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Dr. Lenore C. Kipper, Judaic Studies Director Emerita

The Books of Samuel
The books of Samuel were divided during the time of the Greek translation because they are very long. Who was Samuel? Why was he so important that this section of the Bible is named for him? Samuel is a transitional biblical personality. He was the last of the Israelite judges and the first of the prophets, after Moses. He served a trifold role during the transition from tribes to kingdom. He was judge, priest, and prophet. His home was in Ramah, but he regularly traveled to the religious centers at Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. The text tells us that his mother, Hannah, had been barren for many years. She vowed to dedicate her firstborn to the service of God. When Samuel was born, she brought him to Eli, the chief priest at Shiloh, to be raised by him. (Samuel 3:10-13). He succeeded Eli in the leadership of the tribes.

Call for a King
Military pressure from the Philistines continued to threaten the tribes. They could not combat the strength and the influence of the Philistines. They were defeated when the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant. But Samuel gathered the leaders of the tribes together, asked them to repent from following some pagan ways, and fight to recapture the Ark. When Samuel grew old, the Israelites began to call for a change in their system of governance from a loose confederation of tribes into a centralized monarchy. Although Samuel initially opposed the idea of a king, the text tells us that God urged him to accede to the people’s demand. “Listen to the voice of the people and give them a king.” (Samuel 4-8) Saul was chosen to be the first king of Israel, and Samuel anointed him. He was from the tribe of Benjamin, handsome, tall, strong, and he had proven himself to be a mighty warrior against the neighboring enemies.

The Ceremony of Anointing
Anointing was an ancient custom in which a person chosen to rule was installed into leadership by means of a religious ceremony that involved pouring oil on his body or head. This was the way the kings of Israel were invested with divine authority. The Hebrew verb for anoint is mashach, from which we get the word Mashiach, the one who is anointed. The English translation of the word became Messiah, which came to mean the future ruler and leader who will come to redeem the Jews. From this, the Christians took the term to mean Jesus was the Messiah, but they added that Jesus was the divine Son of God.

King Saul and David
King Saul fought many successful battles and united the tribes, but he could not defend Israel against the Philistines. He also did not establish a regime stable enough to survive him. He did not follow Samuel’s instructions about destroying the Amalekites and their king.

Saul realized his mistake, but Samuel lost confidence in him as the king, and he secretly anointed David, who was to become the next king. Why David? David was the son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah, born in Bethlehem. David’s early years were spent as a shepherd. He was part of the king’s court as a musician, singer of songs, and later as a warrior. The people admired him as a popular folk hero after he killed Goliath, the giant of a man of the Philistines. David and Jonathan, Saul’s son, developed a close and loyal friendship. David also married Michal, Saul’s daughter. Saul became envious of David’s popularity with the people and attempted to kill him. David was forced to flee and lived among the Philistines. After the death of Saul and Jonathan in battle against the Philistines on Mt. Gilboa, David became king. By the eighth year of his reign, he united all the tribes into a strong kingdom. The book of Samuel fully describes this complicated relationship story, with many interpretations. I recommend you read the full text.

King David Makes Jerusalem the Capital of Ancient Israel over 3,000 years ago.

The Canaanite city, Jebus, was never captured by the Israelites at the time of the conquest under Joshua. It was a Jebusite territory between Judah and the northern tribes, centrally located in the high hill country. King David captured it, making it the kingdom’s political, military, and religious capital. The strategic importance of this location established the historical foundation of the Jewish People’s connection and continuity to this place. It was renamed Jerusalem. Because it was not a part of any tribal territory, it was accepted by all to create a new center of leadership for the new kingdom. David brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, centralizing worship and his leadership.

King David’s Accomplishments
King David built his empire in stages. After defeating the Philistines and pushing them back to the coastal cities, he consolidated the territorial regions and was victorious over the hostile enemy tribes. He captured Etzion Geber (near modern-day Eilat) and established a port on the Red Sea. Eventually, the borders of the Kingdom extended to Damascus and the Euphrates River in the north. David was not only a military leader. He established the foundations for dividing the country into districts for administration, reorganized the army, set up a systematic priesthood, and made the worship of Israel’s God the official religion of the kingdom (eliminating paganism). He chose the future temple site on Mt. Moriah. According to tradition, David initiated a cultural and literary tradition in Jerusalem. The book of Psalms is attributed to David’s reign.

David’s Personal Tragedy
Though he became a legendary hero, his personal life led to tragedy. The famous story of David and Bathsheba is universally known. David committed adultery and planned the death of her husband, Uriah, so that he could marry her. For this, he was rebuked by Nathan, the prophet, and punished by the death of their first offspring. He also suffered the death of his son, Absalom, who rebelled against his father. In David’s old age, he faced a struggle for the succession to the throne between his sons Adonijah and Solomon (the son of Bathsheba). He chose Solomon. David’s personality and achievements made a lasting impression on the Jewish people. He reigned for forty years. He was admired for his courage, wisdom, and trust in God. I encourage you to read the text of the whole story!

We continue to teach and sing the song, David Melech Yisrael!

B ‘Shalom,

Lenore