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SAMUEL (BOOKS)
priority of the simpler story, the growth of the deuteronomistic
account is perfectly narurd.
Really tmst~rorthy materirl for a picture of Samuel
we must seek first of all in chaps. 9 101-16. The tragedy
in the fate bath of pmpies and of indiridualr springs
irom uncomprehendrd circumrlar~cer and neglected
opportunities. The greatness of ieadiiig personalities
coniirfi it, this-thlt they colrlprehend the national
aspirations and turn to account favouring circumstances.
Only thus can impending ruin be averted and the
road to progress and prosperity be opened. Others
besides Samuel may have conceived the idea that the
deliverance of Irrael irom the Philistines was possible
only for n king; but it is his inalienable mei-it to have
found in Saul the man who appeared equal to the task.
and to have awakened in him the conrciouner~ of his
divine mission. The pmpie itrelt too, comprehended
the 5ituation. and gave this a legal expression by s
solemn choice of Saul at Giigal (I S. Il~j).
'This view of the historical significance of Samuel is in
perfect harmony with the statement that his course of
action was determined by Yahwe, who pointed out to
him Saul as the future king oi Israel. Ideas which
burst upon a man suddenly and swm to have no links
wilh his other thoughts beiong to modern as well as
ancient experience; to the ancients it was natural to
regard them as given by inspiration. When Saul's
imposing form came before the seer, revealing doubtless
already something oi that impetuous energy which
marked Saul as king, the idea may have flashed through
his mind that here ww Israel's king. There is no
reason to doubt that Snmuel became accidentally acquainted
with Saul. and then anointed him king aver
Resides the kernel of chap. 9 10,-16 we may reerd
as historical the central facts of chap 151.~332-35 [sex
SAUL, 5 31. The expedition against Amalek would of
course not k undertaken without an oracle. and Saul's
earlier relations to Samuel makr it intelligible that the
oracle would come from that seer. The violation of the
ban corresponds to the egoistic character of the Israelites
of that time, and the slaying of Agag before thc altar
is ~on~istent wilh their religious usages. Nor need we
doubt that Sanluel himself hewed Agag in pieces.
Proi~ahly enough, too, difficulties may have arisen
betireen Samuel and Saul in consequence of the violation
of the ban rco .. SAU~.. 6 " ", ?1. The influences of the
later period when the narrative war written will be confined
to the description oi the attitude of Saul on his
nleefine Samuel. to the statement that Samuei on thir
cccnridh made known to Saul his reiection bv ~ahw&l
and to the fine prophetic saying arcriied to s&uel.
According to 2 S. 283, Snmuel died and war buried at Ramah
SAMUEL (BOOKS)
Litcra~ history(( 1).
smuel, sad: . s. la5 o & svmmary (i I).
Name (D I). Larcr additions ($ 5).
rS.%rK.2($6).
David : z S. 161 S. 8 (% 4). Literature (( 8).
That the two books of Samuel, like the tro books of
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SAMUEL (BOOKS)
Kingr, originally folmed one book, is explained elre-
Name, where (CANON, 5 lo). 'The idea of dividing
the resoectire books of Samuel and Kines -
come:. from 6,' where, however, the divided books are
recombined as the four Books of Kingdoms pi pi^^
Baothe~Oul. It is true that the ereater art of the Baok
r , ~
of Samuel refers to the regal period, and that the
gap between 2 S. 24 and r K. 1 is less prominent in
the eL arrangement (cp KINGS, 5 I). Rut the older
Palestinian-Hebrew arrangement has the advantage
of reflwting the fact that Samuel and Kingr arose
by editorial iedaction out of two different older
works. the limits of which were only effaced when two
"
In reality it descrilrs the origin of the lsraeiitish
kingdon,, and the fortunes of Saul, Izhbaal, and David.
A book, in the modern smse, Samuel can no more be
said 10 be than any other of the historical writines . of
literarg the OT. It is a compilation from older
works which has pared through repeated
history, reductions, and the final redvctio~r of all
can have occurred only after the close of the pent.3-
teuch, in connection with the formation of the prophetic
cnnon. Like the 'Torah, however, and like the other
books of the 'former prophets,' the Books of Samuel
attained in essentials their present form as a result of
the great *Deuteronomistic' literary movement (see
Hrsron1c.u. LlirnnrunE, 5 7). In the book uhich
immediately precedes Samuel this movement has left only
too ,,,any traces oi it5 influence. I" Samuel, 1rorever.
we are happil: in a position to indicate a series of Gvid
and ancient narrativeswhich is only at certain points
interrupted by later insertions and additions. We must
infer fronr this that the deuteronomirtic editor or editors
found thir connection already in existence; in other
words, the basis of our Samuel war formed by a predetlteronomic
redaction of older works.
The insertions md idditions, however are to a great extent
derived tleithcr from ,he deuleronomis;ic nor from the final
redaction. Nor only do some rclite to the 8ime between both
redactions, but in certain cases it re- porsibls,thit they may
have been brought into their present connectton before the
deufemnomirric redaction occurred. The hirtory, therefore, of
the origin of the Books of Samuel, in spits of !hc great pre.
dominance of the ancient sources, ir very cumplicated. It ,r
however, only what mi&, have been expncd, when
consider the manner in which the OT writings have mme down
to us: the procever of copyingnnd of ercgeticai study were in
the cue of Samuel, combined wich redactional alrerario; of
various kindr, and morc particularly, with additions of new
nmterie.1~ and inren'ion of explanatory matter.
The Books of Samuel fall into three main divisions.
(I) The history of Samuel and of Saul down to the
rejection of the latter, I S. 1-15 (5 3): (2) the history
of David during the reigns of Saul and Irhbaal, and his
own rei~n a1 Hebron. r S. 16-2 S. 8 (f q f ); (3) the
history of David at Jerusalem. 2 S. 9-24 (56).
Part I. has for its nucleus two sections: lo1 . , I S. 41-
7 I, a fragment-the original kginning and end are now
to which 25, adds that his grave -5 in hir own hoare, whid S, wanting-recounting the subjugation of
corresponds to the ~ad,.,~rn~(~~ , K. Z?+). Thi! of it\elf
shows thsr the lat~ trsdtrlon whrch placed his
and Ssul: Israel by the Philist~nes and the captivity
dwellmg.place
and sepulchre at Neby Srmwil is wrong. Scc MIZPAH.
of the ark of Yahd ; (b) I S S 1~101
Nothing is raid of Samuel's age at the time of his death. Thc I S'1-15 109~r611~-1~
r4 f 131-7a 13 14,-46.
nomber 33 in r S. ? z is ohthinad by artificial means. This is which d~rcriks the anointina
also true of rhe statemena in Joeephus (Ant. ui. 1351Pg) and in
- of Saul bv Samuel. Saul's
thc Midrash. They depend on exeget,csl inferences which
from the nature of the source,, arc destitute of %") sur:
foundation. B. S.
victory over Ammo", his election as king, and his first
encounterr with the Philirtiner.
The first-mentioned section (=)-a torso (for it introduces
the reader abruptly into the midst oi the Philistine
wars, and doer
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not complete the account of the fortunes
of the sanctuary at Shiloh and of the ark)-givrs
tte necessary premises for the rrction which follows,
I Thu. is a of. ? S. .nd I . K. having been uch one
h k in s~ whuh.rr the fiat word. S. ad K. are PLO de
the 1st words of I S. and I K.
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