The Story of Samuel and Saul

Narratives describing the divine election of Saul in 1 Samuel 9-10 have long been the subject of traditional source criticism. All such analyses of these chapters conclude that the story of Saul's identification as ruler or "designated one" ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]) in ch. 9 through prophetic revelation and his selection via cleromancy in ch. 10 represent two separate narrative strands that have been knitted together by a redactor. (1) Source critics have focused primarily on the contrasting opinions regarding kingship in these accounts, with ch. 9 being ascribed to a promonarchical source and ch. 10 to an antimonarchical source. Stepping beyond the sources themselves, redaction-critical scholars read the text in its final form. They are joined by scholars frustrated with the difficulties and decreasing returns of traditional historical-critical methods and who have approached these texts employing the hermeneutics of the New Criticism. These groups, when confronted with the obvious redundancy of mantic confirmation in 1 Samuel 9-10, understand the accounts in a number of ways. For example, Noth took 10:17-27 as an attempt to preserve an alternate tradition of Saul's royal accession within the narrative. (2) More typical, however, is Antony F. Campbell, who sees the prophecy concerning Saul revealed to Samuel and Saul's subsequent anointing in ch. 9 as a "secret kingship," while his selection by lot and his ensuing proclamation in ch. 10 are a public ceremony. (3) Following Otto Eissfeldt in understanding the lot procedure in 10:15-21 and the oracle in 10:22-23 as two different mantic events, Campbell and Mark A. O'Brien do a fine job of bringing to bear redaction and literary approaches. Assuming that the reader clearly sees two mantic acts in play, they explain that the traditions need to be read complementarily, in spite of the difficulties. (4) Though the two are speaking of 1 Sam 10:15-21 and Eissfeldt's oracle in 10:22-23, what they write can easily be said of 1 Sam 9:15-17 as well. (5)

This book covers the lives of Samuel, Saul, and David as recorded in the two books of Samuel. It is a verse by verse look at each of their lives, and goes beyond a look at each as an individual. When we look back, compare stories, and the lives of the three main characters in Samuel's books, we learn how each developed a personal relationship with God, received gifts, and how each of them used those gifts to represent God. Some times we learn from simple lessons. Other times we learn from contrasts between the lives of Samuel, Saul, and David. Together those stories reveal vital lessons on communication with God, as well as the gift of prophecy.