|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
Samuel
Samuel
Samuel was the son of Elkanah and Hannah, and he was born at Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. Brought to the Temple at Shiloh as a young child to serve God in fulfillment of a vow made by his mother, he succeeded Eli as the high priest and judge of Israel. Because the Philistines had destroyed Shiloh, Israel's religious center, Samuel returned to Ramah, making it the center of his activity. Samuel made annual circuits through the cities of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, judging the people, exhorting them to stop worshiping idols, and using his influence to hold the tribes together. He seemed able to penetrate the future, and the people looked upon him as a prophet. Israel at this time was subjected to Philistine domination, constant threats from the Ammonites, and disunion among its own tribes. The people lacked respect for Samuel's corrupt sons, Joel and Abijah, whom he appointed to judge Israel in his stead. The elders urged Samuel to seek a forceful national leader to become king. Samuel acceded and chose Saul, son of Kish of the tribe of Benjamin, and he took an active role in Saul's coronation. Samuel later broke with Saul because Saul twice disobeyed him. Samuel then proclaimed that Saul was rejected as king of Israel and that his dynasty would not continue on the throne. The prophet transferred his support to David, selecting him and secretly anointing him king of Israel. Samuel's last days are obscured by the conflict between Saul and David. The Bible makes a brief reference to his death and to his burial at Ramah. Samuel, though counted among the greatest of the judges, like Moses, is also numbered among the prophets. He was not a warrior but, like Moses, was a hero who rallied the spirit of his people in the midst of oppression, keeping alive their hope and faith. Further ReadingAlthough there is no single authoritative biography of Samuel, there are numerous volumes of fiction, making it difficult to distinguish between the historical and the legendary. The best short essays are in Rudolph Kittel, Great Men and Movements in Israel (trans. 1929), and James Fleming, Personalities of the Old Testament (1939). The best treatment of Samuel is, of course, in the Holy Scriptures, with commentaries published by each of the major religious groups. Recommended for the historical background are Max I. Margolis and Alexander Marx, A History of the Jewish People (1944); William Foxwell Albright, From the Stone Age to Christianity (1940; 2d ed. with new introduction, 1957); Salo Wittmayer Baron, A Social and Religious History of the Jews, vol. 1 (2d ed. 1952; 2d rev. ed. 1969); and Martin Noth, The History of Israel (trans. 1958; 2d ed. 1960). □ |
|
|
Cite this article
"Samuel." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Samuel." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3404705705.html "Samuel." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3404705705.html |
|
Samuel
Samuel two books of the Bible, originally a single work, called First and Second Samuel in modern Bibles, and First and Second Kingdoms in the Septuagint . They are considered part of "Deuteronomistic history," in which the book of Deuteronomy functions as the interpretive key for understanding Hebrew history. The books cover the careers of Samuel, Saul, and David (roughly the 11th cent. BC), as follows: first, Samuel's career and judgeship; second, the establishment of the Hebrew monarchy, with the anointing and subsequent success of Saul, followed by the anointing of David and the bitter rivalry between David and Saul; third, the reign of David, first at Hebron, then at Jerusalem; and, fourth, an appendix of various, unordered materials. Scholars have detected two main strands in the composition of the book, based on divergent attitudes toward the monarchical establishment. In both the books of Samuel and of Kings, the prophets represent the claim of the divine over human kingship. One section is said to be written by a contemporary of David, making it the oldest piece of Bible narrative. The prophet Samuel, fl. 1050 BC, was the last judge of Israel and the first of the prophets after Moses. The circumstances of his birth, childhood, and vocation are told at the beginning of First Samuel. His judgeship was dominated by war with the Philistines, who captured the Ark of the Covenant. In his old age he agreed, at divine request, to the establishment of a king; he thus anointed Saul and remained chief prophet during Saul's reign. In this role he anointed David, and after dying, appeared to Saul at Endor. Samuel became a national hero and eventually a popular figure of Jewish legend.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"Samuel." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Samuel." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Samuel.html "Samuel." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Samuel.html |
|
Samuel
Samuel ♂ Biblical name (Hebrew Shemuel), possibly meaning ‘He (God) has hearkened’ (presumably to the prayers of a mother for a son). It may also be understood as a contracted form of Hebrew sha'ulme'el meaning ‘asked of God’. In the case of Samuel the son of Hannah, this would be more in keeping with his mother's statement ‘Because I have asked him of the Lord’ (1 Samuel 1:20). Living in the 11th century bc, Samuel was a Hebrew judge and prophet of the greatest historical importance, who established the Hebrew monarchy, anointing as king both Saul and, later, David. In the Authorized Version two books of the Old Testament are named after him, although in Roman Catholic and Orthodox versions of the Bible they are known as the first and second Book of Kings. The story of Samuel being called by God while still a child serving in the house of Eli the priest (1 Samuel 3) is of great vividness and has moved countless generations. In England and America the name was particularly popular among the 16th-century Puritans and among Nonconformists from the 17th to the 19th century. It became fashionable again in the 1990s.
Short form: Sam. Pet form: Sammy. |
|
|
Cite this article
PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Samuel." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Samuel." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Samuel.html PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Samuel." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Samuel.html |
|
Samuel
Samuel Son of Elkanah and Hannah (1 Sam. 1). He was promised by his mother to the service of the Lord at Shiloh, where he grew up. He became a national leader (1 Sam. 7: 13–14) and judge (1 Sam. 7: 15–17), and anointed Saul as the first king of Israel. After his death, his ghost was invoked by Saul, who hoped to hear from him a prediction of victory over the Philistines (1 Sam. 28).
|
|
|
Cite this article
W. R. F. BROWNING. "Samuel." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. W. R. F. BROWNING. "Samuel." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-Samuel.html W. R. F. BROWNING. "Samuel." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-Samuel.html |
|
Samuel
Samuel Ninth and tenth books of the Old Testament. Through the stories of Samuel, the prophet and judge, and of Saul and David, Israel's first two kings, they describe the transition of Israel from a collection of tribes under separate chiefs to a single nation ruled through a monarchy. Historically, the events belong roughly to the 11th century bc.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"Samuel." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Samuel." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Samuel.html "Samuel." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Samuel.html |
|
Samuel
Samuel in the Bible, a Hebrew prophet who rallied the Israelites after their defeat by the Philistines and became their ruler; either of two books of the Bible covering the history of ancient Israel from Samuel's birth to the end of the reign of David. It was Samuel who anointed Saul as king of Israel.
|
|
|
Cite this article
ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Samuel." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Samuel." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Samuel.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Samuel." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Samuel.html |
|
Samuel
Samuel (c.11th cent. BCE). Israelite prophet and judge. Samuel's activities are to be found in 1 Samuel 1–16. His (traditional) tomb on Mount al-Nabi Samwīl, overlooking Jerusalem, was a place of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages.
|
|
|
Cite this article
JOHN BOWKER. "Samuel." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Samuel." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Samuel.html JOHN BOWKER. "Samuel." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Samuel.html |
|
Samuel
Samuel ♂ (French) Biblical.
|
|
|
Cite this article
PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Samuel." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Samuel." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Samuel1.html PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Samuel." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Samuel1.html |
|
Samuel
Samuel
•denial, dial, espial, Lyall, mistrial, myall, Niall, phial, trial, vial, viol
•sundial
•knawel, withdrawal
•avowal, Baden-Powell, bowel, disembowel, dowel, Howell, Powell, rowel, towel, trowel, vowel
•semivowel
•bestowal, koel, Lowell, Noel
•loyal, royal, viceroyal
•accrual, construal, crewel, cruel, dual, duel, fuel, gruel, jewel, newel, renewal, reviewal
•eschewal
•artefactual (US artifactual), contractual, factual, tactual
•perpetual
•aspectual, effectual, intellectual
•conceptual, perceptual
•contextual, textual
•habitual, ritual
•conflictual • instinctual • spiritual
•mutual • punctual • virtual • casual
•audio-visual, televisual, visual
•usual • gradual • individual
•menstrual • actual
•asexual, bisexual, heterosexual, homosexual, psychosexual, sexual, transsexual, unisexual
•accentual, conventual, eventual
•Samuel
•annual, biannual, Emanuel, Emmanuel, manual
•Lemuel
•consensual, sensual
•continual
|
|
|
Cite this article
"Samuel." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Samuel." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Samuel.html "Samuel." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Samuel.html |
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
