Questions tagged [1-samuel]

The book of 1 Samuel, which chronicles the last days of Israel being ruled by judges and the transition into the monarchy with Saul as the first king.

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Who named the wrong priest in Mark 2:26?

Here's a story Jesus told about David according to Mark 2:23-28 (ESV): One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And ...
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How old was David when he fought Goliath?

1 Samuel 17:33 (NRSV) says: Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” I have taken ...
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Can we harmonize the two meetings of David and Saul?

My daily reading reached the moment when Samuel anointed David, which is followed immediately by the first meeting of Saul and David: Now the spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil ...
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Was Abiathar the son of Ahimelech or was Ahimelech the son of Abiathar?

According to the following three verses, Abiathar was the son of Ahimelech: 1 Samuel 22:20. 1 Samuel 23:6. 1 Samuel 30:7. But a couple other passages down the road claim that in fact Ahimelech ...
sergeidave's user avatar
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3 answers
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How old was Samuel when Hannah took him to the temple?

In 1 Samuel 1:24 we read: After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of ...
Ionică Bizău's user avatar
14 votes
6 answers
20k views

David and Goliath: David's Reasons For Fighting

From 1 Samuel 17: 23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. 24 Whenever the ...
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14 votes
1 answer
12k views

Why did David and Jonathan need the arrow signal?

Just before David left Saul's service for the last time, he and Jonathan arraigned a way to communicate with one another in code: Jonathan, out of his love for David, adjured him again, for he loved ...
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Who Killed Saul?

I am enjoying my ride through 1 & 2 Samuel. I remember there being a contradiction contest/tag and here's a "contradiction" that got me thinking. What should we make of Saul's death? In 1 Samuel ...
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13 votes
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How many children did Hannah have?

In the Song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:5), she seems to sing that she has seven children: She who was barren has borne seven children,      but she who has had many sons pines away....
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13 votes
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Did David keep household idols?

The biblical account of David's first escape from Saul in 1 Sam 19 mentions that his wife Michal camouflaged his escape by hiding an "image" (KJV) or a "household idol" (NASB) in his bed. Is that to ...
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Abimelekh (Αβιμελεχ) in the LXX

Repeatedly in Ruth (e.g. 1:2, 1:3, 2:1...) and in I Samuel (21:1, 21:6, 21:8, 22:9), the LXX (in all printed critical versions, although some manuscripts correct this, see here for details) as well as ...
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11 votes
4 answers
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How tall was Goliath?

In 1 Samuel 17, David intends to battle against Goliath and ultimately wins by slinging a single stone into his forehead before decapitating him. As Wikipedia can confirm, there are multiple accounts ...
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11 votes
6 answers
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How can an evil spirit come from God?

In 1 Samuel 16, a number of times an evil spirit from God is described to come upon Saul: 14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. 15 Saul’...
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11 votes
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Where did Samuel come from when he was summoned by the Medium of En-dor?

Appropriate to today, I was thinking about the time when Saul visited the Medium of En-dor in 1 Samuel 28:8-14 (ESV): So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men ...
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How is Psalm 34 linked to 1st Samuel 21?

The annotation of Psalm 34 (ESV) reads: Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away. Clearly this is a reference to 1 Samuel 21:10-15 (ESV): ...
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Did Saul intend to offer a peace offering in 1st Samuel 13?

When Samuel rebuked Saul for improperly making an offering before the Lord, he asks for both a burnt offering and a "sacrifice of well-being": He waited seven days, the time that Samuel [had set]. ...
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Did Eli rebuke his sons?

In 1 Sam 3:13, the LORD tells Samuel of his judgement on the house of Eli: “For I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a ...
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In 1 Samuel 3:19, whose words were kept from falling to the ground?

I have two different translations of 1 Samuel 3:19. The 2011 NIV renders the sentence: The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. However, I ...
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Was Haman an Agagite?

Esther 3:1 says After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him. Wikipedia says &...
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9 votes
1 answer
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Is dead Samuel's appearance to Saul 'real'? [duplicate]

My question relates to 1 Samuel 28:3-20 and is also related to this question, but I hope with sufficient difference as to be justified. I've heard/read interpretations of the text that say that ...
bruised reed's user avatar
9 votes
3 answers
763 views

How did the medium of Endor suddenly realize that Saul had fooled her?

Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” “Bring up Samuel,” he said. 12When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you ...
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Why was Goliath's sword kept in the tabernacle at Nob?

Then David asked Ahimelech, “Is there not a spear or sword on hand here? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business was urgent.” 9The priest ...
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Can "ki" in 1 Samuel 2:25 be understood to mean something other than "because"?

I was reading 1 Samuel this evening and was struck by chapter 2, verse 25: כה אִם-יֶחֱטָא אִישׁ לְאִישׁ, וּפִלְלוֹ אֱלֹהִים, וְאִם לַיהוָה יֶחֱטָא-אִישׁ, מִי יִתְפַּלֶּל-לוֹ; וְלֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ ...
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What is the significance of switching from Gideon to Jerubbaal?

Gideon got a new name in this story: When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was ...
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Does the Holy Spirit produce anger?

In 1 Samuel 11:6 (NASB) Then the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and he became very angry. Is anger a fruit of the Spirit?
Tiago Martins Peres's user avatar
8 votes
3 answers
727 views

Why is David's throne established by so much deceit?

This question made note that David acts in a deceitful manner towards the priest when he goes to ask for help as he flees from Saul. This isn't the only time, however, that deceit is a feature in ...
Soldarnal's user avatar
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What does "an evil spirit from the Lord" mean?

In 1 Samuel 16:14 (KJV), the Scripture says: But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. I am curious about the meaning of "an evil spirit from ...
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How is rebellion likened unto the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness as both iniquity & idolatry?

Peace and blessings to all. In 1st Samuel 15:22-23 it states: 1 Samuel 15 22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? ...
יהודה's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
169 views

Who are the people God sent to deliver Israel in 1 Samuel 12:11?

The NET gives the following information about the list of names found in 1 Samuel 12:11: In the ancient versions there is some confusion with regard to these names, both with regard to the ...
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How to understand the passage where Samuel said that God doesn't change his mind, but God regretted making Saul king?

From 1 Samuel 15: 27 As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it ...
EJoshuaS - Stand with Ukraine's user avatar
8 votes
4 answers
6k views

Does God have regret or not in 1st Samuel 15?

In 1 Samuel 15:29 he writes that the "Glory of Israel" will not have regret, yet in verse 35 he writes that the Lord regretted making Saul king. 1 Samuel 15:28,29 ESV And Samuel said to him,...
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Is there a contradiction between 1 Samuel 15:29 and 1 Samuel 15:35?

The same verb root נ-ח-ם conjugated in binyan Nifʿal, referring to the same subject (i.e., God), occurs in both 1 Sam. 15:29 and 1 Sam. 15:35, the first occurrence being a negation, while the second ...
Ettore Panizon's user avatar
7 votes
12 answers
9k views

In 1 Samuel 28:15 did the witch at Endor actually bring up the spirit of Samuel from the land of the dead?

When the witch at Endor conjured up a spirit through her sorcery to speak with King Saul, the Holy Bible actually stated thus: "Then Samuel said to Saul, 'Why have you disturbed me by bringing me ...
Chukwuemeka Ezema's user avatar
7 votes
5 answers
2k views

Why does להבריאכם mean "to make yourselves fat" in 1 Samuel 2:29

למה תבעטו בזבחי ובמנחתי אשר צויתי מעון ותכבד את־בניך ממני להבריאכם מראשית כל־מנחת ישראל לעמי "Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and ...
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Why did David take the livestock of the cities he raided, when Israel was told to devote everything to destruction?

We see in the Old Testament that the Israelites were directed to devote/set aside the cities and everything living in it to destruction. In 1 Samuel 27:9 and 1 Samuel 23:5, David takes the ...
tenniseric98's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
797 views

Why does the 1 Samuel 10:27 paragraph found in 4QSamª not appear in other texts?

I was reading 1 Samuel 10 in the New Living Translation and found that in the verse 27, there is the following paragraph: [Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the people ...
Gonçalo Peres's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
3k views

How did David trick Achish?

I got to this section this week and I feel like I'm missing something: David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Gizrites, and the Amalekites—who were the inhabitants of the ...
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1 answer
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Why were the bodies of Saul & his sons cremated - 1 Samuel 31:11?

1 Samuel 31:11-13 (KJV) 11 And when the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul; 12 All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of ...
collen ndhlovu's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
1k views

Does 1 Samuel 15 disprove the "Ancient Near East Warfare Rhetoric" theory?

In the book “Is God a Moral Monster?" (this website too has some of its theories), the author talked about the exaggeration used in ancient Near Eastern writings as a way to explain why Joshua didn't ...
Extrakun's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

“I have lent him to the LORD"

1 Sam 1:27-28b (ESV): For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition (šəʾēlātî) that I made (šāʾaltî) to him. Therefore I have lent him (hišʾiltîhû) to the LORD. As long as he ...
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7 votes
1 answer
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Can we determine the language(s) the author of Hebrews read from the list of Judges?

In Hebrews 11, at the end of the Hall of Faith, we get a short list: And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the ...
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7 votes
1 answer
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David's Brinkmanship with the Philistines at Apheq

In I Sam 28 Achish enlists David in his forces for the coming battle between the Princes of Philistine and the Israelites in which Saul meets his end. David's words to Achish are ambiguous, leaving us ...
Eli Rosencruft's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
153 views

זֶרַע or זְרֹע in 1 Samuel 2:31

The MT 1 Samuel 2:31 reads: הִנֵּה, יָמִים בָּאִים, וְגָדַעְתִּי אֶת-זְרֹעֲךָ, וְאֶת-זְרֹעַ בֵּית אָבִיךָ--מִהְיוֹת זָקֵן, בְּבֵיתֶךָ. Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the ...
bach's user avatar
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1 Samuel 20:18: How was the First of the Month / New Moon Determined?

Closely Related: • Judaism.SE/How was Rosh Chodesh determined, if a New Moon Cannot be Seen? • Calculating months and weeks in the Mosaic Law • Astronomy.SE/How Soon Could a Waxing Crescent Moon Be ...
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1 answer
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Did someone really name their son Fool?

In 1st Samuel 25, we read about Abigail's first husband, who is named Nabal. Near the end of the story, she pleads with David to save his life: My lord should not pay attention to this wicked man ...
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In 1 Samuel 10:1 why does Samuel kiss Saul (in contrast to 1 Samuel 16:13)?

1 Samuel 10:1 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB): Then Sh’mu’el took a flask of oil he had prepared and poured it on Sha’ul’s head. He kissed him and said, “Adonai has anointed you to be prince over his ...
Ted DeRose's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
6k views

Did David's mother have children to different fathers or does 2 Samuel 17:25 have another explanation?

In 1 Chronicles 2:13-17 (NIV), it's said that David and his brothers were the sons of Jesse, and that they had a sister named Abigail: Jesse was the father of Eliab his firstborn; the second son ...
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7 votes
2 answers
1k views

Missing or incorrect genealogy information for Samuel?

First, the verses: 1 Samuel 1:1 (ESV) There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an ...
Joshua's user avatar
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6 votes
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What's going on with Saul and the prophets?

After Samuel anointed Saul, he sent him home with a few signs that will be fulfilled in 1st Samuel 10:9-13 (NJPS): As [Saul] turned around to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all those ...
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6 votes
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How would marrying Saul's daughter be a snare/stumbling block to David?

1 Samuel 18:20-21 (KJV): And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand ...
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