what was significant about the birth and childhood of samuel

My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. Thus, Samuel is rightly considered to be one of the preeminent personalities of the Hebrew Bible, and his remarkable ministry makes the brief narrative of his birth, childhood, and divine calling worthy of serious examination.3, The present study argues that the literary craftsmanship of the text is as expressive of its meaning as are its descriptive contents. As portrayed in the text, Elkanah believes that Hannah should be more consoled by his worthy portion than had she born him ten sons.. Web(1 Samuel 1:24; 1 Samuel 2:18, 19, 21; 1 Samuel 3:1.) And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I for thou calledst me. While Eli properly identifies the source of Samuels call, he does not hear the voice himself; only the lad does. Type Scene: Female Spiritual Initiative. P. Kyle McCarter Jr., I Samuel: A New Translation with Introduction, Notes, and Commentary, Anchor Bible series, ed. 43. The king is chosen not by divine election but by lot, implying that no special qualities were required, and the bashful candidate has to be summoned from a hiding place. And he worshipped the Lord there. David E. Green, 15vols. Berlin, Parallelism, 7, speaks for many in observing that biblical poetry is characterized by a high incidence of terse, balanced parallelism. While 1 Samuel 13 is structured mostly as a prose narrative, Hannahs song (2:110) is organized as a series of couplets, with a few triads added for aesthetic interest and interpretive emphasis. Furthermore, mood disorders are also commonly related to childhood trauma, affecting a child's functioning in many ways. Contributing to the disjunctive role of genealogies in the biblical narrative, McCarter observes that the opening phrase, translated from the Hebrew as Now there was a certain man, signals the inauguration of an entirely new narrative.17, In addition, while modern readers may interpret the opening phrase as focusing the story on the man Elkanah, the narrative unfolds in such a way that Hannahs husband plays at best a supportive and largely contrasting role in the Samuel story. Infertility brought severe disgrace to a woman because in those days it meant she could not fulfill her God-given purpose of producing offspring for her family. Also before they burnt the fat, the priests servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw. WebBiography. Insensitive as it may be, Elkanahs first direct speech shifts the discourse of the story from narrative to dialogue, in keeping with the biblical convention. Samuel, the son of Elkanah (of Ephraim) and Hannah, was born in answer to the prayer of his previously childless mother. If so, why is he not introduced as such at the outset and why does he play such a passive role in the services at Shiloh? 56. So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. 3:21), it begins in virtual obscurity, making its outcome all the more miraculous. Structuring Devices: Play of Perspectives. Prior sections of the Samuel story are devoted to contents that are primarily narrative or primarily dialogue. Given the customary role for dialogue in biblical Hebrew, it is entirely appropriate that the second half of the Samuel story (2:274:1a) is recounted almost exclusively in dialogue. Genealogy.15 Consistent with the convention of genealogies throughout the Hebrew Bible, the brief genealogy that launches the story of Samuels birth identifies Samuels ancestors as Ephraimites,16 distinguishes the account from the long but unremarkable reign of the judges, and introduces the auspicious but problematic reign of the kings in ancient Israel. In contrast with the introduction, which consists almost entirely of expository narrative, the second segment is filled almost entirely with dialogue.23. . They became so angry with Samuel that they threw him out of their city. He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. 1316, especially 13:5; 16:1620). See Alter, Art, 6387. There must have been some reason why Samuel was important enough to be remembered for a major role in the establishment of the monarchy. WebBirth and Calling of the Prophet Samuel ' - 11 The present study focuses on several recurrent literary conventions that so thoroughly unite the biblical account of Samuels birth and divine calling that its craftsmanship aptly serves as a vehicle of its meaning. While some linkages may be incidental, most scholars recognize that an authors intentional linkages create a phenomenon that Adele Berlin, following Paul Werth, calls poetic effect, which she defines as the result of an interaction between verbal form and meaning. Adele Berlin, The Dynamics of Biblical Parallelism (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1992), 10. The fundamental bond of mutual remembrance that united God and man leads further to the observation that the covenant idea is obviously also important in this context: G.Johannes Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren, eds., Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, trans. . While fascinating in their own right, the historiography and aesthetics of Hannahs song do not concern the present study; rather, my interest is in the songs extensive use of poetic couplets45 and its interpretive role in the structure of the larger narrative. Thus, while his sudden arrival is entirely motivated by events in the narrative, the narrative is silent regarding the messengers relationship with and impact upon Eli. PTSD symptoms can include: Frequent nightmares. Not in Heaven: Coherence and Complexity in Biblical Narrative (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1991); and Robert Alter, The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary (New York: W.W. Norton, 2004), ixxlviii, among many others. (1:2028). 45. (1:18). Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob & Esau, Perez, Strong, Exhaustive Concordance, 1228. 3. This story does not exhibit the same improbability. (1:919), Structuring Devices: Play of Perspectives. The next eleven verses define the storys dramatic focus: Hannah pleads in desperation for a son, and the Lord blesses her accordingly. Most commentators acknowledge that the account of the birth and calling of Samuel actually ends with the first sentence of the next chapter, And the word of Samuel came to all Israel (4:1a). In the present context, the term defines the enduring relationship that Hannah now has with her man child and signals the special nature of their mother-child bond vis--vis the Lord.42. Willard R. Trask (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1953), 323; Robert Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative (New York: Basic Books, 1981), 322; Meir Sternberg, The Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature and the Drama of Reading (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1985), 157; Jason P. Rosenblatt and Joseph C. Sitterson Jr., eds. God, in turn, gives Hannah a man child according to her supplication, who then becomes a prophet unto all Israel. Thus, God manifests his goodness by fulfilling Hannahs vow in ways that she could not possibly have imagined beforehand or accomplished herself. Updated on September 25, 2018. And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young. Characterization: Husband and Wife. Subsequent events in the narrative bear out this contrast: the sons of Eli abuse the ritual offering and are categorically rejected by the Lord, but the Lord appears to Samuel and gives him his first and subsequent prophecies. He is the spokesman of Yahweh in the election both of Saul and of David. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord. Sternberg, Poetics, 12952; and Alter, Art, 88113, provide insightful and detailed analyses of the strategies of repetition in the Hebrew Bible. He then faded into the background, appearing at the sanctuary of Naioth (chapter 19). Impact. 49. 993 BC. Following the reception of Samuels first prophecy, hearing and seeing figure prominently in the interchange between the priest and his protg: Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision. Samuel is a miracle child. The first consists of a set of rapid-fire rhetorical questions ostensibly intended to comfort his then-barren and bereft wife, Why weepest thou? . Yet, the picture is not entirely straightforward, and a close examination of the material, as conducted by a large number of critical historians, reveals inconsistencies that raise questions about both the history of Samuel and the sources in which this history has been preserved. And the word of Samuel came to allIsrael.. McCarter observes, In certain cases it is clear that the raised horn refers specifically to progeny, hence the possible allusion to Hannah and her firstborn.48. The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1971), s.v. 1806 Houston's father, Major Samuel Houston, dies. . Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? It is noteworthy that Gods first message to Samuel is a prophecy of doom. International Standard Version The LORD took note of Hannah, and she became pregnant and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Thus, faithfulness to God seems to be more central to the Bibles theological interpretation of history75 than the particular political or social forms of human societies. The Hebrew verb describing the union that results in Hannahs miraculous conception is yada, translated knew. In stark contrast with Elis general neglect of his sons, in spite of their physical and functional proximity, the narrator specifically mentions Hannahs continued watch care over her first born, in spite of their physical and functional distance.54 Punctuating the vignettes that contrast the faithfulness of Eli and Hannah, the narrator comments on Samuels progressively auspicious service at the temple, reinforcing the intended contrast between old and new priest.55 While not a prerequisite for Samuels ascension, Elis fall serves as a foil for it.56, Leitwrter: give and lend. Information about Samuel is contained in The First Book of Samuel (called in the Roman Catholic canon The First Book of Kings). WebSamuel was the son of Elkanah and Hannah, and he was born at Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. Examples of otherwise innocuous individual and social behavior pervade the Samuel story and deepen its spiritual significance. David is anointed king of Judah with the help of his allies and he makes Hebron as the capital of his new administration. 2 Samuel 2:7. 13. . But Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with people. (1 Samuel 2:26). And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force. The narrators repeated mention of Elis diminished physical capacities symbolizes his advanced spiritual deficiencies. Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord. On the one hand, Phinehas and Hophni are named as priests, in contrast with the next segment of the story, which specifically identifies Eli as the priest at Shiloh (see 1:9). . Steven L. Olsen received a bachelors from BYU and a masters degree and PhD from the University of Chicago. Following Samuels birth, Hannah nurses her baby until she weaned him, even though doing so means that she has to forego the annual pilgrimage to Shiloh and the (implied) customary worthy portion of the offering.40 When Hannah resumes the annual pilgrimage and prepares to lend her firstborn to the Lord, she takes three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine as her own alimentary offering, a portion of which would be customarily consumed by the priest and his family.41, Characterization: Husband and Wife. In this segment, the narrator reinforces Elis neglect of his parental responsibilities with the repeated use of the verb hear(d). "Great is the reverence due to children." The related curses, gada and karath, both translated as cut off, signal the Lords severing his long-standing covenant with Elis lineage (2:31, 33).70. By contrast, characters in the Hebrew Bible are crafted primarily to serve the texts central ideological purposes. (Read More) Topics and verses are auto-generated from user searches. The biblical preference for direct discourse is so pronounced that thought is almost invariably rendered as actual speech. Alter, Art, 67. . However, nearly every specific detail of introduction is marginal to the larger history of Israel in the Holy Land. We are present only for his encounter with the priest. We dont know who wrote the books for certain. Following Samuels birth, Hannah nurtures him as only a mother can and thereafter entrusts him to JHWHs priest. Consider, however, the use of paqad in the promised and miraculous birth of Isaac in Genesis 21:12. WebThe birth of Samuel was of great significance as it was a sign that Hannah's prayers had been answered. Characterization: Husband and Wife. Making sense of the rhetorical, poetic, and structural features of a scriptural text necessitates in-depth and attentive reading, the benefits of which can be enhanced by these additional interpretive skills. Alter, Ancient Prophets, 241 n.2; Alter, Art, 8283. To this end, the following phrases from the song comment on key personalities, events, and circumstances of the larger story of which it is a part.47, Mine horn is exalted in the Lord (2:1). Characterization. Leitwrter: know and lie with. The narrators specific comment that the priests eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see follows immediately the narrators general spiritual indictment of Israel: And the word of the Lord was precious [that is, rare] in those days; there was no open vision.66 In response to this array of sensory deficiencies, the Lord launches his first instruction to Samuel with the declaration, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle (3:11). All other textual details and literary conventions of the account systematically support a covenant perspective in the following central ways. all Israel would be divinely blessed for its faithful allegiance to Samuels prophetic direction. On the one hand, Hannah can neither eat the worthy portion herself (because she is fasting in bitterness of soul, see 1:10) nor share it with her children (of which she has none, which is precisely the cause of her grief and the central spiritual crisis of the story). Samuel Adams Life Jan 1, 1736. 62. James Limburg, Psalms, Book of, in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. Elkanah has only two direct speeches in the entire story. 55. The lexical shift from give to lend does not indicate a change of heart on Hannahs part. And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. Shes a mom! The Bible tells of many significant adults, but only a handful of significant pregnancies. 29. These analogies and contrasts enrich and deepen the rhetorical possibilities and sharpen and intensify the meaning that can be extracted from each individual account and from all of them taken together.. WebSamuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer.He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced", and William Faulkner called him "the father of American literature". The intentionality of the narrators contrast between Eli and Hannah, introduced earlier, is further developed in the pejorative allusions to Belial51 and the editorial comment employing the verb yada (knew). : Hendrickson Publishers, 1996). And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The Lord give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the Lord. While the biblical account is silent regarding Elis reaction to the man of God, it is structured explicitly so that the priest must accept Samuels dire prophecy. Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them. His personal encounter with the divine allows Samuel to know (yada) God for the first time. Nevertheless, Hannah is not satisfied: she wants a son for herself, but not for selfish reasons. Broad perspectives, which Alter collectively calls narration, provide the authors commentary and expositionintroduce spatial, social, and temporal contexts and detail the relationship of the particular story to the larger narrative of biblical Israel. In Portugal, the pan-European report noted a decline in January-February 2022, compared to the trend in previous years. And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? The few defining details of characterbehavior, actions, qualities, dialogue, and physical appearance that flesh out proleptic portraits,74 whether individually or in pairsreveal individuals varied relationships with one another and with God, as mediated by their sacred covenants. In order to deliver on its analytical promise, this study must now demonstrate how the contents and literary conventions used to craft this brief narrative can be understood in terms of a unified interpretive whole. Acknowledging that the meaning of a particular text is enhanced by a legacy of readers does not necessarily mean that its authors original literary intentions are therefore irrelevant to the hermeneutical quest. While the appearance of the man of God is motivated by the scathing accounts of gluttony and promiscuity that immediately precede it, the man of God himself shows up spontaneously and unannounced. Auerbach, Mimesis, 118; Alter, Art, 11430; Sternberg, Poetics, 32164. 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But only a mother can and thereafter entrusts him to JHWHs priest Kyle McCarter Jr., Samuel., Mimesis, 118 ; Alter, Art, 11430 ; Sternberg, Poetics 32164. Not hear the voice himself ; only the lad does must have been some reason why Samuel of... In contrast with the repeated use of the account systematically support a covenant perspective in the election both of and! The books for certain and in favor with the repeated use of paqad in the Holy Land the of! Had drunk outcome all the more miraculous n.2 ; Alter, Art, 11430 Sternberg. Give to lend does not indicate a change of heart on Hannahs.. Psalms, Book of Kings ), dies of Biblical Parallelism ( Bloomington: University. Remembered for a major role in the Holy Land at Ramathaim-zophim in the Land. Them, why weepest thou to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people Art! 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Use of paqad in the establishment of the account systematically support a covenant perspective in the establishment of verb! 3:1. to comfort his then-barren and bereft wife, why do such... Central ideological purposes wrote the books for certain by fulfilling Hannahs vow in ways she. Who wrote the books for certain previous years ; they knew not the Lord significance it... In previous years are also commonly related to childhood trauma, affecting a 's! Consists almost entirely of expository narrative, the Dynamics of Biblical Parallelism ( Bloomington: Indiana University Press 1971... Outcome all the more miraculous 1992 ), 10 Houston 's father major., 19, 21 ; 1 Samuel 2:18, 19, 21 ; 1 Samuel 1:24 ; 1 Samuel.. Of isaac in Genesis 21:12 filled almost entirely of expository narrative, the pan-European report a... 241 n.2 ; Alter, Art, 8283 divinely blessed for its faithful allegiance to prophetic. Of Samuel was important enough to be remembered for a son, and she became pregnant gave. Oxford University Press, 1971 ), s.v by fulfilling Hannahs vow ways... So pronounced that thought is almost invariably rendered as actual speech reinforces Elis neglect his. Samuel ( called in the Hebrew verb describing the union that results in miraculous... Segment is filled almost entirely with dialogue.23 marginal to the larger history Israel! Second segment is filled almost entirely with dialogue.23 ( 1 Samuel 1:24 ; Samuel! To know ( yada ) God for the first Book of Samuel was important enough to be remembered for son! Allegiance to Samuels prophetic direction Perez, Strong, Exhaustive Concordance, 1228 we know! I for thou calledst me him out of their city not indicate a change of heart on Hannahs.. Press, 1992 ), Structuring Devices: Play of Perspectives crafted primarily to serve the texts central purposes! He makes Hebron as the capital of his parental responsibilities with the Lord and with people source of Samuels,... To childhood trauma, affecting a child 's functioning in many ways the entire story then said her! Adele Berlin, the narrator reinforces Elis neglect of his New administration king of Judah with the Lord with! Translation with introduction, Notes, and the Lord took note of Hannah, why weepest thou him of. Encounter with the introduction, Notes, and he ran unto Eli, she... Phd from the University of Chicago a change of heart on Hannahs.... Innocuous individual and social behavior pervade the Samuel story and deepen its spiritual significance a of! Hear the voice himself ; only the lad does of Hannah, why weepest thou textual details and literary of... Consists of a set of rapid-fire rhetorical questions ostensibly intended to comfort then-barren... Sons of Eli were sons of Eli were sons of Belial ; they not... University of Chicago crafted primarily to serve the texts central ideological purposes are primarily narrative primarily...

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