SAMUEL

him, he nominated and anointed Saul as Israel's coming king. He further gave Saul signs by which he should know that the promises would be lulflUed, and com-mitted him to the Spirit of God. In another narrative (chs. 1-3), which differs in point of view rather than in trustworthiness, are recited the incidents of Samuel's early life and relations to the kingdom. Hannah, his mother, the wife of Elkanah, was barren. During the celebration of the yearly feast she vows that if God will give her a son she will give him to Jehovah. Samuel is therefore the son of answered prayer, and is in due time dedicated to the Temple service at Shiloh, where he assists Eli, is warned by Jehovah ol the coming destruc-tion of Eli's house, and receives the call to the prophetic office.

After the death of Eli and the return of the ark from the Phillst'nes, Samuel becomes 'judge' of Israel, calls the people to repentance at Mizpah, and saves them miraculously from the invading Philistines (ch. 7). He is succeeded in the judgeship by unworthy sons, and Israel, outraged at their sinfulness and worthlessness, demands a king — a proposition, in the estimation of Samuel, tantamount to a rejection of Jehovah, though no such suggestion was made when he voluntarily appointed Saul. Nevertheless he yields to their wish, but describes in sombre colours the oppressions they must endure under the monarchy (ch. 8) . Accordingly the people are assembled at Mizpah, again accused of forsaking Jehovah, and Saul is selected by lot (10""). Samuel now makes his farewell address (ch. 12), defends his administration, warns the people, by references to their past history, of the danger of disobeying Jehovah, and compels nature to attest his words by a thunder-storm in harvest time.

The insignificant rdle played by Samuel in the first narrative cited is very noticeable when compared with the position accorded him in that which follows. In the first ne is an obscure seer, and takes but a minor part in the establishment of the kingdom. In the latter he is a commanding and dominating figure. He is a judge of the people, adjudica-ting their aSaiis yearly at Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. Saul, as well as the monarchy, is controlled and directed by him.

The narrative of Samuel's prominence Is succeeded by an account (ch. 13) — from a different source — of Saul's attack on the Philistines. The story is mterrupted at 13s-'s by a complaint that Saul had disobeyed in offering sacrifice before the battle, although he had waited the required seven days as instructed by Samuel. It is difficult to see wherein Saul was guilty. Samuel had not appeared according to agreement. The Philistines were closing in upon Saul, his army was fast melting away, it was necessary to give battle, and it would have been considered irreligious to inaugurate the battle without sacrifice. For this rebellion Samuel informs him that his kingdom is forfeit, and that Jehovah has chosen another, a man after His own heart, to take his place.

Again Saul is instructed by Samuel (ch. 15) to destroy Amalek — men, women, children, and spoil — but he spares \ Agag and the best of the booty. All his excuses' are rejected, and Samuel now attributes the loss of his kingdom to the new disobedience. This narrative does not seem conscious that the kingdom was already lost to Saul. The king confesses his fault, and after repeated persuasion Samuel agrees to honour him before his people by worshipping with him. Agag is then brought before Samuel, who hews him to pieces before the Lord. After this Samuel is sent to the home of Jesse to select and anoint a successor to Saul. One by one the sons of Jesse are rejected, till David, the youngest, Is brought from the field, and proves to be the choice of Jehovah (ch. 16). With this significant act Samuel practically disappears. We find an account of his keeping a school of the prophets at Ramah, whither David flees to escape Saul (19"-*'). Later we have a short account of his death and burial at Ramah (25'). There is also a mention of his death in ch. 28, and the story

SAMUEL, BOOKS OF

of Saul's application to the witch of Endor to call up Samuel from the dead. J. H. Stevenson.

SAMUEL, BOOKS OP.— 1. Title.— The two Books of

Samuel are really parts of what was originally one book. This is shown not only by the fact that the narrative of Book I. is continued without the slightest interruption in Book II., and that the style, tone, point of view, and purpose are the same throughout, but also by their appearance as one book bearing the simple title •Samuel' in the oldest known Hebrew MSS. The division of the Hebrew text into two books was first made in print by Daniel Romberg in his Hebrew Bible (2nd ed. 1517). In doing so he was in part following the text of the Septuagint and the Vulgate, in which the Books of Samuel and Kings are described as the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Books of Kingdoms (LXX), or Kings (Vulgate). The title 'Samuel,' less accurately descrip-tive of the contents than that of 'Kingdoms' or 'Kings,' owes its origin to the prominent place held by Samuel in 1 S 1-16. A late Jewish interpretation regarded it as declaring Samuel's authorship of the narrative; but this is impossible, in view of the fact that the history extends through the reign of David, long after the death of Samuel (1 S 25').

2. Contents. — The period covered by the Books of Samuel extends from the oirth of Samuel to the close of David's reign, i.e. approximately from b.c. 1070 to B.C. 970. The narrative falls into three main divisions: — I.: Samuel and Saul, 1 S 1-15; II.: The Rise of David,

1 S 16-2 S 53; III.: David as king of United Israel,

2 S 5*-24. Division I. is made up of three sections:

(1) The childhood and youth of Samuel, to the downfall of Eli's house and the captivity of the Ark (1 S 1-7');

(2) Samuel's career as Judge, including his defeat of the Philistines, his anointing of Saul, and his farewell address (1 S 7^^12)1 (3) Saul's reign till his rejection (IS 13-15). Division II. likewise includes three sections: (1) David at Saul's Court (1 S 16'-21'); (2) David as a fugitive outlaw (1 S 21«-2 S 1); (3) David as kmg in Hebron (2 S 2-5'). Division III. forms three more sections: (1) establishment of Jerusalem as the religious and national capital, and a brief summary of David's reign (2 S 5*-8) ; (2) supplementary narratives, setting forth particularly David's great sin and subsequent troubles (2 S 9-20); (3) a series of appendixes (2 S 21-24) . 1 K 1-2" really belongs to 2 Sam., since it relates the circumstances attending the death of David, and thus brings the narrative to its natural close.

3 . Text and Versions . — The text of Samuel is the worst in the OT; only Ezekiel and Hosea can approach it in this respect. Many passages are unintelligible on the basis of the Massoretic text. The large amount of corruption may be due in part to the relatively great antiquity of the text, much of the narrative being among the oldest writings in the Hebrew Bible; and, in part, to the fact that these books were not used in the ordinary synagogue services, and so were not so carefully transmitted as they otherwise would have been. Unfortunately, the oldest existing Hebrew manuscript of Samuel dates its origin no farther back than the tenth century of our era. With each copying and recopying during the many preceding centuries fresh opportunity tor error was afforded; and the wonder is not that there are so many errors, but that there are not more. In any effort to recover the original text large use must be made of the Septuagint, which is based upon a Hebrew text at least as old as the 3rd cent, b.c, and has preserved the original reading in many cases, while showing traces of it in others. The Syriac and Vulgate versions are also useful, but to a far less extent.

4. Sources and Date. — The Books of Samuel, like almost every other OT writing, are a compilation from various sources, rather than the result of a careful study of earlier sources presented in the form of a unified, logical, and philosophical statement of facts and con-

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