Meaning of “Samuel”

1. Samuel — heard of God. The peculiar circumstances connected with his birth are recorded in 1 Sam. 1:20. Hannah, one of the two wives of Elkanah, who came up to Shiloh to worship before the Lord, earnestly prayed to God that she might become the mother of a son. Her prayer was graciously granted; and after the child was weaned she brought him to Shiloh nd consecrated him to the Lord as a perpetual Nazarite (1:23-2:11). Here his bodily wants and training were attended to by the women who served in the tabernacle, while Eli cared for his religious culture. Thus, probably, twelve years of his life passed away. "The child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men" (2:26; comp. Luke 2:52). It was a time of great and growing degeneracy in Israel (Judg. 21:19-21; 1 Sam. 2:12-17, 22). The Philistines, who of late had greatly increased in number and in power, were practically masters of the country, and kept the people in subjection (1 Sam. 10:5; 13:3). At this time new communications from God began to be made to the pious child. A mysterious voice came to him in the night season, calling him by name, and, instructed by Eli, he answered, "Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth." The message that came from the Lord was one of woe and ruin to Eli and his profligate sons. Samuel told it all to Eli, whose only answer to the terrible denunciations (1 Sam. 3:11-18) was, "It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good", the passive submission of a weak character, not, in his case, the expression of the highest trust and faith. The Lord revealed himself now in divers manners to Samuel, and his fame and his influence increased throughout the land as of one divinely called to the prophetical office. A new period in the history of the kingdom of God now commenced. The Philistine yoke was heavy, and the people, groaning under the wide-spread oppression, suddenly rose in revolt, and "went out against the Philistines to battle." A fierce and disastrous battle was fought at Aphek, near to Ebenezer (1 Sam. 4:1, 2). The Israelites were defeated, leaving 4,000 dead "in the field." The chiefs of the people thought to repair this great disaster by carrying with them the ark of the covenant as the symbol of Jehovah's presence. They accordingly, without consulting Samuel, fetched it out of Shiloh to the camp near Aphek. At the sight of the ark among them the people "shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again." A second battle was fought, and again the Philistines defeated the Israelites, stormed their camp, slew 30,000 men, and took the sacred ark. The tidings of this fatal battle was speedily conveyed to Shiloh; and so soon as the aged Eli heard that the ark of God was taken, he fell backward from his seat at the entrance of the sanctuary, and his neck brake, and he died. The tabernacle with its furniture was probably, by the advice of Samuel, now about twenty years of age, removed from Shiloh to some place of safety, and finally to Nob, where it remained many years (21:1). The Philistines followed up their advantage, and marched upon Shiloh, which they plundered and destroyed (comp. Jer. 7:12; Ps. 78:59). This was a great epoch in the history of Israel. For twenty years after this fatal battle at Aphek the whole land lay under the oppression of the Philistines. During all these dreary years Samuel was a spiritual power in the land. From Ramah, his native place, where he resided, his influence went forth on every side among the people. With unwearied zeal he went up and down from place to place, reproving, rebuking, and exhorting the people, endeavouring to awaken in them a sense of their sinfulness, and to lead them to repentance. His labours were so far successful that "all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord." Samuel summoned the people to Mizpeh, one of the loftiest hills in Central Palestine, where they fasted and prayed, and prepared themselves there, under his direction, for a great war against the Philistines, who now marched their whole force toward Mizpeh, in order to crush the Israelites once for all. At the intercession of Samuel God interposed in behalf of Israel. Samuel himself was their leader, the only occasion in which he acted as a leader in war. The Philistines were utterly routed. They fled in terror before the army of Israel, and a great slaughter ensued. This battle, fought probably about B.C. 1095, put an end to the forty years of Philistine oppression. In memory of this great deliverance, and in token of gratitude for the help vouchsafed, Samuel set up a great stone in the battlefield, and called it "Ebenezer," saying, "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us" (1 Sam. 7:1-12). This was the spot where, twenty years before, the Israelites had suffered a great defeat, when the ark of God was taken. This victory over the Philistines was followed by a long period of peace for Israel (1 Sam. 7:13, 14), during which Samuel exercised the functions of judge, going "from year to year in circuit" from his home in Ramah to Bethel, thence to Gilgal (not that in the Jordan valley, but that which lay to the west of Ebal and Gerizim), and returning by Mizpeh to Ramah. He established regular services at Shiloh, where he built an altar; and at Ramah he gathered a company of young men around him and established a school of the prophets. The schools of the prophets, thus originated, and afterwards established also at Gibeah, Bethel, Gilgal, and Jericho, exercised an important influence on the national character and history of the people in maintaining pure religion in the midst of growing corruption. They continued to the end of the Jewish commonwealth. Many years now passed, during which Samuel exercised the functions of his judicial office, being the friend and counsellor of the people in all matters of private and public interest. He was a great statesman as well as a reformer, and all regarded him with veneration as the "seer," the prophet of the Lord. At the close of this period, when he was now an old man, the elders of Israel came to him at Ramah (1 Sam. 8:4, 5, 19-22); and feeling how great was the danger to which the nation was exposed from the misconduct of Samuel's sons, whom he had invested with judicial functions as his assistants, and had placed at Beersheba on the Philistine border, and also from a threatened invasion of the Ammonites, they demanded that a king should be set over them. This request was very displeasing to Samuel. He remonstrated with them, and warned them of the consequences of such a step. At length, however, referring the matter to God, he acceded to their desires, and anointed Saul (q.v.) to be their king (11:15). Before retiring from public life he convened an assembly of the people at Gilgal (ch. 12), and there solemnly addressed them with reference to his own relation to them as judge and prophet. The remainder of his life he spent in retirement at Ramah, only occasionally and in special circumstances appearing again in public (1 Sam. 13, 15) with communications from God to king Saul. While mourning over the many evils which now fell upon the nation, he is suddenly summoned (ch.16) to go to Bethlehem and anoint David, the son of Jesse, as king over Israel instead of Saul. After this little is known of him till the time of his death, which took place at Ramah when he was probably about eighty years of age. "And all Israel gathered themselves together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah" (25:1), not in the house itself, but in the court or garden of his house. (Comp. 2 Kings 21:18; 2 Chr. 33:20; 1 Kings 2:34; John 19:41.) Samuel's devotion to God, and the special favour with which God regarded him, are referred to in Jer. 15:1 and Ps. 99:6.

2. Samuel, Books of — The LXX. translators regarded the books of Samuel and of Kings as forming one continuous history, which they divided into four books, which they called "Books of the Kingdom." The Vulgate version followed this division, but styled them "Books of the Kings." These books of Samuel they accordingly called the "First" and "Second" Books of Kings, and not, as in the modern Protestant versions, the "First" and "Second" Books of Samuel. The authors of the books of Samuel were probably Samuel, Gad, and Nathan. Samuel penned the first twenty-four chapters of the first book. Gad, the companion of David (1 Sam. 22:5), continued the history thus commenced; and Nathan completed it, probably arranging the whole in the form in which we now have it (1 Chr. 29:29). The contents of the books. The first book comprises a period of about a hundred years, and nearly coincides with the life of Samuel. It contains (1) the history of Eli (1-4); (2) the history of Samuel (5-12); (3) the history of Saul, and of David in exile (13-31). The second book, comprising a period of perhaps fifty years, contains a history of the reign of David (1) over Judah (1-4), and (2) over all Israel (5-24), mainly in its political aspects. The last four chapters of Second Samuel may be regarded as a sort of appendix recording various events, but not chronologically. These books do not contain complete histories. Frequent gaps are met with in the record, because their object is to present a history of the kingdom of God in its gradual development, and not of the events of the reigns of the successive rulers. It is noticeable that the section (2 Sam. 11:2-12: 29) containing an account of David's sin in the matter of Bathsheba is omitted in the corresponding passage in 1 Chr. 20.

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Bible Search for “Samuel”

1. 1 Samuel Chapter 1 Verse 20 — Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.

2. 1 Samuel Chapter 2 Verse 26 — And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favor both with the LORD, and also with men.

3. 1 Samuel Chapter 2 Verse 21 — And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.

4. 1 Samuel Chapter 2 Verse 18 — But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

5. 1 Samuel Chapter 3 Verse 1 — And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

6. 1 Samuel Chapter 3 Verse 6 — And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

7. 1 Samuel Chapter 3 Verse 7 — Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.

8. 1 Samuel Chapter 3 Verse 8 — And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.

9. 1 Samuel Chapter 3 Verse 9 — Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10. 1 Samuel Chapter 3 Verse 10 — And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

11. 1 Samuel Chapter 3 Verse 11 — And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

12. 1 Samuel Chapter 3 Verse 3 — And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;

13. 1 Samuel Chapter 3 Verse 4 — That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

14. 1 Samuel Chapter 3 Verse 15 — And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.

15. 1 Samuel Chapter 3 Verse 16 — Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.

16. 1 Samuel Chapter 3 Verse 18 — And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.

17. 1 Samuel Chapter 3 Verse 19 — And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

18. 1 Samuel Chapter 3 Verse 20 — And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.

19. 1 Samuel Chapter 3 Verse 21 — And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

20. 1 Samuel Chapter 4 Verse 1 — And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

21. 1 Samuel Chapter 7 Verse 3 — And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

22. 1 Samuel Chapter 7 Verse 5 — And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD.

23. 1 Samuel Chapter 7 Verse 6 — And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.

24. 1 Samuel Chapter 7 Verse 8 — And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.

25. 1 Samuel Chapter 7 Verse 9 — And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the LORD: and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel; and the LORD heard him.

26. 1 Samuel Chapter 7 Verse 10 — And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.

27. 1 Samuel Chapter 7 Verse 12 — Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.

28. 1 Samuel Chapter 7 Verse 13 — So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

29. 1 Samuel Chapter 7 Verse 15 — And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

30. 1 Samuel Chapter 8 Verse 1 — And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

31. 1 Samuel Chapter 8 Verse 4 — Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,

32. 1 Samuel Chapter 8 Verse 6 — But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.

33. 1 Samuel Chapter 8 Verse 7 — And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

34. 1 Samuel Chapter 8 Verse 10 — And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.

35. 1 Samuel Chapter 8 Verse 21 — And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.

36. 1 Samuel Chapter 8 Verse 22 — And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.

37. 1 Samuel Chapter 8 Verse 19 — Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;

38. 1 Samuel Chapter 9 Verse 14 — And they went up into the city: and when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place.

39. 1 Samuel Chapter 9 Verse 15 — Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,

40. 1 Samuel Chapter 9 Verse 17 — And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.

41. 1 Samuel Chapter 9 Verse 18 — Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is.

42. 1 Samuel Chapter 9 Verse 19 — And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart.

43. 1 Samuel Chapter 9 Verse 22 — And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlor, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons.

44. 1 Samuel Chapter 9 Verse 23 — And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee.

45. 1 Samuel Chapter 9 Verse 24 — And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.

46. 1 Samuel Chapter 9 Verse 25 — And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house.

47. 1 Samuel Chapter 9 Verse 26 — And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.

48. 1 Samuel Chapter 9 Verse 27 — And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on), but stand thou still a while, that I may show thee the word of God.

49. 1 Samuel Chapter 10 Verse 1 — Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?

50. 1 Samuel Chapter 10 Verse 9 — And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.

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