1 Samuel 12 – “Samuel’s Diatribe”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Samuel delivers a harsh speech in his old age. He criticizes the people for requesting a king, brings a miraculous rainstorm to scare them, and warns them to follow the will of God.

II. Photo
Samuel asserts his innocence: “Here I am! Testify against me, in the presence of the Lord and in the presence of His anointed one: Whose ox have I taken?!?” (v. 3a)

III. Important Verses
1-5: Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have yielded to you in all you have asked of me and have set a king over you. Henceforth the king will be your leader. As for me, I have grown old and gray — but my sons are still with you — and I have been your leader from my youth to this day. Here I am! Testify against me, in the presence of the LORD and in the presence of His anointed one: Whose ox have I taken, or whose ass have I taken? Whom have I defrauded or whom have I robbed? From whom have I taken a bribe to look the other way? I will return it to you.” They responded, “You have not defrauded us, and you have not robbed us, and you have taken nothing from anyone.” He said to them, “The LORD then is witness, and His anointed is witness, to your admission this day that you have found nothing in my possession.” They responded, “He is!”
8-12: “When Jacob came to Egypt, … your fathers cried out to the LORD, and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place. But they forgot the LORD their God; so He delivered them into the hands of Sisera the military commander of Hazor, into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the king of Moab; and these made war upon them. They cried to the LORD, ‘We are guilty, for we have forsaken the LORD and worshiped the Baalim and the Ashtaroth. Oh, deliver us from our enemies and we will serve You.’ And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you from the enemies around you; and you dwelt in security. But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was advancing against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king reigning over us’ — though the LORD your God is your King.
16-19: “Now stand by and see the marvelous thing that the LORD will do before your eyes. It is the season of the wheat harvest. I will pray to the LORD and He will send thunder and rain; then you will take thought and realize what a wicked thing you did in the sight of the LORD when you asked for a king.” Samuel prayed to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day, and the people stood in awe of the LORD and of Samuel. The people all said to Samuel, “Intercede for your servants with the LORD your God that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins the wickedness of asking for a king.”

IV. Outline
1-2. Samuel’s old age
3-5. Samuel’s uprightness
6-13. History: Israel’s beginnings until the monarchy
14-15. Warning
16-18. Samuel brings thunder as proof of the people’s wickedness
19-25. Samuel saves the people, but warns them sternly

V. Comment
Chapter 12 is Samuel’s harsh speech delivered to the people of Israel. While the previous chapter ended in Gilgal, the location of this speech is not stated. What is the purpose of the speech? While it is clearly condemnatory, Collins also views the speech as Samuel’s “retirement.” He writes: “The accession of Saul is completed by the apparent retirement of Samuel in chapter 12 (‘see it is the king who leads you now; I am old and gray’). Samuel’s protestation of innocence provides a concise summary of the conduct expected from a good ruler. He should not abuse the people by taking their belongings, or defraud them, and he should not take bribes to pervert justice. He seems reluctant, however, to yield the reins of power. He chides the people for asking for a king. In the end he grants that things will be all right if they do not turn aside from following the Lord but serve him with all their heart. In Deuteronomistic theology, at least as it developed in the Babylonian exile and later, the importance of the kingship is relativized. What is of fundamental importance is keeping the law, regardless of whether there is a king.” (223)

Chapter 12 concludes the account of the initiation of monarchy in ancient Israel. As has been pointed out, many passages in chapters 7-12 seem to contradict each other. Some view the monarchy as the will of God, and others view it as a rebellion against God. Klein gives an appropriate summary of the contradictory pericopes. He writes: “This chapter is the capstone and final deuteronomistic reflection on the rise of kingship in Israel, which has occupied the redactor from chap. 7 through chap. 12. In those chapters he incorporated many older compositions, a number of which treated Saul—and implicitly kingship—in a most positive manner. In 9:1–10:16, for example, Saul had been anointed as a young man by the prophet Samuel, and he displayed a kind of prophetic ecstasy which showed that the spirit of [God] rested upon him. In 10:17–27a Saul was singled out by lot and by prophetic oracle, while in 11:1–15 the spirit of [God] rushed on him and helped him deliver the city of Jabesh-gilead. In the aftermath of the latter battle, Saul pardoned those who had slandered both him and [God] since his victory had been an act of [God’s] salvation. Thereupon, the people spontaneously acclaimed him king of Gilgal. In the final form of all three of these pericopes, the prophet Samuel plays a role that lends them additional positive overtones. Even in chap. 11, where Samuel’s presence is slightest, he proposed the coronation ceremony to the people.

“At the same time, the deuteronomistic historian also included texts, which he had either written or redacted, with negative comments on kingship. Samuel, for example, had been a more than adequate channel for God’s victory in war against the Philistines (chap. 7), implicitly obviating the need for a king. Samuel, too, had warned of the social inequities and self-aggrandizement that would come with kingship, and had twice criticized kingship as a rejection of [God] as king and savior (8:7; 10:19). These negative opinions, however, even in these pericopes (7:2–17; 8:1–22; 10:18b–19) are balanced by [God’s] command to make a king in chap. 8:7, 22 and by the fact that these pericopes are interspersed with the positive ones discussed in the previous paragraph.” (119-120)

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Collins, John J. “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,” (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004).
Klein, Ralph W. “1 Samuel” Word Biblical Commentary vol. 10 (Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1983).
McCarter, P. Kyle, Jr. “1 Samuel,” Anchor Bible vol. 8 (New York: Doubleday, 1980).
Photo taken from http://earlytibet.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/ox2.jpg

1 Samuel 11 – “Saul Defeats the Ammonites”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
The Ammonites threaten to torture the people of Jabesh-gilead. Saul musters 330,000 troops and defeats the enemy with ease. The people celebrate Saul’s kingship at Gilgal.

II. Photo
Saul defeats the Ammonites in the heat of the day: “At the morning watch they entered the camp and struck down the Ammonites until the day grew hot. The survivors scattered; no two were left together.” (v. 11b)

III. Important Verses
1-2: Nahash the Ammonite marched up and besieged Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh-gilead said to Nahash, “Make a pact with us, and we will serve you.” But Nahash the Ammonite answered them, “I will make a pact with you on this condition, that everyone’s right eye be gouged out; I will make this a humiliation for all Israel.”
5-8: Saul was just coming from the field driving the cattle; and Saul asked, “Why are the people crying?” And they told him about the situation of the men of Jabesh. When he heard these things, the spirit of God gripped Saul and his anger blazed up. He took a yoke of oxen and cut them into pieces, which he sent by messengers throughout the territory of Israel, with the warning, “Thus shall be done to the cattle of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel into battle!” Terror from the LORD fell upon the people, and they came out as one man. [Saul] mustered them in Bezek, and the Israelites numbered 300,000, the men of Judah 30,000.
11: The next day, Saul divided the troops into three columns; at the morning watch they entered the camp and struck down the Ammonites until the day grew hot. The survivors scattered; no two were left together.
12-13: The people then said to Samuel, “Who was it said, ‘Shall Saul be king over us?’ Hand the men over and we will put them to death!” But Saul replied, “No man shall be put to death this day! For this day the LORD has brought victory to Israel.”
14-15: Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there inaugurate the monarchy.” So all the people went to Gilgal, and there at Gilgal they declared Saul king before the LORD. They offered sacrifices of well-being there before the LORD; and Saul and all the men of Israel held a great celebration there.

IV. Outline
1-2. Nahash the Ammonite sends a warning to the people of Jabesh-gilead
3-5. Saul learns of the situation
6-8. Saul coerces the Israelites to assemble at Bezek
9-10. The people of Jabesh-gilead feign defeat
11. Saul’s victory
12-13. Troop loyalty
14-15. The people go to Gilgal and officially accept Saul as king

V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.

1 Samuel 10 – “Saul Becomes the First King of Israel”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Samuel anoints Saul as king. He predicts many events that subsequently take place. When Saul returns home, Samuel assembles the people at Mizpah and publicly declares him as the first king of Israel.

II. Photo
Saul is accepted because of his height: “When [Saul] took his place among the people, he stood a head taller than all the people. And Samuel said to the people, ‘Do you see the one whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.’ And all the people acclaimed him, shouting, ‘Long live the king!’” (vv. 23b-24)

III. Important Verses
1: Samuel took a flask of oil and poured some on Saul’s head and kissed him, and said, “The LORD herewith anoints you ruler over His own people.
5-6: After that, you are to go on to the Hill of God, where the Philistine prefects reside. There, as you enter the town, you will encounter a band of prophets coming down from the shrine, preceded by lyres, timbrels, flutes, and harps, and they will be speaking in ecstasy. The spirit of the LORD will grip you, and you will speak in ecstasy along with them; you will become another man.
10-12: And when they came there, to the Hill, he saw a band of prophets coming toward him. Thereupon the spirit of God gripped him, and he spoke in ecstasy among them. When all who knew him previously saw him speaking in ecstasy together with the prophets, the people said to one another, “What’s happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul too among the prophets?” But another person there spoke up and said, “And who are their fathers?” Thus the proverb arose: “Is Saul too among the prophets?”
23-24: So they ran over and brought him from there; and when he took his place among the people, he stood a head taller than all the people. And Samuel said to the people, “Do you see the one whom the LORD has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” And all the people acclaimed him, shouting, “Long live the king!”
26-27: Saul also went home to Gibeah, accompanied by upstanding men whose hearts God had touched. ut some scoundrels said, “How can this fellow save us?” So they scorned him and brought him no gift. But he pretended not to mind.

IV. Outline
1. Saul is anointed as king
2-8. Samuel’s prophetic predictions
9. The events come true
10-13. Saul becomes a prophet
14-16. Saul reunites with his father
17-19. Samuel rebukes Israel for asking for a king
20-24. Saul is chosen as king in a lottery
25. Samuel puts the rules of the monarchy to writing
26-27. Saul is both supported and mocked

V. Comment
Chapter 10 tells the story of Saul’s appointment as king. He is anointed by Samuel in v. 1 and also picked by lot in vv. 20:24. A question that many ask is, “Why are there two coronations?” While the account can be understood as containing an initial private anointing followed by a public investiture, many scholars see chapter 10 as an amalgamation of two distinct traditions. For example, Collins writes: “There are two accounts of the election of Saul as the first king. The first is a quaint story in which Saul goes to consult the seer, Samuel, about lost donkeys. This story speaks volumes about early Israelite society. Lost donkeys were a matter of concern for prophets and for future kings. When Samuel meets him he anoints him as king. This is the first case in which a king is anointed in ancient Israel. Anointing with oil had various connotations. It was thought to give strength, to cleanse or purify, or it could be used for pleasure… According to the second account of the election of Saul, he was chosen by lot (1 Sam 10:20). The procedure here is similar to the discovery of Achan in Josh 7:16-18. This appears to be the formal method for discerning the divine will that is favored by the Deuteronomists. It is rendered redundant here by the preceding story of Saul and the donkeys. Another distinctively Deuteronomic note is sounded by the notice that Samuel wrote the rights and duties of the kingship in a book and gave it to Saul. Compare the law of the king in Deut 17:14-20, which specifically requires the king to have a copy of that law and to read it all the days of his life.” (222) Thus, according to scholars like Collins, chapter 10 is dealing with two accounts meshed by the Deuteronomist, not one seamless story.

1 Samuel 9 – “Samuel Greets Saul”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Saul searches for his father’s missing donkeys and happens to meet Samuel. Samuel prepares a feast and tells Saul that he is destined for greatness.

II. Photo
Samuel’s cook prepares a meal for Saul: “And Samuel said to the cook, ‘Bring the portion which I gave you and told you to set aside.’” (v. 23)

III. Important Verses
1-2: There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish son of Abiel son of Zeror son of Becorath son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of substance. He had a son whose name was Saul, an excellent young man; no one among the Israelites was handsomer than he; he was a head taller than any of the people.
7-8: “But if we go,” Saul said to his servant, “what can we bring the man? For the food in our bags is all gone, and there is nothing we can bring to the man of God as a present. What have we got?” The servant answered Saul again, “I happen to have a quarter-shekel of silver. I can give that to the man of God and he will tell us about our errand.”
9: Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he would say, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for the prophet of today was formerly called a seer.
11-13: As they were climbing the ascent to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water, and they asked them, “Is the seer in town?” “Yes,” they replied. “He is up there ahead of you. Hurry, for he has just come to the town because the people have a sacrifice at the shrine today. As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the shrine to eat; the people will not eat until he comes; for he must first bless the sacrifice and only then will the guests eat. Go up at once, for you will find him right away.”

IV. Outline
1-2. Saul’s greatness
3-5. Saul searches for his father’s donkeys
6-14. Saul and his servant set off to visit Samuel
15-17. God tells Samuel that Saul is to be made king
18-21. Samuel tells Saul about his donkeys and his future role
22-24. Saul is given a feast
25-27. Samuel and Saul stop to speak privately

V. Comment
Chapter 9 sets the stage for Saul’s anointment as king. It begins when Saul, who is described as the most handsome and tall man in Israel (v. 2), searches for his father’s missing donkeys. He is surprised when Samuel tells him that he is destined to be the leader in Israel.

When discussing the book of 1 Samuel it is important to address what scholars call “the Deuteronomist” and “Deuteronomistic history.” In his introduction to the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings, Collins gives an explanation of these ideas, their origins, and their current status in scholarship. He writes: “The books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings (traditionally known as the Former Prophets) provide the main account that we have of the history of ancient Israel. All history writing is subject to ideological bias, and in the case of these books the bias might also be described as theological. History is viewed through the lens provided by the book of Deuteronomy. Accordingly, these books are known in modern scholarship as Deuteronomistic History.

“The view that the book of Deuteronomy once constituted a literary unit with the historical books was argued in detail by the German scholar Martin Noth in 1943, and has been generally accepted since then, although some scholars have questioned it in recent years. The historical books contain diverse kinds of material, and evidently drew on older sources and traditions. Other scholars before Noth had noticed that some elements in these books were influenced by the book of Deuteronomy. The books of Kings, for example, frequently condemn the kings of northern Israel for continuing ‘the sin of Jeroboam,’ the first king of northern Israel, who erected places of worship at Bethel and Dan, as counterattractions to the temple in Jerusalem. This criticism clearly presupposes Josiah’s reform and Deuteronomic law. Noth, however, pointed out that similar language and ideology runs through all these historical books, and that this shows that they were edited in a consistent manner. the editor is called Deuteronomistic because history is judged in the light of Deuteronomic theology…

“Noth argued that the entire Deuteronomistic History was composed by one editor, during the Babylonian exile. The purpose of the work would then be to explain the disaster that befell Israel and Judah as divine punishment for their failure (and especially the failure of the kings) to keep the covenant. Other scholars, however, have insisted that this is not the only theme in the history. There is also a positive view of the kingship that is reflected in the promise to David in 2 Samuel 7 and in the account of Josiah’s reform. Various alternatives to Noth’s single editor have been proposed. The most influential of these is the view of Frank Moore Cross that there were two editions of the history. The first edition was in the reign of Josiah. This had a positive view of the monarchy, and was in effect propaganda for Josiah’s reform. The second edition was in the Babylonian exile, after the release of King Jehoiachin from prison in 562 B.C.E., which is the last event reported in 2 Kings. The second edition was colored by the destruction of Jerusalem, and placed greater emphasis on the failure of the monarchy. Other scholars have proposed more complex theories. A theory of three editions, one with a historical focus, one prophetic, and one nomistic (emphasizing law) has enjoyed wide support in German scholarship.” (183-184)

1 Samuel 8 – “The People Request a King”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Samuel’s sons turn out to be corrupt leaders. The people tell Samuel that they want a king, and he fails to get them to reconsider. God tells Samuel that the request is inimical but should still be heeded.

II. Photo
Samuel’s sons are anything but pious: “But his sons did not follow in his ways; they were bent on gain, they accepted bribes, and they subverted justice.” (v. 3)

III. Important Verses
1-3. When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons judges over Israel. The name of his first-born son was Joel, and his second son’s name was Abijah; they sat as judges in Beer-sheba. But his sons did not follow in his ways; they were bent on gain, they accepted bribes, and they subverted justice.
6-7: Samuel was displeased that they said “Give us a king to govern us.” Samuel prayed to the LORD, and the LORD replied to Samuel, “Heed the demand of the people in everything they say to you. For it is not you that they have rejected; it is Me they have rejected as their king. Like everything else they have done ever since I brought them out of Egypt to this day — forsaking Me and worshiping other gods — so they are doing to you. Heed their demand; but warn them solemnly, and tell them about the practices of any king who will rule over them.”
10-18: Samuel reported all the words of the LORD to the people, who were asking him for a king. He said, “This will be the practice of the king who will rule over you: He will take your sons and appoint them as his charioteers and horsemen, and they will serve as outrunners for his chariots. He will appoint them as his chiefs of thousands and of fifties; or they will have to plow his fields, reap his harvest, and make his weapons and the equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters as perfumers, cooks, and bakers. He will seize your choice fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his courtiers. He will take a tenth part of your grain and vintage and give it to his eunuchs and courtiers. He will take your male and female slaves, your choice young men, and your asses, and put them to work for him. He will take a tenth part of your flocks, and you shall become his slaves. The day will come when you cry out because of the king whom you yourselves have chosen; and the LORD will not answer you on that day.”

IV. Outline
1-3. Samuel’s sons become corrupt chieftains in Israel
4-5. The elders of Israel request a king
6-9. God’s reluctant acceptance
10-18. Samuel warns the people about the strains of having a king
19-20. The people reject Samuel’s plea
21-22a. God tells Sameul to heed the people’s request
22b. Samuel sends the people home

V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.

1 Samuel 7 – “Victory Over the Philistines; Samuel as Chieftain”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Samuel exhorts the Israelites to abandon their idols. They listen, and God grants them military victory over the Philistines. Samuel travels throughout the land and serves as a pious chieftain in Israel.

II. Photo
Samuel takes action when the Philistines approach: “Thereupon Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord; and Samuel cried out to the Lord in behalf of Israel, and the Lord responded to him.” (v. 9)

III. Important Verses
1: The men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the Ark of the LORD and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill; and they consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the Ark of the LORD.
3-4: And Samuel said to all the House of Israel, “If you mean to return to the LORD with all your heart, you must remove the alien gods and the Ashtaroth from your midst and direct your heart to the LORD and serve Him alone. Then He will deliver you from the hands of the Philistines.” And the Israelites removed the Baalim and Ashtaroth and they served the LORD alone.
9-11: Thereupon Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD; and Samuel cried out to the LORD in behalf of Israel, and the LORD responded to him. For as Samuel was presenting the burnt offering and the Philistines advanced to attack Israel, the LORD thundered mightily against the Philistines that day. He threw them into confusion, and they were routed by Israel. The men of Israel sallied out of Miz-pah and pursued the Philistines, striking them down to a point below Beth-car.
14: The towns which the Philistines had taken from Israel, from Ekron to Gath, were restored to Israel; Israel recovered all her territory from the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.

IV. Outline
1a. The ark is moved to Kiriath-jearim
1b. Eleazar is given control of the ark
2-4. Samuel’s convinces the Israelites to serve God alone
5-6. Samuel leads the people in prayer at Mizpah
7a. The Philistines march against Israel
7b-9. Samuel’s sacrifice and prayer
10-11. The Israelites defeat the Philistines
12. Samuel sets up a stone; The name Eben-ezer
13-14. Israel recaptures Philistia; Peace with the Amorites
15-17. Samuel’s tenure as chief of Israel

V. Comment
Chapter 7 tells the story of Samuel’s success as a spiritual and military ruler in Israel. While other sections of the Hebrew Bible (especially the book of Judges) describe military battles and strategies in great detail, the Israelites defeat the Philistines in v. 10 simply because “The LORD thundered mightily against the Philistines that day. He threw them into confusion, and they were routed by Israel.” The chapter ends by describing Israelites’ halcyon days under Samuel: they recapture the lands of Philistia and even make peace with the Amorites.

In verse 12 Samuel sets up a commemorative stone: “Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Eben-ezer: ‘For up to now,’ he said, ‘the Lord has helped us.’” It is interesting to note that another stone was set up in Bethel, a site nearby. Klein writes: “Samuel erected a pillar to mark the spot of [God’s] deliverance, just as Jacob had set up a pillar [matzebah] to commemorate [God’s] theophany at Bethel (Gen 28:18, 22). The use of the term stone instead of pillar may reflect [a later editor’s] consistent polemic against pillars (Deut 16:22; cf. Josh 24:26–27, where the term pillar is also avoided).” (68) Additionally, Haak explains how Samuel’s stone is similar in function to the “altars” often mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. He writes: “The term mizbeah is also used for another type of construction which serves primarily as a ‘memorial’ within the Hebrew Bible. Several ‘altars’ are given names, often in connection with some unusual event (cf. Gen 33:20; 35:7; Exod 17:15; Josh 22:10–34; and Judg 6:24). In none of these cases are sacrifices actually offered upon these ‘altars.’ Whether these constructions were memorials which the author calls ‘altars’ or whether they were altars which later authors attempted to legitimize by assigning an acceptable function is not clear (cf. Snaith 1978; Van Seters 1980: 232). A similar case of a rock being designated as a named ‘memorial’ is found in 1 Sam 7:12, but without the term mizbeah being used.” (Haak, Robert D. “Altar” in the Anchor Bible Dictionary vol. I, 162-167)

Verse 15 says: “Samuel judged Israel as long as he lived.” As in the book of Judges, the following question arises: What is meant by the terms “Israel” and “all of Israel”? This question is pertinent because verse 16 says, “Each year [Samuel] made the rounds of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and acted as judge over Israel at all those places.” As Klein points out, these cities cover a relatively small portion of biblical Israel. He writes: “While Samuel is said to have judged the whole people of Israel, his annual circuit is limited to a relatively small area of central Palestine. Bethel, the well-known town in Ephraimite territory, was located about ten miles north of Jerusalem (at Beitin; MR172148). Mizpah, as we have seen, was located either five or eight miles north of Jerusalem, thus between Jerusalem and Bethel. Some identify Gilgal with a site Jiljulieh, some seven miles north of Bethel though the majority favor a site near Jericho (perhaps Kh. el-Mefjer; MR193143; cf. Josh 2:1; 3:16; 4:19–20; 5:8–12). Ramah was also five miles north of Jerusalem (cf. 1:1, 19). Whatever the case may be, the geographical dimensions of Samuel’s circuit are limited and seem to stand in some tension with his judging of ‘Israel.’” (69) Thus, like many chiefs in the book of Judges, chapter 7 presents Samuel as a local chieftain, not a leader of all the Israelite tribes.

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Collins, John J. “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,” Word Biblical Commentary vol. 15 (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004).
Haak, Robert D. “Altar” in the Anchor Bible Dictionary vol. I, 162-167
Klein, Ralph W. “1 Samuel” Word Biblical Commentary vol. 10 (Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1983).
McCarter, P. Kyle, Jr. “1 Samuel,” Anchor Bible vol. 8 (New York: Doubleday, 1980).
Photo taken from http://farm1.static.flickr.com/109/277580678_7239c6ab2b.jpg

1 Samuel 6 – “The Ark is Returned”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
The Philistines return the ark to the people of Beth-shemesh. After being punished by God for looking inside the ark, the people of Beth-shemesh ask the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim to remove the ark from their midst.

II. Photo
The people of Beth-shemesh are pleasantly surprised: “The people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. They looked up and saw the Ark, and they rejoiced when they saw [it].” (v. 13)

III. Important Verses
3: They answered, “If you are going to send the Ark of the God of Israel away, do not send it away without anything; you must also pay an indemnity to Him. Then you will be healed, and He will make Himself known to you; otherwise His hand will not turn away from you.”
4: They asked, “What is the indemnity that we should pay to Him?” They answered, “Five golden hemorrhoids and five golden mice, corresponding to the number of lords of the Philistines; for the same plague struck all of you and your lords.
6-9: Don’t harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts. As you know, when He made a mockery of them, they had to let Israel go, and they departed. Therefore, get a new cart ready and two milch cows that have not borne a yoke; harness the cows to the cart, but take back indoors the calves that follow them. Take the Ark of the LORD and place it on the cart; and put next to it in a chest the gold objects you are paying Him as indemnity. Send it off, and let it go its own way. Then watch: If it goes up the road to Beth-shemesh, to His own territory, it was He who has inflicted this great harm on us. But if not, we shall know that it was not His hand that struck us; it just happened to us by chance.”
13-14: The people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. They looked up and saw the Ark, and they rejoiced when they saw [it]. The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and it stopped there. They split up the wood of the cart and presented the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. A large stone was there;
19: [The LORD] struck at the men of Beth-shemesh because they looked into the Ark of the LORD; He struck down seventy men among the people [and] fifty thousand men. The people mourned, for He had inflicted a great slaughter upon the population.

IV. Outline
1-9. The Philistines devise a plan to return the ark
10-12. The ark is returned
13-15. The Israelites accept the ark
16-18. The Philistine offering
19. Seventy people of Beth-shemesh are struck down for looking into the ark
20-21. The people of Beth-shemesh summon the people of Kiriath-jearim

V. Comment
Chapter 6 relates how the Philistines return the ark to the people of Beth-shemesh. Verses 4-5 alludes to the fact that the Philistines were struck with both hemorrhoids (‘ofalim) and mice: “They asked, ‘What is the indemnity that we should pay to Him?’ They answered, ‘Five golden hemorrhoids and five golden mice, corresponding to the number of lords of the Philistines; for the same plague struck all of you and your lords. You shall make figures of your hemorrhoids and of the mice that are ravaging your land; thus you shall honor the God of Israel, and perhaps He will lighten the weight of His hand upon you and your gods and your land.’” What was the exact nature of this plague? Sussman believes that it was a form of the bubonic plague. He writes: “The plague that struck the Philistines at Ashdod (1 Samuel 5 and 6) has frequently been diagnosed as an outbreak of hemorrhoids. This is, however, an unacceptable diagnosis. In the first place, hemorrhoids do not occur in epidemics, and secondly, the association with mice (1 Sam 6:5) may suggest an epidemic of an infectious disease. Preuss (1923: 175) argues powerfully that the text represents an account of bubonic plague. The word ‘ofalim, which has been translated as “emerods” (AV) or as “tumours” (JB), derives from the root ‘fl, “swell.” If it is assumed that we are dealing with an objective account, then we have an epidemic of swellings associated with mice and a high mortality rate. The diagnosis of plague, however, requires the presence of rats, since it is the latter that carry the fleas that spread the infection from the rat to man (see Cecil, 1661–63). We must also, therefore, assume that the author either did not know the difference or did not distinguish between mice and rats. Another difficulty is that plague was not reliably reported in the ANE until much later than the OT period (McNiell 1976: 79). Shrewsbury (1964: 33–39) has suggested that the epidemic was one of a severe form of tropical dysentery.” (Sussman, Max. “Sickness and Disease” Anchor Bible Dictionary vol. 6, pp. 6-15)

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Collins, John J. “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,” Word Biblical Commentary vol. 15 (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004).
McCarter, P. Kyle, Jr. “1 Samuel,” Anchor Bible vol. 8 (New York: Doubleday, 1980)

Sussman, Max. “Sickness and Disease” Anchor Bible Dictionary vol. 6, pp. 6-15

1 Samuel 5 – “The Philistines are Punished”

Hebrew-English
I. Summary
The Philistines, who have the ark in their possession, are afflicted with hemorrhoids. The people beg their leaders to return the ark to the Israelites.

II. Photo
The ark causes trouble the Philistines: “The Philistines took the Ark of God and brought it into the temple of Dagon and they set it up beside Dagon. Early the next day, the Ashdodites found Dagon lying face down on the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord.” (vv. 2-3)

III. Important Verses
2-5: The Philistines took the Ark of God and brought it into the temple of Dagon and they set it up beside Dagon. Early the next day, the Ashdodites found Dagon lying face down on the ground in front of the Ark of the LORD. They picked Dagon up and put him back in his place; but early the next morning, Dagon was again lying prone on the ground in front of the Ark of the LORD. The head and both hands of Dagon were cut off, lying on the threshold; only Dagon’s trunk was left intact. That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and all who enter the temple of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod.
11-12: They too sent messengers and assembled all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send the Ark of the God of Israel away, and let it return to its own place, that it may not slay us and our kindred.” For the panic of death pervaded the whole city, so heavily had the hand of God fallen there; and the men who did not die were stricken with hemorrhoids. The outcry of the city went up to heaven.

IV. Outline
1-5. The ark defeats the statue of Dagon in Ashdod
6. The Ashdodites are afflicted with hemorrhoids
7-9. The ark is moved to Gath; The Gathites are afflicted with hemorrhoids
10-12. The ark is moved to Ekron; The Ekronites are afflicted with hemorrhoids

V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.

1 Samuel 4 – “The Ark is Captured”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
After losing to the Philistines, the Israelites bring the ark with them into battle. They are routed and the Philistines capture the ark. Eli and his daughter-in-law die when they hear the disturbing news.

II. Photo
The Israelites celebrate prematurely: “When the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord entered the camp, all Israel burst into a great shout, so that the earth resounded.” (v. 5)

III. Important Verses
3-4: When the [Israelite] troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the LORD put us to rout today before the Philistines? Let us fetch the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD from Shiloh; thus He will be present among us and will deliver us from the hands of our enemies.” So the troops sent men to Shiloh; there Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were in charge of the Ark of the Covenant of God, and they brought down from there the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD of Hosts Enthroned on the Cherubim.
5-8: When the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD entered the camp, all Israel burst into a great shout, so that the earth resounded. The Philistines heard the noise of the shouting and they wondered, “Why is there such a loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews?” And when they learned that the Ark of the LORD had come to the camp, the Philistines were frightened; for they said, “God has come to the camp.” And they cried, “Woe to us! Nothing like this has ever happened before. Woe to us! Who will save us from the power of this mighty God? He is the same God who struck the Egyptians with every kind of plague in the wilderness!
9: Brace yourselves and be men, O Philistines! Or you will become slaves to the Hebrews as they were slaves to you. Be men and fight!”
20-22: As she lay dying, the women attending her said, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not respond or pay heed. She named the boy Ichabod, meaning, “The glory has departed from Israel” — referring to the capture of the Ark of God and to [the death of] her father-in-law and her husband. “The glory is gone from Israel,” she said, “for the Ark of God has been captured.”

IV. Outline
1-2. First loss against the Philistines
3-4. Israel decides to bring the ark into battle
5-9. Israelite pride; Philistine fear
10-11. Second loss to the Philistines; Eli’s sons die; The ark is captured
12-18. Eli dies when he hears of the occurrence
19-22. Eli’s daughter-in-law dies in childbirth

V. Comment
Chapter 4 relates how the Philistines capture the ark. Why was the ark brought to battle? Many verses in our chapter – and the rest of the Hebrew Bible – indicate that the ark was considered an extension of God’s personality. For example, vv. 7-8 quote the Philistines: “The Philistines were frightened; for they said, “God has come to the camp.” And they cried, “Woe to us! Nothing like this has ever happened before. Woe to us! Who will save us from the power of this mighty God? He is the same God who struck the Egyptians with every kind of plague in the wilderness!” Additionally, the book of Numbers relates that when the ark would move the people would address God himself: “When the Ark was to set out, Moses would say: Advance, O LORD! May Your enemies be scattered, And may Your foes flee before You! And when it halted, he would say: Return, O LORD, You who are Israel’s myriads of thousands!” (Num 10:35-36). Similarly, the ark was the place to speak to the lord: “Then all the Israelites, all the army, went up and came to Bethel and they sat there, weeping before the LORD. They fasted that day until evening, and presented burnt offerings and offerings of well-being to the LORD. The Israelites inquired of the LORD (for the Ark of God’s Covenant was there in those days, and Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest ministered before Him in those days), “Shall we again take the field against our kinsmen the Benjaminites, or shall we not?” The LORD answered, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hands.”” (Judg 20:26-28) Thus, it seems that the Israelites wanted God himself to take up their fight.

In their search to find ancient Near Eastern sociological parallels to the ark of the ancient Israelites, scholars have studied the qubbah, a pre-Islamic tent shrine of the Arab bedouin. Seow writes: “The qubbah (cf. Num 25:8) was carried from place to place by the nomads; it led the tribes in their search for water and campsites, was used for divination, and functioned as a war palladium. It was made of red leather (cf. Exod 26:14) and contained two sacred stones (betyls)… According to Diodorus Siculus, the Carthaginians also had a “holy tent” (hiera skene) which they carried with them to battle (Diod. 20.65). An altar was located near this tent shrine. Philo Byblius, quoting Sanchuniathon’s “Phoenician history” (ca. 7th century), speaks of an ox-drawn shrine among the Phoenicians (Praep. Evang. 10.12; cf. 1 Sam 6:7, 11; 2 Sam 6:3).” (Seow, C. L. “Ark of the Covenant” in the Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 1 pp. 386-393)

Seow continues: “There is a strong tradition in the Bible linking the ark with a tent. Referring to the capture of the ark by the Philistines (1 Sam 4:1–7:2), one text speaks of [God’s] forsaking “the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent where he dwelled” (Ps 78:60–61; cf. 1 Sam 2:22)… According to one source, it was David who built a tent in which the ark was enshrined (2 Sam 6:17; 1 Chr 15:1, 3). Nathan’s oracle is explicit that [God] (i.e., the ark) had not remained (yaœs¥ab) in a temple but had been moving about “in a tent and in a tabernacle” (2 Sam 7:6). According to 1 Kgs 8:4 (cf. 2 Chr 5:5), Solomon brought the ark in procession with the “tent of meeting” and other cultic appurtenances—as if the tent which sheltered the ark was brought into the sanctuary along with the ark.” (ibid.)

Seow, C. L. “Ark of the Covenant” in the Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 1 pp. 386-393
Photo taken from http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Sections/Newsweek/NWProjects/NW_CurrentMag/Winter2004/Images/Current_p8_UNC.standard.jpg

1 Samuel 3 – “God Visits Samuel”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
God appears to Samuel and portends the fall of Eli’s house. Although he is apprehensive, Samuel relates the bad news to Eli who accepts the prophecy as the will of God.

II. Photo
God appears to Samuel: “The LORD said to Samuel: ‘I am going to do in Israel such a thing that both ears of anyone who hears about it will tremble.’” (v. 11)

III. Important Verses
1: Young Samuel was in the service of the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; prophecy was not widespread.
4-5: The LORD called out to Samuel, and he answered, “I’m coming.” He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But he replied, “I didn’t call you; go back to sleep.” So he went back and lay down.
8: The LORD called Samuel again, a third time, and he rose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the boy.
11-12: The LORD said to Samuel: “I am going to do in Israel such a thing that both ears of anyone who hears about it will tingle. In that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I spoke concerning his house, from beginning to end.
17-18: And [Eli] asked, “What did He say to you? Keep nothing from me. Thus and more may God do to you if you keep from me a single word of all that He said to you!” Samuel then told him everything, withholding nothing from him. And [Eli] said, “He is the LORD; He will do what He deems right.”

IV. Outline
1a. Samuel’s piety
1b. Introductory statement about prophecy
2-9. Eli informs Samuel that an angel is speaking with him
10-14. The angel tells Samuel that the house of Eli will be punished
15-18. Samuel hesitantly informs
19-21. Samuel’s piety and rise

V. Comment
Chapter 3 is the final chapter about Samuel’s youth – the next time he appears he will be a grown man who helps the Israelites defeat the Philistines. The chapter solidifies Samuel role as a prophet when “the word of the LORD was rare; prophecy was not widespread” (v. 1). By the end of the chapter Samuel’s prophetic abilities are well known: “All Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, knew that Samuel was trustworthy as a prophet of the LORD” (v. 20) Scholars such as Collins focus on the different types of prophecy. He writes: “The call of the prophets takes either of two forms: it can be a vision, as in the calls of Isaiah and Ezekiel, or it can be an auditory experience, where a voice is heard but no form is described. The paradigm example of the auditory call is the story of Moses at the burning bush Jeremiah is another example. Samuel’s call experience is of the auditory type. Unlike Moses or Jeremiah, however, Samuel is not given a mission. Rather, he is given a prophecy of the destruction of the house of Eli. Revelations of coming judgment are very much the stock in trade of the later prophets. Samuel does not function as a medium of such prophecies in the books of Samuel after 1 Sam 4:1.” (220)

One might ask, what was required to become a “prophet”? In his article on prophecy in the Anchor Bible Dictionary, Schmitt writes: “There seems to have been no standard prerequisite for a person to become a prophet in Israel. Divine inspiration was what made a person a prophet, and what caused the prophet to speak out, and what made others listen to the prophet as a legitimate spokesperson for the divine. For the early period, a favored conception is that “the spirit of the Lord” speaks through the individual (e.g., 1 Sam 10:10; 1 Kgs 22:24). Later terminology preferred “the word of the Lord came to” the person (e.g., Jer 1:2, 4; Ezek 1:3). The general idea remains: the prophet is the one who can speak in the name of God.

“Prophets came from all walks of life. Indeed, some seem to have had a wide variety of experience and a deep acquaintance with various aspects of life and work in Israel. They claim or are given backgrounds as varied as sheepherder, priest, agriculturalist, scribe. They spoke where and when they thought they would be effective. They spoke frequently, no doubt, in places where people most readily gathered—the marketplace, the temple, the city gates (cf. Jer 7:2). They may have spoken less formally in other places as well.

“A distinction has sometimes been made that, for some interpreters, marks a dramatic development in the history of Israelite prophecy. Many of the early prophets speak only to individuals, especially kings or other officials, while other, later prophets address large groups of people—rhetorically, the whole nation or an entire city. No doubt this variation depends on who the prophet thinks is the appropriate recipient of a particular utterance, whether that message is a threat or something else.” (Schmitt, John J. “Prophecy: Preexilic Hebrew Prophecy” in Anchor Bible Dictionary vol. 5 pp. 482-489)