Editing Samuel (section)

==Biblical account==
[[File:Gerbrand van den Eeckhout - Anna toont haar zoon Samuël aan de priester Eli.jpg|thumb|[[Gerbrand van den Eeckhout]] – [[Hannah (Bible)|Hannah]] presenting her son Samuel to the priest [[Eli (bible)|Eli]] {{circa|1665}}]]

===Family===
Samuel's mother was [[Hannah (biblical figure)|Hannah]] and his father was [[Elkanah]]. Elkanah lived at [[Ramathaim-Zophim|Ramathaim]] in the district of [[Zuph]].<ref name=oca>{{cite web|url=http://oca.org/saints/lives/2015/08/20/102349-prophet-samuel|title=Prophet Samuel|website=oca.org|access-date=14 February 2018}}</ref><ref>The Bible does not say specifically say that Elkanah lived in a place known as Zuph. There is, however, a "land of Zuph" mentioned (once only) in 1 Samuel 9:5, an area in which Samuel is said to have been found. Furthermore, 1 Samuel 1:1, as the text now stands, mentions Zuph as an ancestor of Elkanah. And, according to the theory explained in the ''Jewish Encyclopedia'', "Elkanah" [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5691-elkanah] the term "Zophim" in 1:1 is a corruption of the original identification of Elkanah as a "Zuphite." For confirmation that more contemporary scholarship still considers this theory seriously, see the ''Holman Bible Dictionary'', "Ramathaim-Zophim." [https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/hbd/r/ramathaim-zophim.html]</ref> His genealogy is also found in a pedigree of the [[Kohathites]] (1 Chronicles 6:3–15) and in that of [[Heman the Ezrahite]], apparently his grandson (1 Chronicles 6:18–33).

According to the genealogical tables in Chronicles, Elkanah was a [[Levite]]—a fact not mentioned in the books of Samuel. The fact that Elkanah, a Levite, was denominated an [[Tribe of Ephraim|Ephraimite]]<ref>Hebrew ''Ephrathi'', which is interpreted as meaning "Ephraimite" by Gesenius [https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H673&t=KJV], and a variety of translations including NIV, NLT, NASB, HCSB, NET, JPS(1917), ASV [http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/1-1.htm]. See the ''Jewish Encyclopedia'', "Elkanah" for details. [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5691-elkanah]</ref> is analogous to the designation of a Levite belonging to [[Tribe of Judah|Judah]] (Judges 17:7, for example).<ref>"Hence in I Sam. i. 1 his ancestral line is carried back to Zuph (comp. I Sam. ix. 5 et seq.). The word צופים in I Sam. i. 1 should be amended to הצופי ('the Zuphite'), the final mem being a dittogram of that with which the next word, מהר, begins; as the LXX. has it, Σειφὰ. Elkanah is also represented in I Sam. i. 1 as hailing from the mountains of Ephraim, the word here אפרתי denoting this (comp. Judges xii. 5; I Kings xi. 26)—if indeed אפרתי is not a corruption for 'Ephraimite'—and not, as in Judges i. 2 and I Sam. xvii. 12, an inhabitant of Ephrata (see LXX.)." [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=302&letter=E "Elkanah," in the 1906 ''Jewish Encyclopedia.'']</ref>

According to 1 Samuel 1:1–28, Elkanah had two wives, [[Peninnah]] and Hannah. Peninnah had children; Hannah did not. Nonetheless, Elkanah favored Hannah. Jealous, Peninnah reproached Hannah for her lack of children, causing Hannah much heartache. Elkanah was a devout man and would periodically take his family on pilgrimage to the holy site of [[Shiloh (biblical city)|Shiloh]].<ref name=Bergant>{{cite book|last1=Bergant|first1=Dianne|author-link1=Dianne Bergant|last2=Karris|first2=Robert J.|author-link2=Robert J. Karris|title=The Collegeville Bible Commentary: Old Testament|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nj-AkOJ9wRQC&pg=PA271|year=1992|publisher=Liturgical Press|isbn=978-0-8146-2210-0|page=271}}</ref>

On one occasion, Hannah went to the sanctuary and prayed for a child. In tears, she vowed that if she were granted a child, she would dedicate him to God as a [[nazirite]].<ref name=Bergant/> [[Eli (biblical figure)|Eli]], who was sitting at the foot of the doorpost in the sanctuary at Shiloh, saw her apparently mumbling to herself and thought she was drunk, but was soon assured of both her motivation and sobriety. Eli was the priest of [[Shiloh (biblical city)|Shiloh]], and one of the last [[Biblical judges|Israelite Judges]] before the rule of kings in [[Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy)|ancient Israel]]. He had assumed the leadership after [[Samson]]'s death.<ref name=chabad>{{cite web|url=http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/463969/jewish/Samuel-the-Prophet.htm|title=Samuel the Prophet|website=www.chabad.org|access-date=14 February 2018}}</ref> Eli blessed her and she returned home. Subsequently, Hannah became pregnant, later giving birth to Samuel, and praised God for his mercy and faithfulness.

After the child was weaned, she left him in Eli's care,<ref name=oca/> and from time to time she would come to visit her son.<ref name=chabad/>

===Name===
According to 1 Samuel 1:20,<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Samuel|1:20|HE}}</ref> Hannah named Samuel to commemorate her prayer to [[God]] for a child. "... [She] called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord" (KJV). From its appearance, the name Samuel ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew:]] שְׁמוּאֵל ''Šəmūʾēl'', [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian:]] ''Šămūʾēl'') appears to be constructed from the Hebrew Śāmū (שָׂמוּ)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://biblehub.com/hebrew/samu_7760.htm|title=Hebrew Concordance: śā·mū -- 14 Occurrences|website=biblehub.com}}</ref> + ʾĒl,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://biblehub.com/hebrew/410.htm|title=Strong's Hebrew: 410. אֵל (el) -- God, in pl. gods|website=biblehub.com}}</ref> meaning "God has set" or "God has placed". This meaning relating to the idea of God setting/placing a child in the womb, alongside [[Hannah (biblical figure)|Hannah]] dedicating Samuel as a [[Nazirite]] to God. The Hebrew śāmū is also related to the [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] šâmū (𒊮𒈬), which shares the same meaning.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Akkadian Dictionary: Šiāmu/Šâmu |url=https://www.assyrianlanguages.org/akkadian/dosearch.php?searchkey=%C5%A1i%C4%81mu&language=rawakkadian |website=Assyrianlanguages.org}}</ref> From the explanation given in [[1 Samuel 1|1 Samuel 1:20]], however, it would seem to come from a contraction of the Hebrew שְׁאִלְתִּיו מֵאֵל ([[Modern Hebrew|Modern:]] ''Šəʾīltīv mēʾĒl,'' [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian:]] ''Šĭʾīltīw mēʾĒl''), meaning "I have asked/borrowed him from God".<ref>{{Cite web |title=I Samuel 1:20 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/I_Samuel.1.20?with=all&lang=bi |website=Sefaria}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Radak on Genesis 5:29:1 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Radak_on_Genesis.5.29?lang=bi |website=Sefaria}}</ref> Further shortened to שָׁאוּל מֵאֵל (''Šāʾūl mēʾĒl, "asked/borrowed from God"''),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7592.htm|title=Strong's Hebrew: 7592. שָׁאַל (shaal) -- to ask, inquire|website=biblehub.com}}</ref> then finally contracted to שְׁמוּאֵל (''Šəmūʾēl/Šămūʾēl''). This meaning also relating to Hannah dedicating Samuel as a Nazirite to [[God]] as well.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://biblehub.com/hebrew/shaul_7592.htm|title=Hebrew Concordance: šā·'ūl -- 2 Occurrences|website=biblehub.com}}</ref>

===Calling===
Samuel worked under Eli in the service of the shrine at Shiloh. One night, Samuel heard a voice calling his name. According to the first-century Jewish historian [[Josephus]], Samuel was 12 years old.<ref name="Josephus">{{cite web|last=Josephus|title=Book 5 Chapter 10 Section 4|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/josephus/ant-5.htm|work=[[Antiquities of the Jews]]|publisher=Sacred Texts|access-date=7 October 2011}}</ref> Samuel initially assumed it was coming from [[Eli (Bible)|Eli]] and went to Eli to ask what he wanted. Eli, however, sent Samuel back to sleep. After this happened three times, Eli realised that [[Bath ḳōl|the voice]] was the Lord's, and instructed Samuel on how to answer:

<blockquote>If He calls you, then you must say, "Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears".<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Samuel|3:9|NKJV}}</ref></blockquote>

Once Samuel responded, the Lord told him that the wickedness of the [[Hophni and Phinehas|sons of Eli]] had resulted in their dynasty being condemned to destruction.<ref name=oca/> In the morning, Samuel was hesitant about reporting the message to Eli, but Eli asked him to honestly recount to him what he had been told by the Lord. Upon receiving the communication, Eli merely said that the Lord should do what seems right unto him.

Samuel grew up and "all Israel [[from Dan to Beersheba]]" came to know that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord.<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Samuel|3:20|NKJV}}</ref> Anglican theologian [[Donald Spence Jones]] comments that "the minds of all the people were thus gradually prepared when the right moment came to acknowledge Samuel as a God-sent chieftain".<ref>[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/ellicott/1_samuel/3.htm Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers on 1 Samuel 3], accessed 21 April 2017</ref>

===Leader===
[[File:Vitral com representação de Samuel e a batalha entre Israelitas e Filisteus (1728), Palácio da Pena (cropped).png|250px|thumb|Samuel offers God a sacrifice and erects a large stone at [[Eben-Ezer|the battle site]] as the Israelites slaughter the Philistines in the background, as depicted in an 18th-century stained-glass window ([[Pena Palace]], [[Portugal]]).]]

During Samuel's youth at [[Shiloh (Biblical city)|Shiloh]], the [[Philistines]] inflicted a decisive defeat against the [[Israelites]] at [[Eben-Ezer]], placed the land under Philistine control, and [[Ark of the Covenant#Capture by the Philistines|took the sanctuary's Ark for themselves]]. Upon hearing the news of the capture of the Ark of the Covenant, and the death of his sons, Eli collapsed and died. When the Philistines had been in possession of the Ark for seven months and had been visited with calamities and misfortunes, they decided to return the Ark to the Israelites.<ref name=chabad/>

According to Bruce C. Birch, Samuel was a key figure in keeping the Israelites' religious heritage and identity alive during Israel's defeat and occupation by the Philistines. "[I]t may have been possible and necessary for Samuel to exercise authority in roles that would normally not converge in a single individual (priest, prophet, judge)."<ref name=Birch>{{Cite book |title=Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible |last=Birch |first=Bruce C. |publisher=Amsterdam University Press |year=2000 |isbn=9780802824004 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qRtUqxkB7wkC&q=prophet%20samuel%20bible |editor-last=Freedman |editor-first=David Noel |chapter=Samuel |editor-last2=Myers |editor-first2=Allen C.}}</ref>

After 20 years of oppression, Samuel, who had gained national prominence as a prophet (1 Samuel 3:20), summoned the people to the hill of [[Mizpah in Benjamin|Mizpah]], and led them against the Philistines. The Philistines, having marched to Mizpah to attack the newly amassed Israelite army, were soundly defeated and fled in terror. The retreating Philistines were slaughtered by the Israelites. The text then states that Samuel erected a large stone at the battle site as a memorial, and there ensued a long period of peace thereafter.

===King-Maker===
Samuel initially appointed his two sons [[Joel (son of Samuel)|Joel]] and [[Abijah]] as his successors; however, just like Eli's sons, Samuel's proved unworthy for they accepted bribes and perverted judgement. The Israelites rejected them. Because of the external threat from other tribes, such as the Philistines, the tribal leaders decided that there was a need for a more unified, central government,<ref name=Zucker>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nTtJAwAAQBAJ&dq=prophet+samuel+bible&pg=PA51|title=The Bible's Prophets: An Introduction for Christians and Jews|first=David J.|last=Zucker|date=December 10, 2013|publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers|isbn=9781630871024 |via=Google Books}}</ref> and demanded Samuel appoint a king so that they could be like other nations. Samuel interpreted this as a personal rejection, and at first was reluctant to oblige, until reassured by a divine revelation.<ref name=Birch/> He warned the people of the potential negative consequences of such a decision. When Saul and his servant were searching for [[Kish (Bible)|his father]]'s lost donkeys, the servant suggested consulting the nearby Samuel. Samuel recognized Saul as the future king.

Just before his retirement, Samuel gathered the people to an assembly at [[Gilgal]], and delivered a farewell speech<ref>Sub-heading in [[New International Version]]</ref> or coronation speech<ref>Sub-heading in [[New King James Version]]</ref> in which he emphasised how prophets and judges were more important than kings, that kings should be held to account, and that the people should not fall into idol worship, or worship of [[Asherah]] or of [[Baal]]. Samuel promised that God would subject the people to foreign invaders should they disobey. 1 Kings 11:5, 33,<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Kings|11:5, 33|NKJV}}</ref> and 2 Kings 23:13<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Kings|23:13|NKJV}}</ref> note that the Israelites fell into Asherah worship later on.<ref>[[Israel Finkelstein]], ''[[The Bible Unearthed]]''; [[Richard Elliott Friedman]], ''Who wrote the Bible?''</ref>

===Critic of Saul===
[[File:Louvre rosa apparition.jpg|upright|right|thumb|Apparition of the spirit of Samuel to [[Saul]], by [[Salvator Rosa]], 1668]]
When Saul was preparing to fight the Philistines, Samuel denounced him for proceeding with the pre-battle sacrifice without waiting for the overdue Samuel to arrive. He prophesied that Saul's rule would see no dynastic succession.

Samuel also directed Saul to "utterly destroy" the [[Amalek]]ites in fulfilment of the commandment in Deuteronomy 25:17–19:<ref>{{bibleverse||Deuteronomy|25:17–19|NKJV}}</ref>
:''When the Lord your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, ... you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven''.

During the campaign against the Amalekites, King Saul spared [[Agag]], the king of the Amalekites, and the best of their livestock. Saul told Samuel that he had spared the choicest of the Amalekites' sheep and oxen, intending to sacrifice the livestock to the Lord. This was in violation of the Lord's command, as pronounced by Samuel, to "... utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass" (1 Samuel 15:3, KJV). Samuel confronted Saul for his disobedience and told him that God made him king, and God can unmake him king. Samuel then proceeded to execute Agag. Saul never saw Samuel alive again after this.<ref>Stern, David H. (1998) Complete Jewish Bible: An English Version of the Tanakh and B'rit Hadashah. Clarksville, Maryland: Jewish New Testament Publications pp. 314–15. Sh'mu'el Alef 15. {{ISBN|978-965-359-018-2}}</ref>

Samuel then proceeded to [[Bethlehem]] and secretly anointed David as king. He would later provide sanctuary for David, when the jealous Saul first tried to have him killed.

===Death===
[[File:The Tomb Of Propet Samuel.JPG|thumb|right|[[Tomb of Samuel]]]]
Samuel is described in the biblical narrative as being buried in [[Ramah in Benjamin|Ramah]].<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Samuel|25:1|NKJV}}</ref> According to tradition, this burial place has been identified with [[Tomb of Samuel|Samuel's tomb]] in the [[West Bank]] village of [[Nabi Samwil]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=McCown |first1=Chester Charlton |title=Muslim Shrines in Palestine |journal=The Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research in Jerusalem |date=1921 |volume=2 |pages=56 |doi=10.2307/3768451 |jstor=3768451 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Israel's national parks gear up for weekend tours - Israel News - Jerusalem Post |url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israels-national-parks-gear-up-for-weekend-tours-591098 |access-date=23 October 2019 |work=www.jpost.com}}</ref>

Some time after his death, Saul had the [[Witch of Endor]] conjure Samuel's spirit from [[Sheol]] in order to predict the result of an upcoming battle (1 Samuel 28:3–24). Samuel was angered by his recalling, and told Saul that the Lord had left him.

===Rabbinical literature===
While the [[Witch of Endor]] remains anonymous in the Biblical account, the rabbinical [[Midrash]] maintains that she was Zephaniah, the mother of [[Abner]] (Yalḳ, Sam. 140, from Pirḳe R. El.). That a supernatural appearance is here described is inferred from the repeated emphasis laid on the statement that Samuel had died and had been buried (I Sam. xxv. 1, xxviii. 3), by which the assumption that Samuel was still living when summoned, is discredited (Tosef., Soṭah, xi. 5). Still he was invoked during the first twelve months after his death, when, according to the Rabbis, the spirit still hovers near the body (Shab. 152b). In connection with the incidents of the story the Rabbis have developed the theory that the necromancer sees the spirit but is unable to hear his speech, while the person at whose instance the spirit is called hears the voice but fails to see; bystanders neither hear nor see (Yalḳ., l.c.; Redaḳ and RaLBaG's commentaries). The outcry of the woman at the sight of Samuel was due to his rising in an unusual way—upright, not, as she expected, in a horizontal position (comp. LXX. ὄρθιον in verse 14).<ref>[https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5755-endor-the-witch-of Jewish Encyclopedia]{{Source-attribution|no-icon=y |pl=y |inline=y}}</ref>