(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. This response is identical to Abrahams willing acceptance of the Lords calling at the patriarchs great test of faith.67. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. The exposition also identifies the ritual officials at the temple of the Lord at Shiloh but in a casual, even offhand manner: And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. While this simple declarative sentence names the personnel with the greatest spiritual status at Shiloh, its specific language implies two concerns. Regarding the poetic qualities of Hannahs song, see McCarter, ISamuel, 6776. The story of the birth and vocation of Samuel at the beginning of 1 Samuel is regarded by critics as legendary because of a number of obviously unhistorical features. . They became so angry with Samuel that they threw him out of their city. Political Accomplishments of Samuel Adams. The prevailing view of biblical scholars is that the account of Samuels life and ministry took final shape centuries after the events it depicts and was likely the work of more than one author/editor/redactor. Therefore, it is important to utilize available data to further research and understand the risk factors for preterm death. 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 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. Updates? Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 8. Scholars recognize that genealogies perform at least three complementary roles in the Hebrew Bible: (1)introducing and declaring the identity of a distinctive group or individual, (2)demarcating one significant narrative from others in the larger text, and (3)schematizing complex historical evolution. Alter, Moses, 34n; 53 nn. continuing to nurture her firstborn throughout his youth, even though she sees him but once a year (2:1819). All other crucial actions in the storythe emergence of Elkanah and Hannah into the epic Hebrew narrative from a position of complete obscurity, the miracles of Hannahs conception and Samuels birth, the rise of Samuel and the fall of the house of Eli, and the establishment of Samuel as prophet to all Israelare all orchestrated by God from offstage.. Author of. Samsons story skips 1 and 2 Samuel form one book in the ancient Hebrew manuscripts. Structuring Devices: Conjunctions. These are known by the technical German term Leitwort. Characterization. Characterization: Husband and Wife. And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Structuring Devices: Play of Perspectives. The dynamic interplay in the biblical text between narrow and broad perspectives (narrative and dialogue in Alters terms) comes into focus in the third segment of the Samuel story. Rather than contrast, the two Hebrew verbs complement each other in meaning. We may never know for sure whether a covenant perspective actually motivated those who crafted the inherited text over the centuries of its development. . This internal division in Israel is reflected in the person of Samuel, who stood with most Israelites on both sides of the question. Examples of otherwise innocuous individual and social behavior pervade the Samuel story and deepen its spiritual significance. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. 72. Type Scene: Barren Wife. This narrative is the major piece in establishing the role of Samuel as a prophet, but it is questionable whether the prophet as a distinct religious figure had emerged among the Israelites at this early date. Weitzman, Song, 6667, and Polzin, Samuel, 3334, respectively, compare the similarities of Hannahs song with Marys Magnificat and Davids final hymn. The ancient designation of the two books of Samuel does not indicate that he is the author (in fact, his death is related in 1 Samuel 25) or the hero of the books; indeed, it is difficult to deduce what the title was intended to mean. That the narrator of 1Samuel 13 instructively employs this convention is evident from the paired customary behaviors of eating/drinking and fasting, on the one hand, and hearing and seeing, on the other. By faithfully filling the crucial roles of prophet, priest, and judge, Samuel helped to transform the House of Israel from a collection of weak and often warring tribes to a relatively permanent and somewhat stable nation in the contentious ancient Middle East. This contrast does not mean that biblical characters are shallow. In this segment, the narrator reinforces Elis neglect of his parental responsibilities with the repeated use of the verb hear(d). 63. 12. The concept of covenant not only unifies this brief but auspicious narrative but also positions it centrally within the larger epic of Gods ancient covenant people in the holy land. On the other hand, the language of the sons introduction bestows no honor or dignity to their priestly office. Give, 18390. 13. 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. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. And the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest. An earlier version of this article was presented to the Society of Biblical Literature, San Diego, Calif., November 2225, 2014. In gratitude she dedicated him to the service of the chief sanctuary of Shiloh, in the charge of the priest Eli. The second way that Hannah continues to nurture her firstborn is mentioned below in the discussion of 1 Samuel 2:19. Father Augustine Washington (1694-1743) Mother Mary Ball Washington (1708-1789) Brothers Samuel Washington (1734-1781) John Augustine Parallelism is a general literary convention that links together different parts of the biblical text in a variety of customary and meaningful ways. Nevertheless, everything that she says and doesindeed, everything that she is in the storymanifests supreme devotion to her sacred roles of wife and mother and to her covenant relationship with the Lord. Sternberg, Poetics, 12952; and Alter, Art, 88113, provide insightful and detailed analyses of the strategies of repetition in the Hebrew Bible. But the same phrase also is used to announce prophecy, and vision is a prophetic term: the whole episode concerns the transition from priestly to prophetic authority.64 In short, Alter implies that the man of God acts as an oracle in relation to the priest, since the priest himself has lost the traditional gift of oracle through abuse and neglect. It is quite unlikely that either the powers of the king or the prerogatives of the priest were as closely defined as this in the early period. Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob & Esau, Perez, Samuels mother Hannah for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. The present study acknowledges but does not address the numerous historiographical issues related to 1 Samuel 13. And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? Rather than accepting her husbands invitation that she privilege her spousal role and enjoy its intended personal benefits (the worthy portion), Hannah chooses instead to focus on her maternal role: nurturing Samuel at home while he remains dependent on her for life and sustenance. Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? . The narrative does not indicate, however, that she takes offense at her husbands gesture. Therefore, while intended as an expression of generosity, the offering reveals Elkanahs insensitivity, at the very least, to the storys central crisis and may actually be insulting to Hannah. The text expresses the respective dramatic contributions of these two messengers along four dimensions: message, role, impact, and visibility. JPS Tanakh 1917 Michael D. Coogan (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998), 13264. Also like the first, Elkanahs second speech at once reinforces his traditional familial roles and acknowledges his emotional distance from his wife. Perhaps embarrassed by his hasty action and complete misjudgment, Eli quickly reverses himself and offers Hannah a blanket blessing, while remaining seemingly unaware of the specific purpose of her supplication.26. The account gives no hint as to his identity and background, nor to his other qualities, roles, or missions. 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. 11. 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. Characterization: Parents and Children. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. Role. In contrast to the use of shakab (lie with) in the account of the promiscuity of Elis sons, discussed above, in the account of Samuels divine call, Eli instructs the lad repeatedly to shakab (lie down). It also serves the broader narrative as the renewal of an ancient and sacred covenant with God, with Samuel serving as its object and agent.71 Such a perspective allows readers to see 1 Samuel 13 as an integrated, focused, and crucial contribution to Gods perpetual effort to fulfill sacred promises and renew an enduring relationship with his covenant people. Alternatively, McCarter, I Samuel, 60 n.9, suggests that the details of Elis first appearance may imply his watchful care over all temple matters. As will be seen, the rest of the Samuel story is retold largely in dialogue because spoken language is the substratum of everything human and divine that transpires in the Bible, and the Hebrew tendency to transpose what is preverbal or nonverbal into speech is finally a technique for getting at the essence of things, for obtruding their substratum.22 Elkanahs first direct speech also motivates the storys central action: Hannahs sacred vow and the Lords favorable response. WebSaul, along with three of his sons die in a battle with the Philistines. Then Eli called Samuel, and said, . Because of the cultural significance of their contrast in maternal status, Peninnah had become Hannahs adversary and persistently provoked her sore. These detailsthe preferred but barren wife and her jealous sister wifeevoke positive comparisons between Hannah and Israels grand matriarchs Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel.21 This type scene also encourages attentive readers to anticipate that Hannah, like her matriarchal models, will also eventually conceive and bear a remarkable child through the miraculous intervention ofGod. The same Hebrew root is translated faithful in the prophecy associated with Gods curse upon Elis house: Iwill raise up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind (2:35), suggesting that the author considers Samuel to be the promised priest, who shall walk before mine anointed forever. See also TDOT, 1:296. Message. While Hannah is identified as the preferred of Elkanahs two wives, the account repeats three times that she has no children, a major source of shame for women in biblical Israel.20 This characterization also identifies the accounts first dramatic tension: that between Elkanahs preferred but barren wife and her co-wife Peninnah, who had given Elkanah multiple sons and daughters. And the man of thine, whom I shall cut not off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests offices, that I may eat a piece of bread. 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