9. First And Second Samuel

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9. FIRST AND SECOND SAMUEL

Before the Septuagint First and Second Samuel formed one book.

I. OUTLINE-BRIEF

1. Samuel. 1 Sam. 1-14.

2. Rise of David. 1 Sam. 15-26.

3. Saul as King. 1 Sam. 27-31.

4. David as King. 2 Sam. 1-20.

5. Times of Trouble. 2 Sam. 21-24.

II. OUTLINB-COMPLETE

1 SAMUEL

1. Childhood of Samuel. 1:1-3:21.

A. Birth and Dedication. 1:1-28.

B. Song of Hannah. 2:1-10.

C. Sons of Eli. 2:11-26.

D. Doom of Eli's House. 2:27-36.

E. Call of Samuel. 3:1-21.

2. Capture and Return of the Ark. 4:1-7:1.

A. Capture of Ark. 4:1-22.

B. Ark Among Philistines. 5:1-12.

C. Return of Ark. 6:1-7:1.

3. Institution of the Monarchy. 7:2-12:25.

A. Samuel the Judge. 7:2-17.

B. Demand for a King. 8:1-22.

C. Anointing Saul. 9:1-10:16.

D. Election of Saul. 10:17-27.

E. Relief of Jabesh-gilead. 11:1-15.

F. Samuel's Farewell. 12:1-25.

4. War of Independence. 13:1-14:52.

A. Preparations for War. 13:1-23.

B. Exploit of Jonathan. 14:1-46.

C. Concluding Notice on Saul. 14:17-52.

5. Rise of David. 15:1-18:30.

A. Rejection of Saul. 15:1-35.

B. Anointing of David. 16:1-13.

C. David at Saul's Court. 16:14-23.

D. David and Philistine Champion. 17:1-18:5.

E. David Marries Michal. 18:6-30.

6. Rivalry between Saul and David. 19:1-20:42.

A. Attempt at Reconciliation. 19:1-10.

B. David's Escape. 19:11-17.

C. Saul at Ramah. 19:18-24.

D. David and Jonathan. 20:1-42.

7. Civil War: Saul and David. 21:1-26:25.

A. David at Nob. 21:1-9.

B. David at Gath. 21:10-15.

C. Massacre of Priests of Nob. 22:1-23.

D. Relief of Keilah. 23:1-13.

E. Treachery of Ziphites. 23:14-24:22.

F. David and Abigail. 25:1-44.

G. David's Magnanimity to Saul. 26:1-25..

8. Philistine War against Saul. 27:1-31:13.

A. David's Vassalage to Achish. 27:1-28:2.

B. Saul and Witch of Endor. 28:3-25.

C. Dismissal of David. 29:1-11.

D. Raid on Ziklag. 30:1-31.

E. Battle of Mount Gilboa. 31:1-13.

2 SAMUEL

9. David, King at Hebron. 1:1-4:12.

A. News of Saul's Death. 1:1-16.

B. David's Dirge on Saul. 1:17-27.

C. David, King of Judah. 2:1-7.

D. Civil War Begins. 2:8-32.

E. Abner Quarrels with Ish-bosheth. 3:1-16.

F. Murder of Abner. 3:17-39.

G. Murder of Ish-bosheth. 4:1-12.

10. David, King at Jerusalem. 5:1-8:18.

A. David Elected by Elders. 5:1-5.

B. Capture of Jerusalem. 5:6-16.

C. Defeat of Philistines. 5:17-25.

D. Ark Goes to Jerusalem. 6:1-23.

E. Prophecy of Nathan. 7:1-29.

F. Summary of David's Reign. 8:1-18.

11. David's Personal Life. 9:1-12:31.

A. David and Mephibosheth. 9:1-13.

B. War with Aramon. 10:1-19.

C. David and Bathsheba. 11:1-27.

D. Nathan's Rebuke. 12:1-31.

12. Vicissitudes of David's Court. 13:1-20:26.

A. Amnon and Tamar. 13:1-20.

B. Absalom's Flight. 13:21-14:33.

C. Absalom's Rebellion. 15:1-12.

D. David Flees Jerusalem. 15:13-16:14.

E. Ahithophel and Hushai. 16:15-17:29.

F. Death of Absalom. 18:1-19:8.

G. David Returns to Jerusalem. 19:8-43.

H. Revolt of Sheba. 20:1-26.

13. Appendix. 21:1-24:25.

A. The Famine. 21:1-14.

B. Exploits of David's Warriors. 21:15-22.

C. Psalm of Thanksgiving. 22:1-51.

D. David's Testament. 23:1-7.

E. More Exploits of Warriors. 23:8-39.

F. Census and the Plague. 24:1-25.

III. AUTHORSHIP

1. Samuel did not write the book.

2. The early book was of dual authorship-J and E. Note:

A. Saul is anointed king privately by Samuel, and twice in public.

B. Saul is twice deposed from the throne.

C. David is introduced twice to Saul.

D. David twice offered a daughter of Saul in marriage.

E. David twice escapes Saul.

F. David three times makes a covenant with Jonathan.

G. Goliath is slain by David and by Elhanan.

3. The book was thoroughly overhauled and rewritten by D.

4. Samuel is one of the most brilliantly written histories of ancient times- 500 years before Herodotus

5. D and P turned Samuel, a village seer, into a "mighty prophet."

6. Samuel is a masterpiece of history, psychological insight, literary style, and dramatic power.

Note: Field Marshal Allenby, when in Palestine in 1918, examined the battle-field account of Jonathan's attack on the Philistine garrison (1 Sam. 14:1-23) and was able to identify the crag "on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba." He pronounced Jonathan's strategy as sound.

IV. HISTORICAL VALUE

1. Evidences of repetition and duplication, not already noted, show that the Deuteronomic redactor failed to iron out these contradictions:

A. The Ziphite treachery to David is told two times.

B. Two stories of David's escape from Nob.

C. Two conflicting accounts of Saul's death.

D. Two stories of the war against Amalek.

2. It will be helpful in understanding the rather sudden change in Saul's character, to recall that he was a manic-depressive.

3. There are three types of history:

A. Narrative type. To record a good tale.

B. Didactic type. To treat events as a storehouse for moral teaching.

C. Scientific type. To ascertain the facts.

4. The types A and B characterize the writing of most Old Testament history.

5. Samuel may not be accurate history, but it is a good source book.

V. THEOLOGY

1. The theology of Samuel is just about as primitive as that of Joshua and Judges. But there is some indication of growth.

2. Note the following reminders of primitive theology:

A. Sacred stones. 1Sam. 7:12.

B. Sacred trees. 1Sam 14:2.

C. Sacred hills. 1Sam 10:5.

D. Blood revenge. 2Sam 3:27.

E. The taboo. 1Sam 21:4.

F. The vow. 1Sam 14:24.

G. Propitiatory sacrifice. 1Sam 26:19.

H. Necromancy. 1Sam 28.

3. It has been suggested that the Semites had a genius for religion. But the Jews were specialists.

4. The Jewish religion had many things in common with all man-made religions.

5. At first the Jews shared many things with primitive paganism, but they evolved-they experienced growth.

6. The Hebrews had revelation. There arrived the prophets.

7. When Saul could not get comfort from the prophets he went back to necromancy-he consulted with the witch of Endor.

8. There was a great deal of lottery in Hebrew theology-finding out about the divine will by casting lots.

9. The early prophets were associated with "ecstatic frenzy." In some ways this was like the dancing dervishes.

10. Plato regarded all prophets as being afflicted with some sort of "divine madness."

11. In Jewish religion, the ecstatic trance played the part that "speaking with tongues" played in the early Christian religion.

12. Paul warned the church at Corinth that there were many more valuable spiritual gifts than "speaking with tongues."

13. Both Samuel and Nathan were types of "advanced" prophecy. They functioned without either ecstatic frenzy or trance-visions.

14. On special occasions Samuel had visions, but Nathan did not.

15. The nations around Israel had their tribal gods:

A. Chemosh-god of Moab.

B. Melek-god of Ammon.

C. Dagon-god of the Philistines.

16. But unlike these tribal gods, Yahweh continued to grow-evolved into the God of all creation-"King of Kings and Lord of Lords."

17. Now and then Israel would revert to nationalism, as in the case of Nehemiah and Ezra.

18. We all have trouble with the ethics of Yahweh, who could order the complete extermination of whole peoples. But that was common practice among Semites.

19. The Hebrews still clung to their olden concepts of Providence-Yahweh, God of history, Lord of life and death. All success is the reward of virtue.

20. The concept of the chosen people-election of Israel-is still predominant. The sons of Eli did not reform because it was "the will of God to kill them."

21. The Hebrew theology is pervaded with the idea of a whole, nation suffering because of the sin of one individual.

22. Later on both Jeremiah and Ezekiel tried to modify this concept of punishing the innocent for the sins of others.

VI. SELECTED TEXTS

1 SAMUEL

1. Samuel grows up. "Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men." 2:26.

2. Eli hears bad news. "'Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great slaughter...Your two sons also...are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.'" 4:17.

3. Return of the ark. "'Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not slay us and our people.'" 5:11.

4. Clamor for a king. "'You are old...now appoint for us a king to govern us like all the nations.'" 8:5.

5. Saul anointed. "Then Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said, 'Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people Israel?'" 10:1.

6. Obedience vs. sacrifice. "'Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.'" 15:22.

7. God repents. "And the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel." 15:35.

8. God sends evil spirit. "The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him." 16:14.

9. David slays Goliath. "And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone, and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead...and he fell on his face to the ground." 17:49.

10. Eating the holy bread. "So the priest gave him the holy bread; for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence." 21:6.

11. The cave of Adullam. "David...escaped to the cave of Adullam...and every one who was in distress, and every one who was in debt, and every one who was discontented, gathered to him; and he became captain over them." 22:1,2.

12. Saul consults medium. "So Saul disguised himself...and came to the woman by night...and he said, 'Bring up Samuel for me.'" 28:8,11.

13. Saul a suicide. "Saul took his own sword, and fell upon it." 31:4.

2 SAMUEL

14. David anointed. "And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah." 2:4.

15. David made king over Israel. "So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron...and they anointed David king over Israel." 5:3.

16. The ark comes to Jerusalem. "And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place, inside the tent which David had pitched for it." 6:17.

17. You are the man. "Nathan said to David, 'You are the man..."You have smitten Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife."'" 12:7,9.

18. Absalom's death. "He took three darts in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Absalom, while he was still alive in the oak." 18:14.

19. David and the census. "The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, 'Go, number Israel and Judah.'" 24:1.