Cover

SAMUEL AND HIS GOD

Title

Copyright

CONTENTS

Series Editor’s Preface

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

Samuel in the Bible

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 2: SOURCES OF THE SAMUEL STORIES

“The Bible”

Ancient Customs of Authorship

Evidence of Layers in 1 Samuel: A First Glance

The Deuteronomistic History

The Prophetic Record

Too Much Analysis of Layers?

Was It Ever Meant to Be Read All at Once?

CHAPTER 3: THE MANY ROLES OF SAMUEL

Priest

Judge

Ideas and Ideals of Prophecy

Samuel as Prophet

Summary

CHAPTER 4: THE PROBLEMATIC GOD OF SAMUEL

What Lord Does

Lord and Hannah: Caring for the Little People?

Lifting the Poor: Hannah’s Song (1 Samuel 2:1–10)

Lord’s Attitudes

Reflections

CHAPTER 5: A SEQUENTIAL READING OF SAMUEL

Samuel’s Earliest Years (1 Samuel 1–2)

Samuel’s Calling (1 Samuel 3:1–4:1)

Interlude of Absence (1 Samuel 4:2–7:2)

Samuel as Judge (1 Samuel 7:3–17)

Request for Kingship (1 Samuel 8)

Samuel Designates Saul (1 Samuel 9:1–10:27)

Saul Steps Forward (1 Samuel 11)

Samuel’s Farewell Speech? (1 Samuel 12)

Prophet and King: Round 1 (1 Samuel 13:1–15a)

The Missing Prophet (1 Samuel 13:15b–14:52)

Prophet and King: Round 2 (1 Samuel 15)

A New Era Begins (1 Samuel 16:1–13)

The Fading of Samuel (1 Samuel 19:18–24 and 25:1)

Encore (1 Samuel 28:3–25)

CHAPTER 6: SAMUEL, HIS GOD, AND US

Samuel

God

Us

Notes

Bibliography

Scripture Index

Hebrew Word Index

Topic Index