also prophesied.
Then he also went [the distance takes 1.5 hours to walk] to Ramah and came to the large cistern (well) that is in Secho. [In archaeological excavations from all periods, cisterns for collecting rainwater are common. They range from houses to larger public reservoirs. Secho was located somewhere between Gibeah and Ramah. Secho means "watchtower" and suggests that it was located on high ground. The Greek translation has "the well at the threshing floor in Sefi," where sefi is a transliterated Hebrew word for a mountain without trees—i.e., a lookout point.]
He [Saul] asked [those who were there], "Where are Samuel and David?"
And one said, "Behold, they are in Naioth in Ramah."
And he [Saul] also took off his [royal] clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel, and he lay down naked [without his royal clothes] all day and all night. Therefore, people say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"
[Three times the Spirit of God had come upon the messengers. But Saul did not understand that God was with David, so he went to Ramah himself to personally kill David. This is the twelfth attempt to kill David. It is unlikely that Saul stripped naked; instead, he took off his royal clothes, see . God humbled Saul. The story shows that it is possible to have spiritual experiences, but it requires repentance and a true surrender to transform one's life. The phrase "Is Saul also among the prophets?" is also found in .]
[This is the central passage in chapters 21-31.]
And [the prophet] Samuel died, and all Israel gathered together and mourned for him and buried him in his house in Ramah [in the hill country of Ephraim].
Then David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
Samuel was now dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. Saul had removed (forbidden, eradicated) all the diviners who consulted spirits (demons) or family spirits (spiritists) from the land. [; ]
And the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" And he said, "Bring up Samuel."
And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice, and the woman spoke to Saul and said, "Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul."
He asked her, "What does he look like?"
She replied, "An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a cloak." And Saul understood that it was Samuel, and he bowed his face to the ground and humbled himself.
Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me and brought me up?" Saul replied, "I am very distressed, for the Philistines are fighting against me, and God (Elohim) has forsaken me and no longer answers me, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore, I have called upon you so that I may know what to do.
And Samuel said, "Why do you ask me? See, the Lord (Yahweh) has forsaken you and is your enemy.
And Saul fell full length on the ground and was very afraid because of Samuel's words. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no bread all day or all night. [Saul had apparently fasted in preparation for this visit. Ironically, he practiced religious devotion in order to break God's commandment.]
Samuel's sons were Joel, the firstborn, and Abijah, the second.
These are the ones who, with their sons, performed this service:
Of the family of Kohath: Heman, the singer, son of Joel, son of Samuel,
All those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds numbered 212. They were recorded in the genealogical register in their villages. David and the seer Samuel had appointed them to serve with honor and faith.
When all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord (Yahweh). Then they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord through Samuel.
And likewise all that the seer Samuel and Saul, son of Kish, and Abner, son of Ner, and Joab, son of Zeruiah, had consecrated. Everyone who consecrated anything left it in the care of Shelomith and his brothers.
What else there is to say about King David, about his early days and his last days, is written in the chronicles of the seer Samuel [the Books of Samuel], in the chronicles of the prophet Nathan, and in the chronicles of the seer Gad.
An Easter celebration like this had not been held in Israel since the time of the prophet Samuel. None of Israel's kings had held such an Easter celebration as was now being celebrated by Josiah with the priests and Levites, all of Judah and those of Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
and Samuel among those who call (raise their voices in prayer) upon his name.
They called (raised their voices in prayer) upon the Lord (Yahweh)
and he answered them.
[, ; ; ; , ; ; ]
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to me [Jeremiah]: Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me, my soul cannot be turned toward this people, cast them away from my presence and let them go.
All the prophets, from Samuel onward, have spoken of and also proclaimed (prophesied about) these days. [Samuel was the first prophet after Moses, see .]
After this, he gave them judges for about 450 years until the time of the prophet Samuel. [The 450 years may refer to the time as slaves or the time with judges.]
What more shall I say?
I would not have time to tell about
Gideon [who won victory with a small army of 300 men, see ],
Barak [who obeyed the prophetic words of the judge Deborah. Together they defeated the enemy, see ],
Samson [who finally understood that his strength did not come from himself, see ],
Jephthah (Jiftach) [born out of wedlock, driven away by his brothers, but allowed to join in defeating the Ammonites and became a judge, see ],
David [Israel's most famous king, see ; ],
Samuel [Israel's great prophet, see ]
and the prophets,
