Samuel

Identity

Samuel is the last of the judges of Israel and the first of the great prophets. Born to Hannah after long prayer, dedicated at the sanctuary at Shiloh, he grew up in the priesthood there and became judge, prophet, priest, and king-maker. He anointed Saul the first king, and after Saul's rejection anointed the young David at Bethlehem.

Name and titles

'Samuel' — Shmuel in Hebrew — means 'heard of God' or 'name of God.' Named by Hannah 'because I have asked him of the LORD' (1 Samuel 1:20). Also called 'the seer' (1 Samuel 9:9) — the older name for a prophet.

Historical period

• c. 1105 BC (est.) — Born to Hannah and Elkanah; dedicated at the sanctuary at Shiloh.
• c. 1100 BC — Called by God at Shiloh: 'Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth' (1 Samuel 3).
• c. 1080 BC — Becomes judge of Israel after the death of Eli.
• c. 1050 BC — Israel demands a king; Samuel resists but anoints Saul (1 Samuel 8-10).
• c. 1025 BC — Samuel anoints the young David at Bethlehem (1 Samuel 16).
• c. 1015 BC — Dies; buried at Ramah (1 Samuel 25:1).

Scripture appearances

• 1 Samuel 1 (KJV) Hannah's prayer and vow; Samuel's birth.
• 1 Samuel 2:1-10 (KJV) Hannah's Magnificat — the prototype of Mary's song.
• 1 Samuel 3:9-10 (KJV) 'Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth.'
• 1 Samuel 7:12 (KJV) 'Ebenezer' — the stone of help.
• 1 Samuel 8 (KJV) The people demand a king.
• 1 Samuel 10:1 (KJV) Samuel anoints Saul.
• 1 Samuel 15:22 (KJV) 'To obey is better than sacrifice.'
• 1 Samuel 16:7 (KJV) '…the LORD looketh on the heart.'
• 1 Samuel 16:13 (KJV) Samuel anoints David at Bethlehem.
• Hebrews 11:32 (KJV) Samuel commended among the heroes of faith.

Connected Places

• Bethlehem — where he anointed David.
• Shiloh — the sanctuary where he grew up.
• Ramah — his hometown and burial place.
• Gilgal — where Israel gathered for judgment.

Connected People

• David — whom he anointed.
• Hannah and Elkanah — his parents.
• Eli — the aged priest who raised him.
• Saul — the first king he anointed.
• Mary — whose Magnificat echoes Hannah's song, Samuel's mother.

Salvation history role

• The transitional figure between the age of the judges and the age of the kings.
• The kingmaker whose obedience preserved the covenant even as the political shape of Israel changed.
• The child of prayer — whose whole life proves that a household's prayer for its children reaches into history.

Christian tradition

• Feast: 20 August in the Byzantine East; also 20 August in some Western calendars.
• Hannah's prayer (1 Samuel 2:1-10) is the Old-Testament model for Mary's Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).
• Samuel's word to Saul — 'to obey is better than sacrifice' (1 Sam 15:22) — is quoted by countless Fathers as a keystone of Christian ethics.

Household reflection

Samuel teaches the household that a child dedicated to God in prayer becomes a life dedicated to God in service.

Teach the little ones the child Samuel's answer: 'Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth.' It is the household's morning prayer.

Room connections

Where this entry meets the household in the wider house of CrossAIHub.

• Read (Library) — Read 1 Samuel 1-16 aloud as a household unit.
• Pray (Chapel) — Pray Hannah's song (1 Samuel 2:1-10) alongside the Magnificat.
• Family (Kitchen Table) — On the anniversary of a household baptism, read 1 Samuel 3.
• Sing (Choir Room) — Sing 'Here I Am, Lord' (Dan Schutte, 1981) — drawn from 1 Samuel 3.
• Learn (Workshop) — Study the parallels between Hannah's song and Mary's Magnificat.

Further reading

1 Samuel 1-16 in the KJV.

Hebrews 11:32.

Elsewhere in the Atlas

• David
• Bethlehem
• Ruth
• Mary, mother of Christ
• Hannah — his mother
• Return to the atrium — the Atlas's main room.