Prophet Samuel is one of the most famous Jewish prophets. There was the fifteenth and last judge of Israel, who lived 1146 years before the birth of Christ. He ended the Age of Judges and “opened” the Age of Kings, anointing first Saul as king, and when he did not live up to his expectations, young David. According to Jewish tradition, Samuel is credited with authoring the books known as the Book of Judges, the Book of Kings, and the Book of Ruth.
Several centuries have passed since the entry of the Israeli people into the Promised Land. The Israelis were not able to immediately conquer the neighboring tribes, and gradually began to lose their desire to finally free the land from the old owners. The Israeli tribes too early, to the detriment of the Will of God, preferred a calm and well-fed life. The close proximity of unconquered peoples led to the inevitable borrowing of their customs and beliefs, which, in turn, led to a gradual retreat from the faith of the fathers in the One God. The former unified strength of the people disappeared, the scattered Israeli tribes plunged into internecine quarrels, becoming weak and vulnerable to external danger emanating from the neighboring, not completely conquered, Canaanite peoples.
The people of Israel - according to God's providence - were subjected to various disasters for their retreat for admonition.
At the moment of general repentance, God mercifully sent deliverers - judges, who for some time maintained peace and order. A lot of time has passed since the last judgment of Samson, during which the people of Israel almost completely fell under the control of the Philistines. The Age of Judges (1244 BC - 890 BC) - covers the period of biblical history from the death of Joshua to the destruction of the Tabernacle of the Covenant in Shiloh, where it was located for about 300 years (13-11 centuries BC AD).
Judges are the persons who governed the Jewish people during this period before the accession of the first king, Saul. Prominent Judges: Barak (Barak) and Deborah (Dvorah), Gideon (Gidon), Samson (Shimshon), Eli (Eli) and the prophet Samuel (Shmuel). This era can be called a time of troubles, characterized by outbreaks of inter-tribal and inter-ethnic violence. At this time, the Israelites (descendants of Jacob) split into 12 tribes. Slaved not only by the Philistines, but also by their own passions, the Israelites greatly lacked a leader like Moses, capable of liberating and purifying God’s chosen people. It was during this difficult time for the people of Israel that Samuel was born.
Birth of Samuel
The prophet came from the tribe of Levi, was the son of Elkanah from Ramathaim-Zophim, from Mount Ephraim. His mother Hannah, one of Elkanah's two wives, was the object of her husband's special love. But she remained childless and had to endure insults from her rival named Pennan, with whom he had several sons and daughters.
One day Elkanah came with his wives to Shiloh to offer sacrifice and prayer to the Lord God of Hosts, for before the construction of the temple in Jerusalem there was the Tabernacle and the Ark of God, and all the tribes of Israel came there to worship God. Having made a sacrifice to God, Elkanah gave from what was sacrificed a part to Peninnah and a special part to each of her children, but to Hannah only one part, since she had no children. Then Peninnah began to mock and reproach her. Anna's heartache and suffering reached the highest point of patience. In grief, she got up, went to the Tabernacle and, prostrating herself before the Lord, begged Him to take pity on her grief and give her a male child, and made a vow, if her request was fulfilled, to dedicate her firstborn to the service of God and make him a Nazirite: no wine or strong drink. he will drink, she said, and the razor will not touch his head. While she was praying for a long time before the Lord, the priest and judge of Israel, Eli, mistook her fervent, impetuous prayer for intoxication. Anna's touching answer immediately dispelled all his suspicions. Eli blessed her on behalf of the Lord and told her to return home in peace, for the Lord would fulfill her request.
Saint Anna, mother of the prophet Samuel, prays for the gift of a son to her
Soon Anna gave birth to a son and named him Samuel (Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל, Shmuel, “heard by the Lord”) because she asked him from the Lord. Anna perceived the birth of her son not only as a mercy bestowed on her personally, but also as a sign of the coming deliverance of God’s people. When the child was weaned, and Jewish women, according to custom, breastfed their children for three years, Anna fulfilled her vow and brought her son to the Tabernacle. At the dedication of Samuel to the Lord, his mother prophetically uttered a song, which became a prototype of the song of the Most Holy Theotokos: “My heart rejoiced in the Lord; My horn is exalted in my God.” After this, the Lord again sent down mercy on Anna, and she began to give birth to sons and daughters.
Samuel's Calling
For many years, Samuel remained to serve at the temple under the care of the priest Elijah. He grew in body and grace before the face of God. Every year his mother brought him small outerwear that she herself made for him. Frequent conversations with priests and godly people enabled Samuel to learn the Law of Moses, free from any influence from the pagan cults that were corrupting the people recently settled in the land of Canaan. The priest Eli was old, and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were vicious people and corrupted the people with their bad behavior. Samuel was not infected by the behavior of the sons of the high priest; on the contrary, seeing their retreat, he became more jealous of God. And already at the age of 12 he had a revelation that for betrayal of the true faith, for corruption and idolatry, many troubles awaited the people of Israel. Misfortune will befall the entire house of the high priest Eli because he does not restrain his wicked sons. The old priest, having learned about God's sentence, accepts it with complete humility.
When the sons of Eli were completely corrupted, God’s sentence was not slow in coming true. After the Philistines inflicted a heavy defeat on Israel, the Jews, to encourage themselves, came to Shiloh, took the Ark of the Covenant, placed it on poles and carried it ahead of the troops. The rumor about this frightens the Philistines themselves, who believe that the “God of the Jews” himself came to the enemy’s camp. However, the Bible shows that the Holy Place alone cannot guarantee success. Instead of fleeing, the enemies rushed forward with the force of desperation. 30 thousand Jews died in the battle, and the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant. One of the survivors ran to Shiloh with the news of complete defeat. He found the elderly priest Eli, then 98 years old, sitting anxiously on the threshold of his house. When he was told that his sons had died in battle and the ark had been stolen, Eli, at the mention of the ark, fell on his back, broke his spine and died. The wife of Phinehas, who heard about what had happened at the hour when the baby was born, died with the words: “The glory has departed from Israel, for the Ark of God has been taken.”
Son Immanuel
Only the poet's son Immanuel, who was born in 1917, was destined to become no less famous than his father and acquire a profession. He graduated from high school at the age of 15, and at the age of 19 he was awarded a diploma of higher education. The son did not follow in his father's footsteps - he became a physicist. During the Great Patriotic War he took part in the creation of new military equipment.
Thanks to him, a new research institute began to operate in our country and a new branch of science was born - the physics of electric discharge in gases. In addition, he developed a method for aerial photography. Immanuel Samoilovich, in addition to scientific work, was engaged in translations of English classical literature, was actively involved in charity work and helped disadvantaged Jewish children.
A talented scientist and a very kind and sensitive person died early. At the end of June 1977 he was only 60 years old. He is buried at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow.
Leader and Judge
After the death of Elijah, Samuel became a judge of the people of Israel. He raised the people to repentance, calling everyone to wake up from their sinful sleep. And he said: “Disasters weigh upon you because you have retreated from God! You have lost your Shrine because you are unworthy of It. Repent, and then the Lord will help you drive the pagans out of your country.” And when the work of repentance was completed, when people repented in tears, in rags, asking the Lord to forgive them their sins, the words of the prophet Samuel were fulfilled. Residents of the Philistine cities where the captured Ark was located began to suffer from terrible diseases. Their fields and arable lands were ravaged by mice. The idol they worshiped was broken. A few months later, they placed the Ark on a chariot drawn by two cows and launched it from their land. Guided by no one, the cows brought the Ark to the land of Israel, where the Jews joyfully greeted it.
All the people repented and said: “We have sinned before the Lord.” After the Israelis turned to God through the prayer of Samuel, the Lord delivered the Jews from the power of the Philistines. During his reign, Israel enjoyed peace and prosperity. The city of Rama became the center of the religious life of the people. From here, Samuel every year toured all the cities of Israel, fulfilling the duties of high priest and judge.
Loneliness
Samuil Yakovlevich lived with his wife for 42 years. Having experienced a lot of grief, they always remained the closest and dearest people to each other, until Sofia’s death. The poet’s beloved woman died in 1953 after a long and serious illness. The writer was with her until the very end and took her departure very hard.
Alexey Speransky, a famous physiologist and close friend of the family, believed that everyone owed it to his muse, Sofia Mikhailovna, that Marshak became a beloved and famous children’s writer. The writer survived his wife by 11 years.
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The end of the era of the Judges. The beginning of the era of kings.
Samuel ruled the people for 40 years. When he grew old, he appointed his two sons, Joel and Abijah, as judges over the people of Israel, but they did not inherit their father’s honesty and justice, since they were selfish. Then the elders of Israel, wanting the people of God to be “like other nations,” demanded that the prophet Samuel appoint a king for them. The Prophet Samuel saw in this the deep fall of the people, which until that time had been ruled by God Himself, proclaiming the will through the holy chosen ones. But the Lord said to Samuel: “Listen to the voice of the people in everything that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, so that I should not reign over them.”
At the command of God, Samuel anointed Saul, the son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, a brilliant warrior who surpassed all the men of his people in both stature and courage, to the kingdom. The Prophet poured holy oil on his head. And then the Holy Spirit descended on Saul, and Saul received power from above to rule the people.
[In ancient Eastern countries, spruce, olive oil, was used to preserve food. In this regard, the oil became a symbol of preservation and protection. A person anointed with consecrated oil (Hebrew: Mashiach, Aram: Meshicha, Greek: Christ) received dedication to the work of God as the bearer of a charismatic gift. The anointing was performed on kings, priests and prophets.]
Samuel announced that from now on he would cease his ministry and leave the king at the head of the people, and from that moment on he would devote himself to prayer and instruction. The Prophet asked the people if he had offended anyone during his reign, but no one found anything wrong with him. Samuel called on them to be faithful to God and His anointed one. In order to record his words, he prayed and caused thunder and rain, although the sky was shining.
Thus ended the period of the reign of the judges in the history of Israel. The Holy Scripture clearly shows an ambivalent attitude towards royal power. On the one hand, it is recognized as a political necessity (in view of the fight against external enemies); but on the other hand, the ideal remains a free union of tribes, built on the subordination of all to the will of God, expressed through the prophets. This second approach defines the negative attitude towards kingship that dominates the Bible.
The subject of the book and its structure
The main theme of the book of Samuel is the formation of the kingdom of Israel: the biography of Samuel before the history of Saul (I Sam. 1–7); Samuel and Saul (I Sam. 8–15); Saul and David (I Sam. 16–31); David's rise to power (II Sam. 1–8); continuation of the story of David (II Sam. 9–20); additions to the story of the reign of David (II Sam. 21–24; however, the continuation of the story of David, his old age and the accession of Solomon is already included in the II Book of Kings, chapters 1–3).
The main goal of Samuel's book is an attempt to critically comprehend the events associated with the formation of the monarchy as an institution of national and religious significance. This approach is visible in the construction of the narrative, which poses a number of historical questions, and above all, whether the establishment of royal power was a gift from God or an apostasy (I Sam. 8).
The Book of Samuel is not the work of a single author, although there is no doubt that the text was subsequently edited. It includes a variety of elements from both a genre and content point of view. Most of the text is composed of narratives that are connected substantively (unity of place and time) and stylistically (dialogues, repetition of formulas, frame construction, etc.).
The book contains poetic fragments representing the speech of characters (I Sam. 2:1–10; 15:22,23; II Sam. 1:17–27; 3:33,34; 20:1; 22:1–51; 23:1–7). Some of these poetic fragments are found in other books of the Bible (II Sam. 20:1 - in I Ts. 12:16; II Sam. 22 - in Ps. 18 [in the Russian tradition 17]), so the question arises whether they belong poetic texts from the same era as the main narrative of the book.
The book of Samuel often contains prophecies and divine instructions (I Sam. 2:27–36; 3:11–14; 6:3–9; 8:7–18; 9:15,16; 10:17–19; 12 :6–17, 20–25; 15:10,11; 17:45–47; II Sam 7:3–16; 12:7–14; 21:1; 24:11–13). In most cases, such passages form part of a narrative, but sometimes they represent independent literary compositions (for example, II Sam. 7).
The book contains material whose source was the royal archives, for example, lists of David's dignitaries (II Sam. 20:23–26), the names of his wives and sons (II Sam. 3:2–5), lists of his wars and conquests ( II Sam. 8). Typically this material is stylistically subordinate to the narrative parts or itself includes narrative details (I Sam. 13:1–3; 30:26–31; II Sam. 2:8–11; 5:4–5,9,17–25; 8 :1–14; 12:26–31; 23:8–19; 24:5–9). Less often, archival material forms an independent text (I Sam. 7:13–17; 14:47–52; II Sam. 3:2–5; 5:13–16; 8:15–18; 20:23–26; 21 :15–22; 23:20–39).
In the book of Samuel there are also other genre elements - prayer (II Sam. 7:18–29), parable motifs (II Sam. 12:1–6; 14:4–17), proverbs and sayings (I Sam. 10:12 ; 18:7; 19:24 and elsewhere). The compiler's main method was apparently to arrange the material in more or less chronological order, which often required dividing the sources used and rearranging their parts according to logic and chronology.
Most researchers are of the opinion that the sources used in compiling the book of Samuel included tales of Samuel's childhood, the story of the Ark of the Covenant, the formation of the monarchy - the events of Mizpah, Ramah and Gilgal, stories of David, the history of events at his court, and also palace archives, prophecies, poetic compositions (for example, David’s lament for Saul and Jonathan, II Sam. 1:19–27).
Break with Saul
Saul initially appears as a charismatic leader: he is a man led by the Spirit of the Lord. It is the Spirit of God that pours strength into him and makes the peaceful peasant a military leader. He establishes a regular army and inflicts a series of defeats on the Philistines. The odds in the struggle for Canaan begin to tip in favor of Israel (which has already almost mixed with the Canaanite population). Saul is helped in battle by his son Jonathan, a man of noble soul, brave and faithful. But the prophet from Ramah is careful to ensure that the king does not usurp spiritual rights over Israel.
Among other peoples, kings were considered divine beings, sons of gods and high priests. There should be nothing like this among the people of God. Therefore, when Saul, without waiting for the prophet, arbitrarily offered a burnt offering in Gilgal, exceeding his authority and arrogating priestly duties to himself, he severely rebuked him and predicted that his kingdom would not stand. Another time, after defeating the Amalekites, the king retained part of the spoils, contrary to the rule of “holy war.” Instead of anathematizing this entire people, he spared their king Agag and the best part of the livestock and offered only animals of little value to God. This served as the reason for the final break between the king and the prophet. The Bible thereby points out the dangerous tendency of monarchs to concentrate in their hands both the “things of Caesar” and the “things of God.”
King Shaul's mistake [↑]
And when a huge army of the Philistines again invaded the Land of Israel, Shmuel came to the camp located at Gilgal and saw that King Shaul, without waiting for him, had already offered sacrifices - although they had agreed in advance that Shmuel would come that day to offer sacrifices yourself. The king justified himself by saying that the people had already begun to flee from him, and he wanted to turn to the Creator for support - but Shmuel predicted to him that, since he had violated the command of the prophet, the messenger of G-d, now his reign would not stand, and the Almighty would choose another king ( I Shmuel 13:1-14, Rashi and Radak
).
On that occasion, King Shaul's army won an impressive victory ( I Shmuel 14:15-31
).
But some time later, Shmuel commanded King Shaul, in the name of G-d, to go to war with the Amalekites and, without mercy, destroy them all, and even their cattle. And when Shmuel learned that, having won the victory, the Jews left alive the king of the Amalekites, Agag, as well as choice cattle to sacrifice to G-d, he asked Shaul: “Are burnt offerings and sacrifices as desirable to G-d as and obedience to His voice?! No, obedience is better than sacrifice and submission is better than the fat of rams! After all, disobedience is like witchcraft, and disobedience is like worshiping idols. Because you rejected the word of G‑d, He rejected you from reigning.” And when Shmuel turned to move away from the king, he, trying to hold the prophet, grabbed the hem of his cloak and tore it off. “Today,” Shmuel told him, “G-d has ‘torn’ the kingship over Israel from you and given it to someone better than you.” Before finally leaving, Shmuel ordered the king of the Amalekites to be brought to him and, saying: “Just as your sword deprived mothers of their children, so your mother will remain without her son!”, Cut him in half ( ibid. 15:1-33
) .
David's Anointing
When the holy prophet mourned the fate of King Saul, God sent him to Bethlehem to Jesse, from the tribe of Judah, so that he would secretly anoint the young and beautiful face of David as the kingdom of Israel. This was the last work of the prophet. The Spirit of God departed from Saul, and an evil spirit took possession of the king - he began to suffer from fits of madness. It was at this time that David entered his service as a squire. When the king was possessed by an evil spirit, he calmed Saul by playing the cithara. The ruler's favor brought him joy, but after David won brilliant victories and aroused the admiration of the people, Saul's affection turned to mortal hatred. David fled and found refuge in Ramah with Samuel.
Anointing of David son of Jesse to the kingdom by the prophet Samuel
The prophet Samuel died some time later, having had busy days, and all the people of Israel gathered in Ramah to mourn him. Subsequently, he was revered among the great Old Testament intercessors before the Lord, to the same extent as Moses and Aaron: “Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among those who call on His name; I called on the Lord, and He listened to them” (Ps. 99:6). Tradition credits him with compiling the biblical book of Judges.
In 406, the relics of the prophet Samuel were transferred from Judea to Constantinople.
Tomb of the Prophet Samuel
The tomb of the biblical prophet Samuel is located at an altitude of 885 meters above sea level on the top of Mount Nabi Samuel.
In the outskirts of Jerusalem, near the capital's Ramot neighborhood, is Nabi Samuel, a site traditionally considered to be the tomb of the prophet Samuel - Shmuel. Like many of Israel's holy sites, this place is revered by representatives of three major religions. Jews, Christians and Muslims come here.
The medieval hilltop fortress is both a mosque and a synagogue, separated by just a few centimeters of stone wall. To enter the Muslim or Jewish hall, pilgrims enter through the same door.
This place does not look like a museum, there are no images or paintings on the walls, people come here to pray, since it is believed that the holiness of the righteous person buried here is special. It is no coincidence that there is a yeshiva (“house of learning”) here, where young people study Torah, and prayers are held for the healing of various ailments, deliverance from infertility and sorrow.
The fact that this place is connected with ancient history is evidenced by archaeological excavations that began in the 19th century. What we see today can be compared to the tip of an iceberg, but the main thing is hidden in the depths. When archaeologists began to study the preserved masonry walls, an impressive picture appeared before their eyes - an incredible layering of eras! The minaret and mosque buildings, built at the beginning of the 18th century, stand on the foundations of the Crusader church, which, in turn, stands on the foundations of the Byzantine church. It was also not built from scratch; previously there were Jewish settlements here. The earliest buildings are dated to 8-7 centuries BC, and the latest to 2-1 centuries BC. This means that the remains of these towns that have survived to this day preserve the memory of the Age of the Judges, the eras of the First and Second Temples.
The city excavated by archaeologists near the tomb is considered by many to be the same biblical Rama, which translated means “height, peak,” where the prophet Samuel lived and ruled Israel. And according to another version, this is the border city of the Kingdom of Judah - Mizpah, which means “panorama, observation point”, also associated with the memory of Samuel. According to tradition, in Mitzpah he gathered and inspired the people to war with
Philistines. Judging by the stunning view of Jerusalem and its surroundings that opens from here, one can agree with both the first and second options. Be that as it may, for believers who come here to pray, this place is and will be the grave of the prophet Samuel.
By the way, in the building itself, at the entrance level, there is a large hall in which the tomb is located, and on the floor below, exactly below it, there is a second funerary monument, which is considered the real grave. It's almost always crowded there. But especially many believers gather here on the 28th of Iyar according to the Jewish calendar, on the day of the death of the prophet Samuel: “And Samuel died, and all Israel mourned him, and they buried him in Ramah, in his city” (Shem. I, 28:3).
After the War of Independence of 1948, access here was closed to Jews. And only the victory in the Six-Day War made it possible for Jews to visit this holy place again.
Material prepared by Svetlana Finogenova
Meeting with your future wife
In 1911, thanks to the financial help of influential friends, Marshak went with a group of Jewish youth on a trip to the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean. The cycle of poems “Palestine” was published immediately after this trip. Somewhat later, Samuel left for Jerusalem, where he spent six months. It was there that he met his soulmate - a charming and intelligent woman, Sofya Milvidskaya.
A year later, the young couple went to the UK, but not on vacation: Samuil Yakovlevich studied at the polytechnic school, and then graduated from the University of London. Together with her husband, Sofia also entered the Faculty of Exact Sciences. Close family friends recalled that the couple had completely opposite temperaments. They argued often and heatedly, but only about creativity.
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It was in Great Britain that the aspiring writer seriously began translating English ballads into Russian, which would glorify him no less than his own works.
In his memoirs, he recalled that the university library made him friends with English poetry. In cramped and dark rooms filled with closets, from the windows of which there was a view of the Thames teeming with steamships and barges, Samuil Yakovlevich first became acquainted with what he later translated: the poems of Robert Burns and William Blake, Kipling and John Keats.
He did translations, but not by order, but out of love for art, and at the same time he wrote his lyric poems.
