Lexical Summary Shemuel: Samuel Original Word: שְׁמוּאֵל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Samuel, Shemuel From the passive participle of shama' and 'el; heard of God; Shemuel, the name of three Israelites -- Samuel, Shemuel. see HEBREW shama' see HEBREW 'el NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom shem and el Definition "name of God," a prophet of Isr. NASB Translation Samuel (140). Brown-Driver-Briggs שְׁמוּאֵל140 proper name, masculine Samuel (= name of El Thes and others (or, his name is El HomHeb.Trad.98f. WklKAT 3. 225 Now 181, 20), compare מּנוּאֵל, רְעוּאֵל; see Dr181, 20; PrätZMG 1903, 777 ff. caritative from יִשְׁמָעֵאל; Palmyrene שמואל Lzb377; see further GieAT Schätzung d. Gottesn. (1901), 102 ff.); — 1 great prophet, 11th cent. B.C., σαμουηλ: 1 Samuel 1:20 (name explained as if from שָׁאַל), 1 Samuel 1:18,21,26 125t. 1Samuel; 1 Chronicles 6:13; 1 Chronicles 6:18; 1 Chronicles 9:22; 1 Chronicles 11:3; 1 Chronicles 26:28; 1 Chronicles 29:29; 2Chronicles 35:18; Jeremiah 15:1; Psalm 99:6. 2 in Simeon, Numbers 34:30 (P), σαλαμιηλ. 3 in Issachar 1 Chronicles 7:2, (I) σαμουηλ. Topical Lexicon overview of occurrences The name שְׁמוּאֵל (Samuel) appears about one hundred forty times in the Hebrew Scriptures, overwhelmingly in 1 Samuel and 1 Chronicles, with scattered appearances in Numbers, Jeremiah, Psalms, and other historical books. While the great majority refer to the renowned prophet‐judge, at least two lesser-known men share the same name: a Simeonite leader involved in the division of Canaan (Numbers 34:20) and a Levitical descendant of Kohath named among the temple singers (1 Chronicles 6:28, 1 Chronicles 6:33). the prophet samuel: birth and dedication Samuel’s account begins in the spiritually dim era of the judges. His mother Hannah pledged him to lifelong service: “For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has granted the petition I made to Him” (1 Samuel 1:27). Once weaned, the child was left at Shiloh under Eli the priest, establishing his early association with both priestly and prophetic ministry. 1 Samuel 2 records Hannah’s song, anticipating the rise of the anointed king—a theme later advanced through Samuel’s ministry. divine call and prophetic office The LORD’s personal summons came while Samuel was still a youth: “The LORD came, stood there, and called as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel replied, ‘Speak, for Your servant is listening’” (1 Samuel 3:10). From that day “the LORD was with Samuel, and let none of his words fall to the ground” (1 Samuel 3:19), marking him as the first prophet since Moses to enjoy such comprehensive national recognition (1 Samuel 3:20). judge and national reformer Following the ark’s return from Philistia, Samuel summoned Israel to repentance at Mizpah: “Serve the LORD with all your heart, and He will deliver you” (1 Samuel 7:3). His intercession and a miraculous storm routed the Philistines (1 Samuel 7:10–12), after which “Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life” (1 Samuel 7:15). His annual judicial circuit—Bethel, Gilgal, Mizpah—illustrates a shepherd’s concern for scattered tribes and contrasts with the localized rule of earlier judges. transition to monarchy Advancing age and the corruption of his sons prompted the elders to demand a king (1 Samuel 8). Though personally displeased, Samuel received the LORD’s directive: “It is not you they have rejected, but Me as their king” (1 Samuel 8:7). He faithfully warned of royal burdens, yet obeyed God by anointing Saul (1 Samuel 10:1). The prophet’s willingness to yield administrative power while maintaining spiritual authority demonstrates submission to divine leadership over personal status. confrontations with king saul Samuel’s role as conscience to the monarchy emerges vividly in two episodes. First, after Saul’s impatient sacrifice at Gilgal, Samuel declared that the dynasty would not continue (1 Samuel 13:13–14). Second, Saul’s partial obedience regarding Amalek drew the piercing question, “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice?” (1 Samuel 15:22). Samuel’s grief over Saul (1 Samuel 15:35) shows pastoral concern even for a disobedient king. anointing of david Commissioned to seek “a man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14), Samuel traveled to Bethlehem and privately anointed the young David (1 Samuel 16:13). This action quietly shifted the covenantal hope toward Judah and set in motion redemptive trajectories culminating in Messiah. Samuel’s discernment—“Man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7)—underscores prophetic insight into divine election. public ministry: intercession, instruction, worship Throughout his life Samuel acted as intercessor (“Far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you,” 1 Samuel 12:23), instructor in covenant faithfulness (“Only fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully,” 1 Samuel 12:24), and facilitator of corporate worship (1 Samuel 9:12–13). His establishment of prophetic companies at Ramah (1 Samuel 19:20) fostered a culture of Spirit-inspired proclamation that influenced later prophetic tradition. writings attributed to samuel 1 Chronicles 29:29 lists “the records of Samuel the seer,” suggesting official annals later incorporated into the books of Samuel and Kings. Jewish tradition also links him to portions of Judges and Ruth, though Scripture is silent on exact literary scope. Regardless, his documentation of early monarchy provided an inspired theological interpretation of Israel’s history. death and continuing influence “All Israel assembled and mourned for him” (1 Samuel 25:1), testifying to national affection. Even after death his authority endured; Saul’s illicit consultation with the medium at Endor brought a divine rebuke through Samuel’s post-mortem message (1 Samuel 28:15–19). Later writers celebrate him among the faithful: “Samuel among those who call on His name” (Psalm 99:6) and as an exemplar whose intercession, though powerful, could not avert judgment once iniquity ripened (Jeremiah 15:1). other men named samuel • Simeonite leader: Assigned to assist Eleazar and Joshua in land allotment (Numbers 34:20). His role illustrates the broad tribal cooperation under Moses’ directives. • Levitical musician: Listed among the Kohathites (1 Chronicles 6:28, 1 Chronicles 6:33), serving in temple worship generations after the prophet. The repetition of the name within Levitical lines may reflect veneration of the earlier Samuel’s priestly service. theological and typological significance 1. Prophetic prototype: Samuel bridges the “days when the word of the LORD was rare” (1 Samuel 3:1) to an era of vibrant prophetic succession. His life models the listening servant who relays God’s voice without compromise. in later biblical reflection The New Testament echoes Samuel’s era to illustrate divine sovereignty in choosing rulers (Acts 13:20). Hebrews cites the faith exploits of prophets who “shut the mouths of lions” and “became powerful in battle” (Hebrews 11:32–34), implicitly including Samuel among those heroes. His narrative thus continues to shape biblical theology concerning leadership, obedience, and redemption. Forms and Transliterations וּ֭שְׁמוּאֵל וּשְׁמוּאֵ֔ל וּשְׁמוּאֵ֕ל וּשְׁמוּאֵ֖ל וּשְׁמוּאֵ֗ל וּשְׁמוּאֵ֞ל וּשְׁמוּאֵ֣ל וּשְׁמוּאֵ֥ל וּשְׁמוּאֵל֙ ושמואל לִשְׁמוּאֵ֔ל לִשְׁמוּאֵ֜ל לִשְׁמוּאֵל֮ לשמואל שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל שְׁמוּאֵ֜ל שְׁמוּאֵ֣ל שְׁמוּאֵ֣ל ׀ שְׁמוּאֵ֤ל שְׁמוּאֵ֧ל שְׁמוּאֵֽל׃ שְׁמוּאֵל֒ שְׁמוּאֵל֙ שְׁמוּאֵל֮ שמואל שמואל׃ liš·mū·’êl lishmuEl lišmū’êl šə·mū·’êl šəmū’êl shemuEl ū·šə·mū·’êl ūšəmū’êl ushemuElLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Numbers 34:20 HEB: בְּנֵ֣י שִׁמְע֔וֹן שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל בֶּן־ עַמִּיהֽוּד׃ NAS: of Simeon, Samuel the son KJV: of Simeon, Shemuel the son INT: of the sons of Simeon Samuel the son of Ammihud 1 Samuel 1:20 1 Samuel 2:18 1 Samuel 2:21 1 Samuel 2:26 1 Samuel 3:1 1 Samuel 3:3 1 Samuel 3:4 1 Samuel 3:6 1 Samuel 3:6 1 Samuel 3:7 1 Samuel 3:8 1 Samuel 3:9 1 Samuel 3:9 1 Samuel 3:10 1 Samuel 3:10 1 Samuel 3:10 1 Samuel 3:11 1 Samuel 3:15 1 Samuel 3:15 1 Samuel 3:16 1 Samuel 3:16 1 Samuel 3:18 1 Samuel 3:19 1 Samuel 3:20 140 Occurrences |
    |