OF THE

FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL.

THE relations contained in the Book of Ruth formed a kind of digression in the sacred history, with a particular view; but the general thread is now resumed respecting the Judges of Israel; and we are presented in this, and in the following Book, with an account of the events and occurrences which happened in the time of the two last Judges, Eli and Samuel; and of the two first Kings, Saul and David. It is uncertain whether these books are called the Books of Samuel, because he was the author of them, or only because his history constitutes a principal part of the sacred account. They are in the vulgate [A]

[A] The Vulgate was a very ancient version of the Bible into Latin, but by whom, or at what period it was made, is not known. The Old Testament of this version was translated from the Septuagint. It was in general use till the time of St. Jerom, and called also the Italic version. St. Jerom's translation was made immediately from the Hebrew into Latin, or was the Vulgate corrected by the Hebrews? It was executed about A.D. 384, and it was gradually received into the Western Church, in preference to all preceding versions. It was published at Paris, by Martianay and Pouget, in 1693. The

styled the first and second Book of Kings [B], as two of those four books which contain the history of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

The two books of Samuel were in the Hebrew canon considered but as one.

The Talmudists [c]

suppose that Samuel wrote the twenty-four first chapters of the first book, and that the rest was supplied by the prophets Gad and Nathan. This opinion is founded upon these words in the first book of Chronicles [D]. "Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of present Vulgate, which is declared authentic by the Council of Trent, is the ancient Italic version, revised and improved by the labours of St. Jerom and others. This is the only translation allowed by the church of Rome, and it is used by that church upon all occasions, excepting that, in the Missal and Psalms, some passages, or the whole of the ancient Vulgate, are retained, as are the Apocryphal Books, many of which St. Jerom did not translate. There are two principal editions of the received Vulgate, one published by Pope Sixtus the Fifth, in 1590, the other by Clement the Eighth, which differs much from the former, though both are declared authentic from the Papal Chair, with much inconsistency, as the Protestants contend, but as the Papists maintain only with latitude for a corrected impression. Vide Kennicott's State of the printed Hebrew Text, and James's Bellum Papale and Treatise on the Corruption of Scripture. Some parts of the ancient Italic version, of which the copies are now lost, have been recovered from citations in the writings of the Fathers, and are published with supplementary additions, in Walton's Polyglot.

[B] These and the two succeeding books are called in the Greek, Bao, the books" of kingdoms."

[c] Bava Bathra, cap. i. Kimchi.

[D] 1 Chron. xxix. 29.

Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer;" and it is approved by many writers of considerable authority [E]; who maintain that the prophets were the historians of contemporary events. It will appear evident, at least, that the books of Samuel were written before either the books of Kings or of Chronicles, if we compare them together; for in each of these last-mentioned books many circumstances are manifestly taken and repeated from the books of Samuel. We may therefore assent to the general opinion, that Samuel was the author of at least the greater part of the first book [F]; and probably he composed it towards the latter end of his life [G]. Certain, however, it is from its admission to the canon, as well as from the predictions which it contains, that the

[B] Huet. Demonst. Evang. Prop. IV. Isid. Orat. Lib. VI. cap. ii. R. Kimchi, &c.

[F] Procopius Gazæus informs us, that the Syrians call the book the prophecy of Samuel.

seers.

[G] Chap. v. 5. vii. 18. xxx. 25. ix. 9. In this last passage Samuel incidentally observes, that they who in his time and in that of Saul, were called prophets, were anciently denominated The word prophet, (2) was in use, indeed, in the time of Moses or Abraham. Vid. Gen. xx. 7. It seems then to have implied an interpreter of the Divine will, or a man endowed with a Divine spirit. In the time of Samuel, it was appropriated to one who foresaw future events. Vid. 1 Sam. iii. 20. x. 5. xix. 24. In the latter part of Samuel's life, the word seer might have become nearly obsolete, though occasionally used in, and after his time. But perhaps this remark might have been afterwards inserted for the instruction of later times, as possibly were some few other particulars. Vid. vii. 15. xiii. 5. xxvii. 8.

book was the production of a prophet; not to mention that it is referred to by our Saviour in vindication of his disciples [H]. The first book of Samuel contains a space of near eighty years, if we reckon from the birth of Samuel, about or soon after A.M. 2868, to the death of Saul, which happened A.M. 2948.

The history opens with an account of the birth of Samuel. It records his consecration to the ministry, and his appointment to the prophetic office; the capture of the ark; and the denunciation and infliction of God's judgments on the house of Eli [1]; the curse on those who possessed the ark ; its return, and the signal punishment of such as daringly prophaned its sanctity [K]. It relates the election of Saul in conformity to the unadvised desire of the Israelites for a King [1]; the wars

[H] Comp. 1 Sam. xxi. 6. with Matt. xii. 3, 4.

[1] Chap. iii. 20. ii. 28–36. iii. 11. 14. compare with ch. iv. 11. xxii. 18-20. Joseph. Antiq. Lib. VI. c. xii. § 4. p. 259. Edit. Hud. 1 Kings ii. 26, 27.

[K] Chap. vi. 19. The text, as it now stands, represents 50,070 men of Bethshemish to have been smitten upon this occasion for the presumptuous violation of God's express command. Vid. Numb. iv. 20. But the original words are more properly translated by Bochart: "He smote threescore and ten men, fifty out of a thousand men;" that is, the number being 1400, God smote 70, a twentieth part. Josephus understood the passage thus ; and it must be observed, in support of this interpretation, that Bethshemish was but a village. Vid. Patrick on 1 Sam. vi. 19.

[L] The impropriety of this request will be more obvious, if we recollect that God had condescended to be holden in the character of a temporal King to the Israelites, residing, as

and evils which arose, as had been foretold [M], in consequence of this change of government, illustrating the futility of dependence upon an earthly sovereign [N]. It describes the sins and rejection of Saul; the anointing of David, and the first display of his piety and heroism [o]; the disinterested friendship of Jonathan and David; the envious and ungenerous suspicions of Saul; the death of Samuel; the appearance of his spirit [P],

it were, among them, and issuing his decrees from the Ta. bernacle; to require a King was therefore to reject the Theocracy. Vid. chap. viii. 7. xii. 12. Joseph. cont. Apion. Lib. II. § 16. p. 1376. Edit. Hudson.

[M] Chap. viii. 11-18,

[N] Chap. xiii, 6–18.

[o] The character of David is very beautifully delineated by the sacred writer, and his actions are placed before us in a manner well calculated to produce effect. He is first introduced to our notice as "a valiant and prudent man," anointed on the rejection of Saul; and the historian then goes back to relate an achievement of David's youth; for it appears that the combat with Goliah was previous in point of time to the driving away of the evil spirit of Saul, otherwise Saul and Abner must have known "whose son the stripling was ;" and therefore the seventeenth chapter records particulars prior in point of chronology to those related in the sixteenth chapter. Vid. Warburt. Div. Legat. B. IV. sect. 6. note E. Such anticipations are not uncustomary in the Sacred Writings, and they give much animation to the history; and the narration should be read in the following order; ch. xvii. xviii. 9. xvi. 14-23. Some writers, however, consider the 39 verses which are omitted in the Vatican copy of the Septuagint, as an interpolation introduced into the Hebrew text, and the Alexandrian copy of the Greek version.

[P] Chap. xxviii. The most probable and best supported opinion concerning this relation is, that God suffered Samuel's