(4) 8-12. The twofold account of the circtim- •tances that led to the election of Saul as king.
The older narrative of J (9i-10'»'»"'l'^i-ll"- ") describes how Saul, the sou of Kish, of the tribe of
VOL. IV. — 2?
Benjamin, in his search for his father's asses, is persuaded by his servant to consult a seer livinK in the district to which they had wandered. The seer is none other than Samuel, who had previously been ivarned by Jehovah to expect the Benjaraite stranger ; and had been instructed to anoint him as kin";, that he might deliver Israel from the Pliilistines : ' For,' says Jehovah, ' I have seen the oppression of my people (LXX), because their cry has come unto me' {1)""). On the foUowiii" day Samuel anoints Saul, and assures him of his Divine call by means of three signs : he further bids him do as occasion serves him after the fultilment of the signs ; for God is with him ( 10'). About a month later (ICF"''-^^), the town of Jabesh-gilead is besieged by Nahash the Ammonite, and mes- sengers are despatched ' unto all the borders of Israel ' to obtain assistance. In the course of their journey they reach Gibeah in Benjamin, and there, as elsewhere, make known their errand. On learn- ing the sad plight of his countrymen, Saul is at once seized with the spirit of God, and promptly takes measures to relieve the besieged city. By meansof a forced march he surprises the Ammonites, and delivers Jabesh-gilead and is thereupon in- stalled as king at GUgal (11").
The narrative of E (Ej) (8. lO""" 12) offers a very different explanation of the manner in which Saul became king. After the signal defeat of the Philis- tines, described in ch. 7, Samuel continues to judqe Israel in peace and quietness until com- pelled by old age to delegate his authority to his sons. But the latter prove unwortliy of their high ofiice, and the people therefore demand that a king should be set over them after the manner of the neighbouring nations. The request is viewed with disfavour by Samuel, who cnaracterizes it as rebellion again.st Jehovah. At the bidding of Jehovah, however, he first sets before the people ' the manner of the king that shall reign over them ' (cii. 8), and then proceeds to carry out the election of a king by lot at Mizpah (10"""'). The account concludes with the farewell speech of Samuel, in w hicli he solemnly lays down his office, and hands over the reins of government to Saul (ch. 12).
The two narratives which are here combined are thus not only compute in tliemselves • and independent of one another, but also inuttially contradictor!/, in the earlier narrative (1) Samuel is a seer living in a certain district, who is unknown to the rest of Israel ; (2) he is employed as the instrument of Jehovah's purpose on one occasion only ; after his interview with Saul everything is left to the working of the Divine spirit In the latter ; (y) Israel is oppressed by the Pliilistines, and cries to Jehovah for a deliverer (911); (4) the eatalilishment of the mon- archy is the means chosen by Jehovah for the deliverance of Uis f)eople ; Samuel's attitude towards it is merely that of an on- ooker. In contrast to this representation \vo find in the later narrative (1) that Samuel is the jH(/;/e of all Israel, who rules over the people as the representative of Jehovah ; (2) that in accordance with this position he hands over the reins of govern- ment to the newly-elected king ; (3) that the exterjial condition of Israel is entirely favourable : the Philistines had been finally subdued by Samuel (ch. 7); (4) that the request for a king U regarded as an act of apostasy ; it is duo to the desire to bo like other nations, and is displeasing both to Jehovah and to Samuel.
The redactor has made but little effort to reconcile these con- flicting accounts, but his hand may be traced in 102»-27» Mid llia-u, according to which the ceremony at iJilgal is represented as a renewal of Saul's former election at Jlizpah ; lu'-" »)" refer back to ch. 8, and place Saul once more at (Jilieah, while w.Mb,
• In the narrative of J It la noticeable that the name of the town In which Samuel the seer lived is never mentioned. It Is probable (so Budde, but see above, p. ll)8») that the name was omitted just because it was no( Ramali, the house of Samuel the Judge (7" etc.). Since also the identit » of Samuel with the seer is not made clear till O", It seems probable that the redactoi has omitted a notice which both Introduced Samuel and made known the name of his native town. In E there U no account of the anointing of Saul (cf. 12^ 'his anointing'): this w«» probably omitted because of the already existing account In J (lOl). The narrative probably also contained some notice of the conllnuatlon of the choice of Saul as king after lO**, which was omitted by the redaotor in vlaw of 181^ ^.
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SAMUEL, I. AND IL
SAIMUEL, I. AND n.
n. wifh their sequel in 11"-" are intended to explain why Saul te n^t reJocniled a! Vrng in ch. 11, and why it was necessary t« ?«J«, the kingdom, liut the warriors • whose hearts t,ad had touched/ and f ho accompanied Saul '"'"VSr'tr- sTs o'( as a bodyguard, do not appear m ch 11. Afc'am, the sons oi wortlilessness' who refuse to aclinowledge '>»"'•'"'? ^V^, i^^! rSion a.-cording to the view ot the redactor, prevent hi -n from