J. F. Stennino.
SAMUEL, I. AND II.—
i. Title.
ii. Contenta ill. Sources and DatA, iv. Analysis. Literature.
i. TiTLK. — The two Books of Samuel, like the two Books of Kings, formed originally in the
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Hebrew Canon a ..in^le book called Sko^t (San me ) The LXX translators, however regarded the Book of Samuel and the Book of Kings as a com- Tae historj- of the two kingdoms of Israel and j dah and^divided them into four books, which thev entitled 'Books of the kingdonis (^I^Xo. ea^A«iW. The same division was foUowed by Jerome in the Vulgate, but t'-t'^'^^^^f *°ffe to 'Books of the Kings' Lihrv ^'!J'"'%,t^'l compromise which now obtains in printed Hebrew Bibles? viz. the division of the boo'ks into four in ^cordance with the LXX !^"«1 Vulgate and he retention of the Hebrew titles for each pair, vas first adopted in Daniel Bomberg's printed edition
"^Selection of the title is due to the fact that the open n?' chapters deal mainly with the history of SaCeC whi stUl plays an i">PO.tant role in those that follow : the pronunent part taken l-y him in the establishment of the monarchy may aLo have contributed to the chmce of his na.i.e for the history of the period whic^h is chiefly con- cemed with the reigns of Saul and David
ii. CONTESTS.-In their present form the two Books of Samuel faU most naturally into four ma°n sections: (a) I 1-15 SamufanJ the esUb- lishment of the monarchy ; (6) I 16-11 8 Saul and David ; (c) II 9-20 David ; {(l) II 21-24 an Appendix. That this arrangement corresponds to liiVintentionof alater editor ,s made ev"l«rit by the three concluding summaries by ^^hicli tlie various sUges of the narratives are marked oi viz I 14^-=^, II 8 ("f ^^I'ic'' ^ ^ original y forined part , and II 20^--«. Since, however I lo the rejection of Saul and of his kingdom) was clearlyTntendcdto conclude the history of Sauls ret^ it seems better to attach that chapter to the ti'rst, rather than to treat it as introductory to the second section.
The four main section!) arfmit of the '""P"?"? '""^t^'^'rch „hiSi brmfc'^t more clearly the course of the history wh.ch
"'g')TJ-T5"'from the birth of Samuel till the rejection of
an^n Samuel's birth and childhood a"d the mi^ **'deed» of the house of *^i = Sa.uue succeeds to the
office of Eli (l>-»"): th\''°'^J"i' ^L'phihsS house, and the capture of the ark by the Phllislmes
a)%'^l^ Samuel as Judge over Israel delivers them ^ from their Philistine oppressors : in answer to the I^uMt of the iwople (cl . 8), and, through the aaency Tbamue (rh.'uf? siul after deteatint: the Anunon- "to (ch 11 is mide kin^. Samuel lays <io«n his Xith ik.and Saul carries on - ^-^fj^^^'„ with the Philistmca (cha 13. 14)- , '|V^^' , j'^ovah Aiualck Saul is infonned by Samuel that •''="01 a j h^ rejicS him because of his disobedience, and willL'ive his kingdom to another (ch.l5X , ^ , (M 116-11 8 Prom the first appe.irance of P»^7 ,"L, Jj * ' flnnly established on the throne of Israel ana
0)"'no-31 History of David during the «'f° °' S"';,";
* Uc is secretly anointed by *"""*'• ""l^f'"rior
«nice of Saul (ch. lU). By his success Ma «arnor
kin>r ("ha 27 29. 30), while Saul is once more en- ^'eiin%a;-wrth tlie Philistines, and, after a vam iuempt to obtain a Divine oracle (ch. 28), perishts " Ih his sons at the battle of Ml. Gi boa (=»■ 31> mil 18 David's laimnl over Saul and Jonathan ^\ch 1). In the civil war which ensues between feavid and the ho.se of Saul,.the "rmer pro™, ^ctirious. an,l finally becon.es "i-'g ""^ '',^,^;,1 Judal. (i-SSV "« oaptures Jerusalem and 8>^«^-<l» Id Ihrovring off the Philistme yoke (oh. 6). Tbejn
(JvLri") mentions Simu/^l, w<rm no. rfmorum pnmum el i^idum dSi„, » the thiWot the prophetic hooka
is brought to the capital (ch. 6), and the V«™«n™c,
of the Uavidic dynasty assured (ch. .X Concmoini
sumuKiry of David's ren,Tl (ch. 8).
(rt n 9-20 Kunlier history of David's reifc'^rK,,! n,„ „n of
ai9-12 David's kindness to Meribbaal, the son of
^' Jonathan (ch. 9) : the war with Ammon, and David •
m^ia'^o'Ab^iS'omUbeUion (13-19), and the revolt of Shcha (ch. 20). . ^. „,
Wn 21 -"4 The Appendix, consisting or— ,,„„„
m historical nridenU: the Gibeonites and the house ^'^^Saul^l-'"^)-. e.vploiU and lists of David's heroes /2116-.-J 23S35) ; the census (ch. 24). .
(2) poetical f ra^-^nents : a psalm of David (cb. 22), and David's ' Last Words CiJi')- The history set forth in these books extends rougldy overl period of a hundred years, during whTch Israel gra'thially emerged from the con.Ut.on of national disintegration and anaichy, described in the Book of J"Jges. and acnuire.I a dehn ite national existence. The establishment of the monarchy was at once the external sign o the union wbich was ettected between the hitherto scattered tribes, and the means by Nyhicli it was brought about.' Hence the mam jnteres of the history naturally centres round the jiersons ot SaS Saul, ai/d David, who were the principal aTnsn the work of consolidating the kingdom "iU SOURCES AND DATE.-The Books of Samuel in heir present form afford a striking illn«"-afon of the methods of Hebrew composition. An ex- amination of their contents at ""ce reveals the fact that their author, after the manner of Hebrew historians has made use of previously existmg doCmlent;. which, though covering the same crround yet present the materials at their dis- fCl in vlry litlerent forms. The principle winch eli.as followed in the compilation of his woik is ver-^ similar to that with which we are already ; ^^aln" e.i in those parts of the H^XATKycH where J and E have been united by a later editor (K ) fnto a Composite whole. In the P--" <^se xv. have also two narratives which togetlier lorm the m,ai^n bulk of the history. These narratives, however" are so obvi.msly independent of one an ther and so clearly distinguished by their d"lh.'rent rnir,t of view, Uiat there is now consider- ae unanimity among critics with regard to their respe^Uve contents. Moreover, tliroughout the ma^n section of the Books of Samuel, the editor or redactor has made but little elVort to harm.jnize the varvin- accounts of the incidents which he relates^aml has contented himself, or the most part with reproducing in a twoto Id form the Fcad ng events' in the history of Saul and 1 av^d Hence arises that duplication of tnc.rfcni. which 8 e>^ec^ally characteHstic of the -'"]-f 7. "^ the irrcater part of the history from 17-11 8 1 hus we \i^d two independent accounts of the choice of Saul as kill" and of his rejection. In like manner tl^ com, ilcT has preserved to us a double account of DiTvi. '8 introduction to Saul, and ot his light ? „™ ,.n,.rt • of the sparing of Sauls life by David, anTof the latter" i/ight to the Philistines ; and. lastly, of the death of Saul. „:„i,f