The Prophetic Investiture of Samuel

The Prophetic Investiture of Samuel A Study of 1 Sam 3 Using Narrative Criticism A Paper Submitted for the Fulfilment of the Requirements of the Seminar on “Narrative Criticism” Submitted by Rayan Joel Lobo 8599 Submitted to Prof. J. L. Ska Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome. Introduction 1 Sam 3 presents the nocturnal divine revelation to young Samuel, destined to be the new prophet of the Lord over Israel. The revelation carries the message of doom to the house of Eli and the rise of Samuel. This paper is an attempt to study the prophetic investiture of Samuel in 1 Sam 3 using narrative analysis. Delimitation 1 Sam 3,1-4,1a is an independent textual unit that speaks about the growth of Samuel, a young boy growing into a mediator between God and the people. There are authors1 who either group 1 Sam 3 along with the first two chapters or divide it differently. I do not totally disagree with them as 1 Sam 3 continues the storyline from the previous chapters. At the same time 1 Sam 3 can be viewed as an independent unit as we will see in the next paragraph. 1 Sam 3,1 is the beginning of a new unit which is evident from its presentation2. There is a stylistic change from a direct communication from the part of ‫ ִאישׁ אֱֹלהִ ים‬in 1 Sam 2,27-36 into a story telling in 1 Sam 3. In 1 Sam 2,36 a direct discourse of a “man of God” to Eli comes to an end. There is also a difference in the prominent voices in the two passages. It is the voice of ‫אֱֹלהים‬ ִ ‫ ִאישׁ‬in 1 Sam 2,27-36 but the voice of the narrator that takes prominence in 1 Sam 3. In comparison to the previous unit (1 Sam 2,27-36) there is a change in the characters and their roles in 1 Sam 3. In 1 Sam 2,27-36 it is the ‫ ִאישׁ אֱֹלהִ ים‬along with Eli and his sons3, but in 1 Sam 3, the young boy Samuel, ‫ הנער שׁמוּאל‬is the main character. ‫ ִאישׁ אֱֹלהִ ים‬ceases to be part of 1 Sam 3, whereas Eli a passive listener4 and a static character in 1 Sam 2,27-36 turns into a dynamic character, as the call to Samuel involves the message of doom to the house of Eli. Up to now the verses about the growth of Samuel were only short interruptions in somebody else’s story. “The opening line of ch.3 joins the series, but is a part of first literary unit which wholly tackles Samuel”5. The text contains clear indications to the spatial changes in the settings. In the first two chapters, the events were taking place in the vicinity of the house of God (1 Sam 1,7.9.24) in 1 J. R. FRANKE (ed.), [Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel (ACCS IV; InterVarsity 2005) 209-211] divides 1 Sam 3 into 2 parts; A.G. AULD, [I & II Samuel (OTL; Louisville, KY 2011) 39-62] combines first part of 1 Sam 3 (up to v. 10) with Ch. 2 and subdivides vv. 11-21 into further 2 divisions. 2 Independent participial sentence denotes duration and is suitable for commencing a unit. ( cf. J.P. FOKKELMAN, Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel: A Full Interpretation Based on Stylistic and Structural Analyses. Vol IV: Vow and Desire (1 Sam 1-12) (Studia Semitica Neerlandica 31; Assen 1993) 157. 3 The sons are mentioned but not active in this section. Their mischiefs are described in a previous unit, 1Sam 2,12-25, but for the verses speaking of Samuel. 4 Eli is not passive in 1 Sam 2,20. 23-25. 5 FOKKELMAN, Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel, 156. 1 Shiloh. In 1 Sam 3 events are happening inside the house of God with specific mentions to ‫ ארון אלהים‬and ‫( נר אלהים‬3,3), which were not mentioned before. There are indications to temporal changes. There is a mention of a general sense of time, ‫בימים ההם‬, in 3,1b and a punctual indication of time, ‫ויהי ביום ההוּא‬, in 3,2a. ‫ היה‬in 3,1b in qal perfect refers to a temporal circumstance in the narration with respect to the preceding verse 3,1a. Applying the principles of Biblical Narrative discourse6 to the passage, we find: 3,1a ‫וְ הַ ַנ ַער ְשׁמוּאֵ ל ְמשָׁ ֵרת‬ w+X+piel participle 3,1b ‫בַּ י ִָמים הָ הֵ ם‬....‫הָ יָה‬ haya (qal perfect) 3,2-4 ‫ויִ קְ ָרא‬...‫ וַיְ ִהי בַּ יֹום הַ הוא‬wayhi + time indicative+… +wayyiktol 1 Sam 3,1-3 begins the preparation for a new narrative unit with the indication of timegeneral and punctual. It introduces main characters and the background information necessary for the drama to further unfold. The narrative unit that begins at 1 Sam 3,1 ends at 1 Sam 4,1a. There are exegetes who end this part of the narrative with the last verse of chapter 3. Those who consider the last verse of chapter 3 as the end of the unit seem to add 4,1a to the unit beginning from chapter 4 (4-6). In my opinion 1 Sam 4,1a does not make part of the textual unit comprising chapters 4-6. In 1 Sam 4,1b we have the introduction of a new character called the Philistines and in the following chapters Samuel does not have much of a role to play. In fact the content of 1 Sam 4,1a summarizes the mission of Samuel as a prophet of God which is gradually developed through 1 Sam 3. Syntactically and thematically this phrase is linked to what precedes it; it has no connection with the second half of the verse7. According to Fokkelman 1 Sam 3 is marked as a unit by the perfect setting of a “threefold ring”: A The boy Samuel served the Lord before Eli B The word of the Lord was scarce in those days 7 1b\ C no vision broke through 1c C’ The Lord went forth to show himself in Shiloh 21a B’ for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh through his word 6 1a 21b R. E. LONGACRE, “Discourse Perspective on the Hebrew Verb: Affirmation and Restatement”, Linguistics and Hebrew Bible (ed. W. R. BODINE) (Winona Lake, IN 1992) 180. U. SIMON, Reading Prophetic Narratives (Indianapolis, IN 1997) 52. The division in verses is a later phenomenon. In the oldest manuscripts verses are not distinguished by any sign. 2 A’ and the word of Samuel came to all Israel 4, 1a8 Notes on selected text critical and philological observations v. 1 a. The MT records just the name of Eli without further apposition. Whereas the LXX reads after the name of Eli, τοῦ ἱερέως. The MT has a shorter form and I prefer to keep that. The MT elsewhere has this apposition (cf. 2,11) but not here. 1 Sam 3 focuses on the prophetic rather than the priestly aspect. It could be that the author of the MT has carefully chosen his words (not to mention “the priest”) to keep to the focus of this unit or these could be taken as slight variations without much bearing on the meaning of the text. b. “‫ ”יקר‬can have 2 meanings, “rare” or “precious”9. Here it is better to translate it as “rare”, which echoes the mood of the narrative. At the end of 1 Sam 3 there is a reversal in the situation as there are frequent visions. v. 3 Where the MT reads ‫ ְבּהֵ יכַל יְ הוָה‬, the LXX reads ἐν τῷ ναῷ. Interestingly after the participle ‫ שֹׁׁ כֵב‬in the MT has an athnah, indicating a pause after “‫”וּשׁמוּאֵ ל שֹׁׁ כֵב‬. ְ This indicates a division between Samuel lying down and the temple of the Lord where the ark was. This break creates a kind of an ambiguity in the understanding about the place where Samuel was sleeping. Now in the orthodox understanding anyone rooming where the ark was (holy of holies) was rare but accepted. But Samuel is not the only one to enjoy this privilege. We also have the example of Joshua (Ex 33,11). Thus there is no need for an athnah. Moreover these signs are later editions. Abraham Maimonides proposed a metaphoric understanding to Samuel’s lying down in the temple, suggesting it as a solution to the Halakhic problem (of someone lying in the sanctuary). There is no longer a problem of translation, but of interpretation10. vv. 4,6,8,10 The MT in vv. 4 & 8 mention indirect speech whereas vv. 6 & 10 mention direct speech. In v. 6 the proper name “Samuel” is called once whereas in v. 10 it is repeated twice leading to a long discourse. The LXX in vv. 4 & 6 are both direct addresses and the name “Samuel” is 8 FOKKELMAN, Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel, 158. cf. Isa 13,12. 10 The predecessors of Abraham Maimonides suggested 3 syntactic solutions; 1. Detaching the second half of v. 3 and attaching with v. 4: in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was, the Lord called out to Samuel.(Rashi) 2. Rearranging the verse 3: the lamp of God had not yet gone out in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was, and Samuel was lying down 3. Filling in the laconic text of the verse: Samuel was lying in the court of Levites, and the voice was heard in the temple of the Lord (Targum Jonathan) (cf. SIMON, Reading Prophetic Narratives, 64.) 9 3 repeated twice. There are various arguments in this regard11. Gen 22,11 and Ex 3,4 that speak of God calling Abraham and Moses also have direct address and the proper names are repeated. But immediately after those repetitions, the message is delivered to them. In this text too the divine message is revealed immediately after the double address in v. 10. Hence there is no need to force the repetition into the MT12. v. 13 In place of the MT ‫מקַ לְ לִ ים לָהֶ ם‬, ְ the LXX reads κακολογοῦντες θεὸν. The LXX seem to have the correct reading here. We have a case of tiqqune sopherim, that is “corrections of the scribes” here. There is an initial aleph being eliminated before ‫ להם‬13. Close parallels can be found in Ex 22,28 and Lev 24,15. v. 19 The MT reads ‫ – ִהפִ יל‬hiphil perfect 3rd person masculine singular whose parallel in the LXX is ἔπεσεν which is an aorist indicative active 3rd person singular. This creates a little ambiguity in the subject of the action. In Greek, the subject is πάντων τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ whereas in Hebrew, the subject is the same as that of ‫ויהוה היה עמו‬, that is ‫יהוה‬. The MT stresses the role of the Lord in fulfilling the words spoken by Samuel, which is the usual form14 and it is found in the LXX. Therefore LXX represents the usual or the correct reading in v.19. The plot “The plot is the route which leads us from lack to the removal of that lack”15, through divine revelation. It is interesting to note that the most frequently used verbs in the passage are ‫אמר‬ and ‫קרא‬. The plot of divine revelation to Samuel consist of 3 moments of knowing or anagnorisis. The verbs ‫( ידע‬v. 7), ‫( בין‬v. 8) and ‫( ידע‬v. 20) are but indicators to the movement from lack of knowing to knowing. Bodner holds that name “Samuel” is not spoken as direct speech until v. 10. [K. BODNER, 1 Samuel. A Narrative Commentary (Sheffield 2008), 39.]; Tsumura opines that we should not force the repetition mechanically on narratives like Samuel. [cf. D. T. T SUMURA, The First Book of Samuel (Grand Rapids, MI 2007) 176.] 12 There are many differences of this type when comparing the Masoretic Text with the LXX. For most specialists in the field, the LXX is no longer considered a translation of the Masoretic Text, but of a different Hebrew text, close but not identical to the Masoretic Text, and sometimes very different. 13 TSUMURA, The First Book of Samuel,180; A. G. AULD, I &II Samuel, 57; S. R. DRIVER, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel (Oxford 1896) 44. 14 cf. Josh 21:45; 23:14; 1 Kgs 8:56 in the MT. 15 FOKKELMAN, Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel, 163; structure clearly shows that in the beginning the word of the Lord was lacking in the nation, but at the end, it was supplied. (cf. TSUMURA, The First Book of Samuel, 173.) 11 4 The 3 moments of knowing or anagnorisis are a. ‘Who’ of the revelation or the question about the identity of the divine revealer b. ‘What’ of the revelation or the question about the (immediate) content of revelation c. Knowledge of the new prophet, to all Israel. The passage presents us with a narrator who often knows everything (omniscient), who keeps the reader informed with the necessary information. Thus reader at most times knows the information which is unknown to one or the other characters in the story. The first moment of knowing The first scene contains an interplay of “call-response” that creates curiosity in the characters in the story about the identity of the revealer, though the reader is already informed about it by the narrator. The reading situation in the first scene is that of “reader-elevating.” Hence the reader's question is not, "who speaks?" but "when and how will the character Samuel discover the identity of the divine speaker?" This narrative progressively moves from lack of knowledge to full knowledge. After the first two calls in vv. 4-5 and v. 6, young Samuel, though he responds correctly, fails to recognize the one who is calling him. The omniscient narrator informs the reader of the ignorance of Samuel in v. 7 and the reason behind it. The reason is‫וטרם יגלה אליו דבר־ייהוה‬. The word ‫יגלה‬ refers to “revelation” and it appears in combination with a negation (‫)טרם‬. At the end of the third calling Eli understood (‫ )ויבן‬that it was the Lord who was calling the boy. This leads young Samuel to the knowledge of the ‘who’ of revelation and guides him to ‘how’ he needs to respond. This is the first moment of anagnorisis. The second moment of knowing The dynamic of knowing continues as Eli, an aging priest whose eye sight was growing dim, knew who the revealer was, but was not aware of the content of the revelation. It is now Samuel who has received the revelation from God and leads Eli to know the content of the revelation. Though we do not have any specific verb that can denote that it is a moment of anagnorisis, the context reveals it since it makes known to Eli the immediate content of the revelation. The third moment of knowing The third and the important moment of anagnorisis that fulfils the deeper purpose of the narrative happens when the young boy who was once ministering to the Lord, under the watch of Eli was known (‫ )וידע‬by all Israel as the prophet established by the Lord (v. 20). The dynamic of revelation comes to an end in the passage as it reads “for the Lord revealed (‫)נגלה‬ 5 himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord”, in contrast to v. 7 where the narrator mentioned, “and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed (‫) וטרם יגלה‬to him” . The program The opening and the closing verses of 1 Sam 3 shed clear light on the “program” of the narrative. It begins with “the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli” (‫והנער שׁמואל‬ ‫ ()משׁרת את־יהוה לפני עלי‬v. 1a) and ends with, “and all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord” ( ‫וידע כל־ישׁראל מדן ועד־באר ֑שׁבע כי נאמן‬ ‫) שׁמואל לנביא ליהוה‬. The narrative that begins with the young, inexperienced boy (‫ )הנער‬Samuel (v. 1a) serving at the temple, moves forward to narrate Samuel becoming the recipient of the word of the Lord (v. 11). It progresses further to reveal Samuel becoming the announcer of the message (vv. 17-18) initially to Eli and then to all Israel. Thus the narrative that began with a young Samuel whom the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed concludes with him becoming an established prophet of the Lord. It is a progressive movement from ‫ הנער‬to ‫נביא‬. The object of the word of God at the beginning of the narrative turns into the subject of the word, whose word comes to all Israel (1 Sam 4,1a). Hence the program in the narrative could be termed as a progressive movement from ‫ נער‬to ‫ נביא‬in which the receiver of the word becoming the bearer of the word of the Lord to all Israel16. Division of the plot vv. 1 General description of the situation vv. 2-14 Scene 1 vv. 2-3 Description of the circumstances vv. 4-5 The first call vv. 6-7 The second call vv. 8-9 The third call vv. 10-14 The fourth call with a message of doom v. 15 Transition vv. 16-18 Scene 2 1 Sam3,19 – 4,1a Epilogue17 He will be ‫ נביא‬instead of ‫ נער‬the accompanying alliteration underlining the great change.(cf. FOKKELMAN, Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel, 157.) 17 Structure is taken from Uriel Simon (cf. S IMON, Reading Prophetic Narratives, 61.) with minor modifications. 16 6 General observations The first verse of the narrative provides the information about situation. The table above shows a brief analysis of the verbs in v.1. v. 1 ‫והַ נַער ְשׁמוּאֵ ל ְמשָׁ ֵרת‬ ‫בַּ י ִָמים הָ הֵ ם‬... ‫הָ יָה‬ w + x(noun)+piel participle 2 level, background general time indicator...+ ‫הָ יָה‬ setting ‫נִ פְ ָרץ‬ niphal, participle with ‫אֵ ין‬ background The narrative opens with a general or infinite time frame in v. 1, “in those days” (‫)בַּ י ִָמים הָ הֵ ם‬ and soon moves into a specific or finite time frame in v. 2, “on that day” (‫)בַּ יֹום הַ הוּא‬, suggesting that “times are about to change in Shiloh”18. This marks the beginning of the first scene. Though we have ‫ וַיְ ִהי בַּ יֹום הַ הוּא‬in v. 2, which marks the typical beginning of an action the first action verb (wayyiktol) appears only in v. 4. There is a parenthesis is within a sentence that belongs to the main action. v. 2 v. 3 ‫וַיְ ִהי בַּ יֹום הַ הוּא‬ punctual time indicator ‫שֹׁׁ כֵב‬ ‫הֵ חֵ ּלוּ‬ qal, participle hiphil,stative typical beginning action 2 level, durative background ‫יוּכַל לִ ְראֹות‬ yiktol+infinitive 2 level, situation ‫יִ כְ בֶּ ה‬ yiktol with ‫אֵ ין‬ 2 level, setting ‫שֹׁׁ כֵב‬ qal, participle durative of an ‫ וַיְ ִהי בַּ יֹום הַ הוּא‬is followed by a parenthesis that gives us further information about the setting and the information about the two prominent characters in the narrative. Therefore the structure that begins the narrative here is ‫ וַיְ הִ י‬+ time indicator+…+wayyiktol. Vv. 4-18 make the main body of the narrative. V. 19 states ‫ויִ גְ דַ ל ְשׁמוּאֵ ל‬, which points to a time lapse compared to the previous episodes pointing to a separation from vv. 1-18 where Samuel is introduced as ‫ הַ ַנ ַער‬. It is obvious in v. 19, when the narrator says ‫ויִ גְ דַ ל ְשׁמוּאֵ ל‬, that there is a difference in the narrative time and the narration time. One part of the night of the narrative time occupies 15 verses of narration and several years of narrative time, when Samuel grew from ‫ הַ נַעַ ר‬to ‫נ ִָביא‬, is expressed with two mere words, ‫ויִ גְ דַ ל ְשׁמוּאֵ ל‬. Another point of observation is the change of subject in v. 4 to v. 16 from YHWH to Eli while the object of the verb ‫ קרא‬continues to be Samuel. Just as ‫שׁמוּאֵ ל‬....‫ קרא‬repeats in vv. 4, 6 and 8 so also the verb ‫ שׁכב‬keeps repeating in vv. 5.6.9. There is another parallel between v. 18 BODNER, 1 Samuel, 38. 7 4 and v. 16, that is in the response of Samuel (to the Lord in v. 4 and to Eli in v. 16), “ ‫ַוי ֹׁאמֶ ר‬ ‫”הנֵנִ י‬. ִ We can divide vv 2-18 into 2 scenes. a. The Lord calls Samuel (vv. 2-14) b. Eli calls Samuel (vv. 16-18) The first scene can further be divided as said earlier into sub units. vv. 2-3 Description of the circumstances vv. 4-5 The Lord calls Samuel for the first time. Failure to understand from the part of Samuel and Eli vv. 6-7 The Lord calls Samuel for the second time Failure to understand from the part of Samuel and Eli The omniscient narrator makes a direct intervention to reveal the reason behind Samuel’s lack of understanding (v. 7). vv. 8-9 The Lord calls Samuel for the third time. Samuel fails again to recognize the voice, but Eli understands. The narrator intervenes to let the reader know that Eli understood. (v. 8c) vv. 10-14 The Lord comes and stands before Samuel It is an auditory and visual vision; Samuel responds to the Lord as instructed. It is followed by the longest direct discourse of the narrative between the Lord and Samuel. vv. 1 General situation 1 Sam 3,1 presents a brief introduction of the general situation that includes the background, setting and the temporal information. The status of Samuel and Eli are well described by the narrator. Samuel is introduced as ‫ וְ הַ ַנ ַער ְשׁמוּאֵ ל ְמשָׁ ֵרת‬in v. 1. In 1 Sam 2 the root ‫ נער‬is used apart from Samuel, to refer to the sons of Eli (‫)הַ נְ ָע ִרים‬. The sin of those young men was great before the Lord (1 Sam 2,17). The ‫ הנער‬in 3,1 and ‫ נערים‬in 2,17 already point towards what the Lord spoke through the man of God, “I will choose a faithful priest who shall do what I have in heart and mind” (1 Sam 2,35a). I do not intend to say that this promise was about Samuel19. But it indicates the change in fortunes for the sons of Eli. ‫ הנער‬is an important word that appears in the initial stages of the prophetic call of Jeremiah (Jer 1,6). ‫משׁרת‬, a piel participle, appears also with the name of Joshua in Nm 11,28 and Jos 1,1, but with a 19 1 Sam 3, 1-21 clearly state Samuel to be a prophet and not as priest. The comment “the faithful priest” is Zadok, Abiathar’s rival and successor [cf. P. K. MCCARTER, I Samuel. A New Translation with Introduction, Notes & Commentary (The Anchor Bible VIII; Garden City, NY 2008) 91.] 8 difference. Joshua is referred as ‫ משׁרת משׁה‬whereas Samuel ‫משׁרת את־יהוה‬. The opening words of the narrative ‫ והנער שׁמואל משׁרת‬suggest that the boy Samuel is meant for the mission of God as Joshua and Jeremiah were. The other two expressions “‘the word of the Lord’ and ‘vision’ are technical terms belonging to the prophetic tradition”20 and they support the claim that the boy Samuel was being prepared for a prophetic mission. It is not clear whether the statement about the rarity of the divine word and the hiddenness of God is to be regarded as a comment by the story-teller on this past period, contrasted with the later time of great prophetic activity or it is a reflection on the low religious ebb of the days of Eli and his sons. It accords well in this latter sense with 1 Sam 2, 1221. The narrative begins with a structure w+x+qatal which aims not only at introducing the circumstances but also to give emphasis to the subject. According to Fokkelman, this is the first instance where Samuel gets total attention after being mentioned randomly in the previous chapters. The first scene : God calls Samuel (vv. 2-14) “The first scene is dominated by the dramatic irony produced by the narrator’s providing his readers with information concealed from the characters, allowing us to observe from a height their errors and hesitant attempts”22. The first scene includes three failed attempts to communicate and the fourth call where the Lord reveals himself to Samuel. We find here a structure of 4 steps (3+1)23 that builds up tension in the narrative and leads it into its resolution. Reading this scene in the light of the exposition (vv. 1-3) reveals several interesting details. The Lord breaks the silence of the night when he calls Samuel. The word of the Lord was rare in those days (v. 1b) and the stage is set for the word of God to be revealed to Samuel. The movement from “in those days” to “on that day” paves the way for a possible new beginning. The circumstantial description (vv. 2-3) As mentioned earlier, ‫ וַיְ ִהי בַּ יֹום הַ הוּא‬in v.2 marks the typical beginning on an action but the parenthesis is within a sentence that belongs to the main action. The words “they had begun” (v. 2) and “not yet” (v. 3) that virtually say the same things as “almost” are signs of limits, transition and exceeding a temporal boundary. 20 P.R. ACKROYD, The First Book of Samuel (Cambridge Biblical Commentary; Cambridge 1971) 42. ACKROYD, The First Book of Samuel, 42-43. 22 SIMON, Reading Prophetic Narratives, 64. 23 A.F. CAMPBELL, 1 Samuel (The Forms of the Old Testament literature VII; Grand Rapids, MI 2003) 55. 21 9 Just as Eli has come to the frontier of darkness, the temple is in danger of losing the light of God24. This cannot be taken so much in a literal sense but has to be taken in a metaphorical sense, according to Fokkelman. Another point of interest in the first 3 verses is the location of Eli and Samuel. v. 2 states that Eli was sleeping “in his place” )‫(בּ ְמקֹׁ מֹו‬ ִ whereas v. 3 states that Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the Lord, but with the mention of “the ark of God” and “the lamp”. The participle ‫ שֹׁׁ כֵב‬is used with both Eli and Samuel but with the circumstantial information it is clear that they slept in different places. With an indication of the place in v. 3 we can conclude that Samuel slept inside the temple, “an appropriate place to receive divine call”25. Eli was possibly lying down outside the main sanctuary26. The manner in which the location of Eli and Samuel are described tell the reader about the privileged position of Samuel in the narration. The narrator provides important background information about the darkness, the rarity of the word of God, the lack of frequent visions and the eyesight of Eli growing dim. “Rarity of the word of God might be construed as a sign of divine disfavor (cf. Ps 74.9; Lam 2,9; Amos 8,11; Mic 3:6f)”27. The night, the lamp28, Eli and Samuel sleeping in the vicinity of the temple also suggest an atmosphere of silence. In the silence, the privileged location that Samuel is in29 creates curiosity in the reader. God calls Samuel, the first time (vv. 4-5) The narrator recounts the words of Lord to Samuel and thus the scene begins in an indirect manner of presentation30. The first call involves 7 verbs in 21 words, which shows the intensification of action in the narrative31. The action moves on quickly and is significant after a long, silent introduction that lacked action. The omniscient narrator, who knows more than the characters in the scene, reveals necessary information to the reader. This helps the 24 FOKKELMAN, Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel, 161. ACKROYD, The First Book of Samuel, 43. [Isaiah’s temple vision (Isa 6) and probably also Jacob’s vision at Bethel (Gen 28,11-18) where place is best understood as meaning “holy place” or sanctuary] 26 ‫ בִּ ְמקֹׁ מֹו‬does not specify the exactness of the place, but I consider it thus, after reading the additional details of the place where Samuel was sleeping. 27 TSUMURA, The First Book of Samuel, 174. 28 Ex 27,20-21 indicates the sanctuary lamp was lit from twilight to dawn, indicating that Samuel’s encounter with YHWH was nocturnal. [cf. D.G. FIRTH, 1 & 2 Samuel (Apollos Old Testament Commentary 8; Downer Groves, IL 2009) 76.] 29 Samuel is in a place where encounters with YHWH are possible. (cf. F IRTH, 1 & 2 Samuel, 76.) 30 There is the presence of ‫ אֶ ל‬before ‫( ְשׁמוּאֵ ל‬v. 4). 31 v. 5 alone has 5 wayyiqtol verbs, indicating a very quick tempo in this part of the narrative.(cf. TSUMURA, The First Book of Samuel, 176.) 25 10 reader to move along with the characters, to feel the sense of internal confusion and lack of clarity on the part of the characters. The Lord called Samuel and he answered, “‫”הנֵנִ י‬, ִ an usual response during divine calling (cf. Gen 22,1; Ex 3,4; Isa 6,832). Young Samuel responds correctly but fails to recognize the voice that called him, as he ran to Eli33. The reader knows that it is the Lord who is calling and that the young boy Samuel has heard the divine call. Hence obvious question that arises in the mind of the reader when Samuel runs to Eli is, “why does he run to Eli when the Lord has called him?” This creates surprise and a sense of suspense in the narrative. God calls Samuel, the second time (vv. 6-7) The divine call is repeated for a second time which is conveyed by ‫ וַיֹׁ סֶ ף‬along with the pleonastic ‫( עֹוד‬v. 6). The second call is structurally a repetition of the first but with important variations. Here the name “Samuel” is not a complement as in v. 4. It is a direct call, since there is no object marker attached before the name of Samuel. “He is called immediately and personally”34 and it is the first time that the name of Samuel is pronounced by the mouth of the Lord. The word “Samuel” is the first word to appear in the direct speech. The other variation is the way “Eli calls him (Samuel) for the first time ‫בְ נִ י‬, without suspecting just how soon the young man is to replace him as a son who succeeds his father”35. I do not think this addition (‫)בנִ י‬ ְ is of utmost importance narratively; this could be read as a mere expression of tenderness from Eli towards Samuel. But looking at the stylistic aspect, the narrator does not tell the story in as much detail as the first time. It lacks the urgency that was shown in the first. In the first moment of the story, Samuel ran to Eli (v. 5), whereas in response to the second call, the narrator provides enough time for Samuel to rise and then walk instead of running to Eli. Here the narrator does not mention that Samuel returned and lay down after Eli’s response as in the first instance. This shows a certain degree of understanding between the reader and the narrator. Though not said, having gone through the first call, the reader understands that Samuel went and lay down, being obedient to the words of Eli. The reader has to supply the missing elements that do not require special explanation. This is part of “narrative economy” or of the “law of thrift.” Samuel, Eli and the Lord are the three main characters in the story and yet interestingly v. 7 is not described by any of them, but by the narrator. This is a typical "intrusion" or a comment. Isaiah adds, “send me” The movement of Samuel is centrifugal. 34 FOKKELMAN, Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel, 166. 35 FOKKELMAN, Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel, 166. 32 33 11 There is no action as such, but just an information passed directly by the narrator to the reader. Looking back at the first seven verses, the narrator moves from being a neutral observer (“external focalization”) to becoming an omniscient narrator who reveals the thoughts known only to the characters in the story (“zero focalization”36). We have a case of analepsis here; a case of retrospection37. The deliberative use of the verb in the perfect, ‫ יָדַ ע‬neither speaks of a succession, nor a simultaneous action but an attempt to make up for the possible questions or confusion of the past events. In the context of the narrative, v. 7 holds special status as the omniscient narrator announces an important piece of information. In the previous chapter there are 2 instances where it is said that Samuel was ministering to the Lord (1 Sam 2,11.18) and was under Eli. Hence it is possible to think that Samuel knew the Lord, to whom he was ministering. The information provided by the narrator in v. 7 becomes more relevant, especially in the context of confusion with regard to the voice of the Lord. Hence the explanation provided by the narrator here clears any shade of confusion that might have arisen from the disconnect between the subject and the recipient of the divine call between vv. 4-6. By mentioning that “Samuel did not yet know the Lord and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him” (v. 7), the omniscient narrator does not leave any room for further confusion about the past events. The questions that arise in the reader at this point are, “Will Samuel finally recognize the one who is calling him? How will he respond?” Structurally v. 7 contains “two five word clauses which are parallel. They lead to the proper noun of God as epiphora and are concerned with the time limit”38. At the narrative level, the presence of ‫ טרם‬is important39. The positive side of it is that Samuel is approaching a period of knowing God, through the revelation of the word of God as 7b states. Negatively his ignorance up until the present moment is a metonymic continuation of the almost extinguished flame in line 3a which also reads ‫ טרם‬. God calls Samuel, the third time (vv. 8-9) God calls Samuel for the third time, which the text makes clear as it explicitly mentions ‫( בשׁלשׁית‬v. 8). Even at the third call, the response of Samuel is not different. Having heard 36 For further information on focalization, cf : S KA, Our Fathers Have Told Us, 66. This could also be typical of “intrusions” or “asides” - the narrator supplies a piece of information, he does not tell an action that took place earlier and was not described. 38 FOKKELMAN, Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel, 167. 39 The perfect ‫ יָדַ ע‬after ‫ טֶ ֶרם‬though very rare, is fully supported by Ps. 90,2 and Prov. 8,25. [cf. C.F. KEIL – F. DELITZSCH, Commentary on the Old Testament in Ten Volumes Volume II : Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I&II Samuel (Grand Rapids, MI 1980) 49.] 37 12 the call he goes to Eli faithfully for the third time and repeats ‫ ִהנְ נִ י כִ י קָ ָראתָ לִ י‬. This creates an impression of stability or constancy of behaviour of young Samuel in the mind of the reader. Not being able to distinguish between the voice of the human and that of the Lord, Samuel keeps returning to Eli in the silence of the night with the same attitude of availability. The expression, “‫”אֶ ל־עֵלִ י‬, suggests that until that time, for Samuel in his ignorance, Eli was the point of reference. The omniscient narrator resurfaces in the last part of v. 8 as he lets the reader know what is perceived by Eli alone and not known to Samuel. Again the reader has more information than one of the characters in the story. The ignorance of Samuel is now paralleled with the understanding of Eli, which he immediately shares with Samuel. From the narrative point of view, the knowledge of the understanding of Eli is important as the reader understands that the tension built up in the narrative through three calls is about to be resolved. Eli (v. 9) replaces the command ‫שׁוב שׁכב‬ (vv. 5 and 6 ) with ‫( לך שׁכב‬v. 9). “It is a fresh sign that Samuel is at the beginning of a special walk of life”40. But there is an important difference in Samuel, as he returns to his place; in verses 5 and 6 when he went, lay down, and was ignorant, but this time around he is well instructed. The last word in v. 9, once Samuel returns, there is no more movement. There is no more running to Eli; there is the calm of night and the guidance of Eli with Samuel. The question to be resolved now is, “how will the boy respond to God” Up to this point there have been three unsuccessful attempts by the Lord to communicate with Samuel. “The three unsuccessful attempts build up suspense”41 in the narrative. All have been auditory callings, strengthening the claim of the 3+1 structure in the narrative. “Eli’s answer to Samuel (v. 9) does not guarantee that YHWH will call”42 again but it does create curiosity in the reader. So far there are two persons in the story along with the voice of the Lord (not the physical presence), but now in the next verse the Lord enters the scene as he comes and stands beside Samuel. Does the Lord want to communicate something important? What does he want to communicate? The Lord calls Samuel, the fourth time (vv. 10-14) The verb used at the beginning of the first 3 callings is ‫וַיִ קְ ָרא‬. This repeated calling and the instructions from Eli have prepared the ground for the close encounter between God and 40 FOKKELMAN, Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel, 168. C. CONROY, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings: with an Excursus on Davidic Dynasty and Holy City Zion (Wilmington, DE 1983) 25. 42 FIRTH, 1 & 2 Samuel, 77. 41 13 Samuel. The two verbs used at the beginning of v. 10, ‫ ויבא‬and ‫ ויתיצב‬along with ‫ ויקרא‬show the closeness between the one who is calling and the one who is being called. Samuel was lying down when the Lord came and stood43 beside him. The text means the actual presence of the Lord in the temple beside Samuel and not a dream. These details show that it is an important moment in the narrative. Samuel’s response guided by Eli is different. In the first 3 instances of calling, there is a movement attached to the response ‫ הנני‬from the part of Samuel accompanied by the verbs 44 ‫וירץ‬, ‫ויקם‬, ‫וילך‬. Any movement towards Eli meant moving away from the vicinity or the closeness of the presence of the Lord, and these movements were caused by his ignorance. Thus Samuel, an active character so far in the narrative, becomes a passive listener or recipient of God’s revelation in the fourth call. At this point there is no movement on the part of Samuel. The other aspect to observe in the fourth call is that Lord calls Samuel by name and he calls him twice45, ‫שׁמואל שׁמואל‬. Calling the name twice not only indicates that the present moment of direct discourse is a crucial moment in the life of Samuel, but also places him in line with great personalities who went before him46 like Abraham (Gen 22,21), Jacob (Gen 46,2) and Moses (Ex 3,4). The opening verse of 1 Sam 3 shows Samuel serving the Lord, before Eli. In the first 3 call narrations, we find Samuel being available to Eli in the dark of night and that he is obedient to Eli’s words, to return to his place. In v. 9 he is instructed clearly by Eli how he needs to respond, “Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears”. In v. 10 Samuel responds to the call as Eli instructed, but leaving out the proper name of God. It would indeed support the claim made in v. 7 that he did not yet know the Lord47. This is a narrative subtlety where Samuel is slowly maturing (coming into his own)48 as he encounters the Lord who is standing beside him. 43 The other 2 examples of the Lord standing beside found in Gen 28,13 and Ex 34,5. But they do not indicate how this divine presence was made tangible. (cf. SIMON, Reading Prophetic Narratives, 67.) 44 In the first calling though, he initially responds saying ‫ הנני‬which is almost spontaneous, as then he runs to Eli and repeats again ‫ הנני‬. 45 Calling the name twice could indicate greater urgency and set it apart from other occurrences.(cf. FIRTH, 1 & 2 Samuel, 77); “Abraham! Abraham” (Gen 22,11); “Jacob! Jacob!” (Gen 46,2); “Moses! Moses!” (Ex 3,4); such repeated pronunciations have special significance as God called them at crucial times in their lives. (TSUMURA, The First Book of Samuel, 179.) 46 Here I intend to say that the names of Abraham, Jacob, Moses too were called out twice by the ‫יהוה‬. 47 Up to this point in the narrative, only his name is being called by the Lord and nothing more. 48 And does not follow Eli’s words literally. 14 The tension built up in the narrative up to this point is resolved as the Lord finally gains the attention of Samuel. The importance of the divine message can be sensed as it occupies 4 verses of the narrative. Samuel not only knows who is calling him but also the content of this call. Now the reader knows as much as Samuel knows and more than Eli does. The reader and Samuel have a well-deserved pause as the fourth call too ends with the usual ‫שׁכב‬, but Samuel has slept well, having encountered the Lord and received the message. Though Samuel has received the vision and the message, he has not been asked to go and proclaim or transmit this message49. The Transition (v. 15) V. 15 is very significant in the narrative as it works as transition from night to morning. Dividing “that night” into 2 parts, and considering the Lord calling Samuel (vv. 4-14) as the first part and rest of the night up until morning as the second, leads us to see the difference between the narrative time and the narration time50. The first part of the night, occupies almost ¾th of the narration and the second part of the night is expressed with just 4 words. If the first part is action packed, second part simply says, ‫וישׁכב שׁמואל עד־הבקר‬. Thus the narrative at this point is slowing down or coming to a temporary halt after a fast moving first part of the night before it returns to action mode again in the successive verses. There is also a subtle change of spatial setting as Samuel opens the door of the temple that was closed at the dark of the night and is now open to the light of the morning. There is an ongoing interplay between light and dark in the narrative. There are authors who hold that this opening of the door to the light is symbolic as much as physical51. The omniscient narrator resurfaces again to reveal the inner thoughts of Samuel. In the words of Genette52, what we have here is a “zero focalization” or “non focalized narrative”. The information from the narrator, ‫שׁמואל ירא‬, helps the reader to identify with the character of Samuel and prepares him for the following scene where this information gives him the better understanding. At the end of the first scene, Samuel has received a divine revelation, which is not a good tiding as it carries a message of doom to the house of Eli. ‫שׁמואל ירא‬, adds to the curiosity of It is a mere revelation and not a command to proclaim as in other cases of call narratives. ‫ וְ הִ ג ְַד ִתי‬in v.13 should be read as a conversive future, with the sense, “I shall demonstrate to him” (SIMON, Reading Prophetic Narratives, 618.) 50 For further details on narrative time and narration time, cf. J. L. SKA, Our Fathers Have Told Us. Introduction to the of Hebrew Narratives (SB 13; Roma 1990) 7-8. 49 51 52 W. DIETRICH, Samuel (BKAT VIII/I; Neukirchen-Vluyn 2011) 184. SKA, Our Fathers Have Told Us, 66. 15 the reader. Will Samuel reveal the matter to Eli? How would Eli react to the message of doom? Scene 2 : Eli calls Samuel (vv. 16-18) Structurally there are similarities between the first (vv. 4-14) and the second scene (vv. 1618). The first scene begins with ‫ ויקרא יהוה‬where ‫ יהוה‬takes initiative, the second scene starts with ‫ ויקרא עלי‬where Eli takes initiative, though the object of ‫ קרא‬in both cases is Samuel. As at other times there is a subtle change in the object marker53. As in the first scene, the second scene too follows “call-response” pattern. Though the pattern is the same, the mood is different. If in the first scene it was more of curiosity and confusion or lack of understanding, in the second it is a sense of anxiety and fear. We still have 2 of the 3 characters from the first scene (Eli and Samuel) but their roles and the positions have changed due to the different levels of knowledge. From vv. 4-8 Eli had better knowledge than Samuel. In vv. 16-18, because of the divine revelation in vv. 10-14 Samuel has more knowledge than Eli and thus is in a more superior position than that of Eli. With Samuel revealing the divine message to Eli, Samuel, Eli and the reader are at the same level of knowledge. Unlike other prophetic calls, Samuel receives the message alone but not the command to announce it. The narrator uses Eli as an instrument who enables Samuel not only to respond to the Lord but also to announce the content of revelation. “Eli commands Samuel to tell him the news and puts Samuel under the threat of divine judgement, which is ironic, since that is exactly what the news pertains to”54. In comparison to the divine speech in vv. 10-14, in vv. 16-18 “Eli gets a speech which is much shorter than the main speech of God, although much more extensive than the other talks”55. Samuel, largely a passive listener during the divine speech (vv. 10-14), is an active spokesperson of God while Eli turns into a passive listener. When Samuel announces to him the divine judgement, he hears nothing new about himself. “What really is new is that the novice has been appointed man of God in one fell swoop”56. The scene that was initiated by Eli is also concluded by him. From now on (v. 18) he vanishes from the scene as he does not have a further role in the narrative. At this point it is important to note how subtly the narrator made use of Eli in the growth of the story and the ‫ את‬in v. 16 in comparison to ‫ אל‬of v. 4. This yet again stresses the point that the narrator does not repeat the narration exactly in the same way. There is at least some minor difference in vocabulary. 54 BODNER, 1 Samuel, 40. 55 FOKKELMAN, Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel, 183. 56 FOKKELMAN, Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel, 183. 53 16 progress of Samuel. Eli’s role did not end with understanding (v. 8) and guiding Samuel towards receiving the Lord’s revelation. The final words of Eli in v. 18 where he says, “it is the Lord”, having heard the divine message through Samuel, also testify that it is through Samuel that the Lord now speaks and that he is the new messenger. Long before Israel could know that Samuel is the new prophet of the Lord (v. 20), Eli testifies that he is57. Who can better testify it than Eli, an old, experienced priest, who has served the Lord all his years? As Eli departs from the scene, Samuel has a new and elevated position in the narrative. The narrative “serves to reiterate the coming transfer of authority to him (Samuel) from the house of Eli”58. Conclusion: Samuel, an established prophet of the Lord (1 Sam 3,19 – 4,1a) At the end of v. 18, in the narrative we have Samuel, who had the vision of the Lord, who has revealed the message to Eli and Eli has testified that Samuel now speaks God’s word and yet the textual unit does not end there. The narrator is not satisfied with Eli’s testimony alone about Samuel’s new role, but he wants the entire nation to recognize it. ‫ ויגדל‬in v. 19 shows a considerable time lapse from the second scene, and yet vv. 18 & 19 59 are closely connected with respect to content. If in v. 18 Eli recognizes that Samuel now speaks the word of the Lord, v. 19 states that “the Lord was with him”. The proper name ‫יהוה‬ repeats five times in the concluding section, indicating that the principle agent of this section is ‫ יהוה‬himself. The narrator makes sure that the program of the narrative is achieved; a concentric structure of presentation in the concluding section confirms it. A and Samuel grew up 19a B and the Lord was with him 19b X All Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew 20a That Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord 20b B’ the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh with his word 21b A’ and Samuel’s word went forth to all Israel60 57 4,1a Generally in all call narratives, there is a sign, that confirms to the prophet and to the public, that it is the Lord who is addressing him. Here confirmation comes from Eli who has been involved in the revelation, both as an onlooker and as a subject ( cf. SIMON, Reading Prophetic Narratives, 70.) 58 ACKROYD , The First Book of Samuel, 44. 59 “Samuel grew up and the Lord was with him”(v. 19) resembles in content and structure, verses about Moses (Ex 2,11) and Samson (Judg 13,24-25) (cf. SIMON, Reading Prophetic Narratives, 71.) 60 FOKKELMAN, Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel, 186. 17 The central verse in the structure reveals Samuel was established as a prophet through the revelatory presence of the Lord and his word. There are 2 expressions that prepare the prophetic investiture of Samuel. V. 19b states ‫ וַיהוָה הָ יָה עִ ּמֹו‬which is often a way of expressing divine favour. We have similar assurances in the case of Moses (Ex 3,12) and Joshua (Jos 1,5). The only difference in their cases is that the assurance comes directly from the Lord, whereas in 1 Sam 3,19a it is from the narrator. ‫ הָ יָה‬here is durative that prepares a strong background for Samuel’s elevation as Israel’s prophet. V. 19c states, ‫ָל־דבָ ָריו אָ ְרצָ ה‬ ְ ‫ֹׁא־הפִ יל ִמכ‬ ִ ‫וְ ל‬, which is a sign of a prophet of the Lord (cf. Deut 18,22). 1 Sam 3 began by stating, that “the word of the Lord was rare in those days and there were no frequent visions” (v. 1). The concluding verses, v. 21 and 4,1a, state that the Lord appeared again in Shiloh, the Lord revealed himself to Samuel through the word of the Lord and the word of Samuel came to all Israel. The conclusion of the narrative text shows a reversal in the situation; the lack has been filled, there are frequent visions and the word of the Lord is not rare. Contrary to v. 7 which reads, “Samuel did not yet know the Lord and word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him”, v. 21 states that the Lord revealed himself to Samuel by the word of the Lord. Thus God’s silence was broken not only on “that day” (v. 2) alone but from “that day” onwards his manifestation continued. In place of Eli, whose eyesight was growing dim,61 we have a new prophet, known to all Israel, who now acts as a point of contact between God and his people. V. 19 says, “and Samuel grew”, and it clearly shows a time lapse from the previous section where Samuel is still a boy. V. 20 states that all Israel knew that Samuel was established as a prophet62. We again have a case of a gradual progression in which the information would take time to spread and for events to reach from personal to national level. It is not a lapse of time alone but the important events that made Samuel known that are omitted by the narrator. The reader does not have a systematic chronological account before him. What is placed before the reader by the narrator is the final outcome of all that happened and that supports what the narrator wants to communicate, “the program” of this narrative text. The absence of the narration of events63 that made him an established prophet indicate that what we have here 61 Physical and Spiritual. How this recognition actually spread is reflected in what Kish’s servant tells Saul when they cannot find the missing asses: “There is a man of God in the town, and the man is highly esteemed; everything he says comes true” (1 Sam 9,6) (cf. SIMON, Reading Prophetic Narratives, 71.) 63 Apart from the 4 calls. 62 18 (1 Sam 3,19-4,1a) is a prolepsis, as Fokkelman64 puts it, which extends far beyond chapter 465; Reflections Not a call narrative: 1 Sam 3 presents divine revelation to young Samuel who by the end of the narrative unit is established as a prophet over the entire Israel. “The nocturnal revelation with its announcement of judgement on the house of Eli is in the form of a story”66. Categorizing 1 Sam 3 strictly under “call narratives” in my opinion would damage its uniqueness as it is different from other call narratives. It does not meet all the criteria laid out to be part of traditional “call narratives”67. “It is a story about being called but it resists being placed on a Procrustean bed of genre regulations or subjected to the rigid rules of the Formgeschichte”68. It is not a prophetic call narrative. It may serve in place of a call narrative, since after this first experience of God’s word Samuel continues as a trustworthy prophet of the Lord . Silence: Amidst several dynamic moves in the narrative, what fuels curiosity in the reader is the silence in the narrative. 1 Sam 3 begins with an exposition that provides us information about the background and the setting. Though not mentioned explicitly, night at Shiloh communicates an ambience of silence, a perfect setting to listen to the divine voice. The dark night, intensified by the blindness of Eli, carries a ray of hope in the person of young and devout Samuel, just as the lamp was still burning in the temple amidst darkness. The silence of Samuel enables him to give an attentive ear to the words of the Lord (vv. 10-14) without a question in return. It reveals the profound character Samuel, as a servant who is ready to listen to the Lord. V. 10 speaks of a tangible presence of YHWH in the temple. The obvious question is, in what form? The narrative is silent on these questions, allowing the reader not to sway away from the main focus of the narrative. Finally the profound silence, hearing the words of judgement from the mouth of young Samuel and the uncomplaining acceptance of the divine will, though a rejected one, holds aging Eli in a good stead in the eyes of the 64 FOKKELMAN, Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel, 190. In 1 Sam 7,2-12, Samuel’s status as national leader is in operation and in chapters 8-12, where he assumes the role of mediator between God and the people, in the institution of monarchical royalty. 66 CAMPBELL, 1 Samuel, 56. 67 According to N.C. HABEL [“The Form and Significance of the Call Narratives”, ZAW 77/1 (1965) 298] there are 6 necessary elements in a call narrative; 1.Divine confrontation 2. Introductory word 3. Commission 4. Objection 5. Reassurance 6. Sign. 1 Sam 3 contains only first two elements mentioned explicitly. 68 FOKKELMAN, Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel, 193. 65 19 reader. Silence in the narrative helps the reader move closely and feel with the intensity of the narrative and its characters. Does Samuel replace Eli? 1 Sam 1,9 & 2,11 introduce Eli with an apposition, ‫כהן‬, whereas in 1 Sam 3, he is referred to simply by his name, a possible indication of his decline in the eyes of the Lord. Traditionally Eli’s sons were expected to carry his work ahead, ministering to the Lord in the temple at Shiloh. 1 Sam 3 begins with young Samuel ministering to the Lord before Eli69. In v. 6 Eli calls Samuel ‫ בְ נִ י‬though he is not his son by birth. Thus the narrative systematically prepares Samuel for an upcoming greater mission. “Contrasted with the fateful destiny of Elides, Samuel has God’s approval as prophet to the nation”70. But does Samuel succeed Eli in his office? 1 Sam 2,35 states, “I will raise up for myself a faithful priest”, but in 1 Sam 3 “Samuel is called a prophet and is nowhere named a priest. He does not therefore succeed Eli in his office. But he does replace him in the position of mediator”71. Eli in the narrative: In 1 Sam 3 where divine revelation comes to Samuel, Eli is being used as a kingpin to move the narrative forward. It is the fall of the house of Eli that is at the background of the rise of young Samuel. Samuel’s rise is God’s choice as much as the fall of Elides is their fate. It is the aging old priest, Eli, who guides Samuel to respond to the divine call. When Samuel received the divine manifestation but not the commission to announce it, “Eli helps Samuel become a prophet not only by compelling him to recount everything he heard, but also by extracting from the message its double truth: its divine origin and its justice”72. The irony is that the judge is being judged and the master is about to be replaced by the disciple. In accepting the divine will, Eli legitimizes Samuel to be the new bearer of the word of God. Finally, apart from the 3 main characters, the narrator plays a vital role in 1 Sam 3. What is not stated by the characters is reported by the narrator. The narrator introduces the story by describing the distress73 that will be eliminated by Samuel’s vocation and concludes with the abundance of prophetic inspiration that descended on Israel through the trustworthy prophet. In v. 7 the narrator states, “Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him” and “the epilogue he uses the same verbs to underscore the 69 The text does not say that Samuel offered a sacrifice in the temple of Shiloh. He is a "servant" who performed minor tasks, but no priestly tasks as such. 70 CAMPBELL, 1 Samuel, 55. 71 FOKKELMAN, Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel, 192-193. 72 SIMON, Reading Prophetic Narratives, 70. 73 Distress about the rarity of word of the Lord and the widespread prophecies. 20 fundamental change that has transpired as a result of Samuel’s call”74. The narrative achieves “the program” in the epilogue in announcing that Samuel was established as a prophet over the entire Israel. Why a prophet and not a King? Reading 1 Sam 3 against a larger background, we may say that the call of Samuel as prophet comes as a surprise. In Judges 17,6; 18,1; 19,1; 21,25, can be interpreted as a wish for a king. The reader may expect a king when reading the first chapters of Samuel, but this is not the case. We find a prophet. In the initial chapters of 1 Samuel began an era of kings and prophets. Prophet was a mouth piece of God, whom YHWH continually manifested (1 Sam 3,21) his will. If a king was chosen by people (1 Sam 9,10-18) who dealt with material and political matters, a prophet was a seer was a divine choice to be a mediator between Him and his people. A king was anointed by the prophet (cf. 1 Sam 10,26-28; 1 Sam 16,13) on instructions of YHWH. It was the prophet who reproved kings (cf. 1 Sam 15,10-23) when they were not trustworthy, when they went against divine will. Therefore appointing a prophet before appointing a king reveals divine supremacy over people, even when they had a king from among them. Presence of a prophet even in the presence of a king meant divine will continued to reign among His people. Conclusion 1 Samuel 3 is a story of a young temple servant who was serving under the watch of his master being established as the prophet of the Lord. The plot keeps the reader engaged with ongoing suspense and curiosity that deals with the fading destiny of Eli meeting the rising destiny of the trustworthy servant Samuel, centered around divine revelation. In Samuel, Israel has a new mediator between them and YHWH. The prophetic investiture of Samuel is an example of divine choice and the need for trustworthiness before the Lord. 74 SIMON, Reading Prophetic Narratives, 72. 21 BIBLIOGRAPHY Primary Sources ELLIGER, K. –RUDOLF W. (ed.), Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (Stuttgart 1967/77). RALPHS, A. (ed.) Septuaginta (Stuttgart 1935). Grammars GESENIUS, H.G.W., Gesenius’s Hebrew Grammar (Oxford 1910). JOUON, P. –MURAOKA, T., A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew (SB 27; Roma 2006). Articles and Commentaries ACKROYD, P.R., The First Book of Samuel (Cambridge Biblical Commentary; Cambridge 1971). AULD, A.G., I & II Samuel (OTL; Louisville, KY 2011). BODNER, K., 1 Samuel. A Narrative Commentary (Sheffield 2008). CAMPBELL, A.F., 1 Samuel (The Forms of the Old Testament literature VII; Grand Rapids, MI 2003). CONROY, C., 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings: with an Excursus on Davidic Dynasty and Holy City Zion (Wilmington, DE 1983). DIETRICH, W., Samuel (BKAT VIII/I; Neukirchen-Vluyn 2011). DRIVER, S. R., Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel (Oxford 1896). FIRTH, D.G., 1 & 2 Samuel (Apollos Old Testament Commentary 8; Downer Groves, IL 2009). FOKKELMAN, J.P., Narrative Art and Poetry in the Books of Samuel: A Full Interpretation Based on Stylistic and Structural Analyses. Vol IV: Vow and Desire (1 Sam 112) (Studia Semitica Neerlandica 31; Assen 1993). FRANKE, J. R.(ed.), Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel (ACCS IV; Downers Grove, IL 2005) . HABEL, N.C., “The Form and Significance of the Call Narratives”, ZAW 77/1 (1965) 297323. KEIL, C. F. – DELITZSCH, F., Commentary on the Old Testament in Ten Volumes. Volume II : Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I&II Samuel (Grand Rapids, MI 1980). 22 LONGACRE, R. E., “Discourse Perspective on the Hebrew Verb: Affirmation and Restatement”, Linguistics and Hebrew Bible (ed. W. R. BODINE) (Winona Lake, IN 1992). MCCARTER, P. K., I Samuel. A New Translation with Introduction, Notes & Commentary (The Anchor Bible VIII; Garden City, NY 2008) SIMON, U., Reading Prophetic Narratives (Indianapolis, IN 1997). SKA, J. L., Our Fathers Have Told Us. Introduction to the Analysis of Hebrew Narratives ( SB 13; Roma 1990). TSUMURA, D. T., The First Book of Samuel (Grand Rapids, MI 2007). 23 Translation 1 The boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. 2 At that time Eli, was lying in his place and his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see; 3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel and he replied, “Here I am!” 5 then he ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he replied, “I did not call; lie down.” So he went and lay down. 6 And the Lord called again, “Samuel” And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he replied, “I did not call, my son; return, lie down.” 7 For Samuel had not known the Lord yet, the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. 8 And theLord called Samuel again, the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli understood that theLord was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the Lord came and stood forth, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel, at which the two ears of every one that hears it will tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfil against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 And I tell him that I am about to judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons were cursing God, and he did not rebuke them. 14 Therefore I swear against: the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for, either with the sacrifice or with an offering forever.” 15 Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he replied, “Here I am.” 17 And Eli said, “What was the matter that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.” 19 And Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and did not let any of his words fall on the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. 21 And the Lord Continued to appear in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord. 4,1a And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.