Samuel

Biblical Account

Samuel's life is recounted in 1 Samuel 1–25. He was the son of Elkanah and Hannah, who lived at Ramathaim-zophim (Ramah) in the hill country of Ephraim. Hannah, who was childless, vowed at the tabernacle in Shiloh that if God gave her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord. After the boy was born, she gave him a name signifying that he had been asked of the Lord, saying, "Because I have asked him of the LORD" (1 Samuel 1:20). Once Samuel was weaned, he was raised at Shiloh under the priest Eli.

• Calling: Hearing a voice call him at night, he answered, "Speak; for thy servant heareth" (3:10). Thereafter all Israel recognized him as a prophet (one who proclaims the word of God).
• Ministry as judge: After the ark of the covenant was captured by the Philistines, Samuel gathered the people at Mizpah and led them in repentance. After the Philistines were defeated, he set up a stone and called it "Ebenezer" (stone of help) (7:12). He then judged Israel on a circuit through Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah.
• Establishment of the monarchy: When Samuel's sons took bribes, the people demanded a king. Samuel was displeased, but at God's direction he anointed Saul (chapters 8–10).
• Rebuke of Saul and anointing of David: To the disobedient Saul he declared, "To obey is better than sacrifice" (15:22). He later anointed David in Bethlehem (16:13).
• Death: He died and was buried in Ramah (25:1). Chapter 28 then relates how Saul had the woman of Endor who had a familiar spirit (a medium believed to call up the dead) bring up Samuel.

Significance Within Scripture

Samuel stands at the transition from the period of the judges to the monarchy and is portrayed as one who served as judge and prophet and also offered sacrifices. Psalms 99:6 and Jeremiah 15:1 mention him alongside Moses as one who interceded with God. In the New Testament, Peter reckons the prophets "from Samuel" onward in Acts 3:24, and Paul states in Acts 13:20 that the period of the judges lasted until Samuel. Hebrews 11:32 names him among the heroes of faith.

Interpretation and Points of Debate

• Tribal affiliation: 1 Samuel 1:1 describes his father as an "Ephrathite" (Ephraimite). By contrast, 1 Chronicles 6 records his genealogy among the descendants of Levi. A common explanation is that the family were Levites living in the territory of Ephraim, though some scholars take a different view.
• Assessment of the monarchy: Chapter 8 portrays the request for a king as a rejection of God, yet God nevertheless directs that a king be appointed. For this reason, interpretations differ on how the monarchy itself should be evaluated.
• The Endor episode: Three views of this event have been handed down since the patristic era: that the real Samuel appeared by God's permission, that an evil spirit impersonated Samuel, or that the episode was a deception by the woman. Sirach 46, accepted as canonical by the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, states that Samuel prophesied even after his death.
• Traditions outside the text: The claim that Samuel was twelve years old when he was called is generally understood to derive not from the Bible but from the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus. The attribution of the books of Samuel to Samuel himself is likewise a Jewish tradition; the text does not name its author.

In Korean Churches

In Sunday school, the young Samuel's obedience is often taught with a focus on the words "Speak; for thy servant heareth." Hannah's prayer and vow are preached as a model of prayer for one's children. "Hitherto hath the LORD helped us" (7:12) is frequently quoted at New Year's Eve watch night services and in thanksgiving sermons, and "Ebenezer" is also used as a church name. Samuel's statement that ceasing to pray for the people would be a sin (12:23) is cited when emphasizing intercessory prayer.