Samuel

Samuel was the son of Hannah, given to the LORD's service from childhood, who became prophet and judge over Israel. He anointed Saul and then David as king.

Birth and dedication

• 1 Samuel 1:10-11
  ¹⁰And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears. ¹¹And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.And she made a vow, pleading, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever come over his head.”
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• 1 Samuel 1:19-20
  ¹⁹And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.The next morning Elkanah and Hannah got up early to bow in worship before the LORD, and then returned home to Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. ²⁰Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord.So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”
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• 1 Samuel 1:24-28
  ²⁴And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young.Once she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. Though the boy was still young, she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. ²⁵And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.And when they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. ²⁶And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord.“Please, my lord,” said Hannah, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. ²⁷For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:I prayed for this boy, and since the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him, ²⁸Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.I now dedicate the boy to the LORD. For as long as he lives, he is dedicated to the LORD.” So they worshiped the LORD there.
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Called by the LORD

• 1 Samuel 3:1-10
  ¹And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.And the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. Now in those days the word of the LORD was rare and visions were scarce. ²And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;And at that time Eli, whose eyesight had grown so dim that he could not see, was lying in his room. ³And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was located. ⁴That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.Then the LORD called to Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” ⁵And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. ⁶And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.Once again the LORD called, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “My son, I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” ⁷Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, because the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. ⁸And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.Once again, for the third time, the LORD called to Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” Then Eli realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy. ⁹Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.“Go and lie down,” he said to Samuel, “and if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. ¹⁰And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.Then the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”
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• 1 Samuel 3:19-21
  ¹⁹And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. ²⁰And all Israel from Dan even to Beer–sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.So all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD. ²¹And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.And the LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, because there He revealed Himself to Samuel by His word.
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Judge over Israel

• 1 Samuel 7:3
  And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”
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• 1 Samuel 7:15-17
  ¹⁵And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.So Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. ¹⁶And he went from year to year in circuit to Beth–el, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.Every year he would go on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all these places. ¹⁷And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the Lord.Then he would return to Ramah because his home was there, and there he judged Israel and built an altar to the LORD.
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Anointing the kings

• 1 Samuel 8:4-7
  ⁴Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. ⁵And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.“Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.” ⁶But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.But when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” their demand was displeasing in the sight of Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. ⁷And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king.
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• 1 Samuel 10:1
  Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?
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• 1 Samuel 15:22-23
  ²²And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams. ²³For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.”
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• 1 Samuel 16:1
  And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth–lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.”
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• 1 Samuel 16:13
  Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.
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Death

• 1 Samuel 25:1
  And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.When Samuel died, all Israel gathered to mourn for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David set out and went down to the Wilderness of Paran.
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• 1 Samuel 28:3
  Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.Now by this time Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists from the land.
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In the New Testament

• Acts 3:24
  Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have proclaimed these days.
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• Acts 13:20
  And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.All this took about 450 years. After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.
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• Hebrews 11:32
  And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,
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See also

• David
• Prayer
• Obedience
• Leadership

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.