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Samuel

Bible Dictionary

Samuel
was the son of Elkanah and Hannah, and was born atRamathaim-zophim, among the hills of Ephraim. [[1040]Ramah No.2] (b.c. 1171.) Before his birth he was dedicated by his motherto the office of a Nazarite and when a young child, 12 yearsold according to Josephus he was placed in the temple, andministered unto the Lord before Eli." It was while here that hereceived his first prophetic call. (1 samuel 3:1-18) He nextappears, probably twenty years afterward, suddenly among thepeople, warning them against their idolatrous practices. (1samuel 7:3,4) Then followed Samuel s first and, as far as weknow, only military achievement, ch. (1 samuel 7:5-12) but itwas apparently this which raised him to the office of "judge."He visited, in the discharge of his duties as ruler, the threechief sanctuaries on the west of Jordan--Bethel, Gilgal andMizpeh. ch. (1 samuel 7:16) His own residence was still nativecity, Ramah, where he married, and two sons grew up to repeatunder his eyes the same perversion of high office that he hadhimself witnessed in his childhood in the case of the two sonsof Eli. In his old age he shared his power with them, (1 samuel8:1-4) but the people dissatisfied, demanded a king, andfinally anointed under God s direction, and Samuel surrenderedto him his authority, (1 samuel 12:1) ... though stillremaining judge. ch. (1 samuel 7:15) He was consulted far andnear on the small affairs of life. (1 samuel 9:7,8) From thisfact, combined with his office of ruler, an awful reverencegrew up around him. No sacrificial feast was thought completewithout his blessing. Ibid. (1 samuel 9:13) A peculiar virtuewas believed to reside in his intercession. After Saul wasrejected by God, Samuel anointed David in his place and Samuelbecame the spiritual father of the psalmist-king. The death ofSamuel is described as taking place in the year of the close ofDavid s wanderings. It is said with peculiar emphasis, as if tomark the loss, that "all the Israelites were gathered together"from all parts of this hitherto-divided country, and "lamentedhim," and "buried him" within his own house, thus in a mannerconsecrated by being turned into his tomb. (1 samuel 25:1)Samuel represents the independence of the moral law, of thedivine will, as distinct from legal or sacerdotal enactments,which is so remarkable a characteristic of all the laterprophets. He is also the founder of the first regularinstitutions of religious instructions and communities for thepurposes of education.