8. Delivering blessings (Ruth 4:14–15 // Prov. 31:28–29, 31)
the property as symbolized by the sandal, most likely that of the nearer relative.
RUTH—NOTE ON 4:9 I have bought. Boaz exercised his legal option to redeem both the land and Ruth before appropriate witnesses.
RUTH—NOTE ON 4:10 the widow of Mahlon. Only here is Ruth's former husband identified (cf. 1:5 note). Therefore, it can also be assumed that Chilion married Orpah. I have bought to be my wife. Boaz exercised the spirit of the law and became Ruth's kinsman-redeemer (Deut. 25:5–6). the name of the dead. Perpetuation of the family name (1 Sam. 24:21) was an important feature that the levirate process provided (cf. Deut. 25:6).
RUTH—NOTE ON 4:11 We are witnesses. This affirmation signaled the strong approval of the city. like Rachel and Leah. Rachel, the most beloved wife of Jacob, was buried nearby (Gen. 35:19); Leah was the mother of Judah (by Jacob), their namesake descendant (Gen. 29:35). This remembrance went back almost 900 years to c. 1915 B.C. Ephrathah . . . Bethlehem. The ancient name of Bethlehem (Gen. 35:19; 48:7). See note on Ruth 1:2. Micah later prophetically wrote that this city would be the birthplace of Messiah (Micah 5:2).
Ruth: The Proverbs 31 Wife
Ruth: The Proverbs 31 Wife The "virtuous" wife of Prov. 31:10 is personified by "virtuous" Ruth of whom the same Hebrew word is used (Ruth 3:11). With amazing parallel, they share at least eight character traits (see below). One wonders (in concert with Jewish tradition) if King Lemuel's mother might not have been Bathsheba, who orally passed the family heritage of Ruth's spotless reputation along to David's son Solomon. Lemuel, which means "devoted to God," could have been a family name for Solomon (cf. Jedediah, 2 Sam. 12:25), who then could have penned Prov. 31:10–31 with Ruth in mind. Each woman was: 1. Devoted to her family (Ruth 1:15–18 // Prov. 31:10–12, 23) 2. Delighting in her work (Ruth 2:2 // Prov. 31:13) 3. Diligent in her labor (Ruth 2:7, 17, 23 // Prov. 31:14–18, 19–21, 24, 27) 4. Dedicated to godly speech (Ruth 2:10, 13 // Prov. 31:26) 5. Dependent on God (Ruth 2:12 // Prov. 31:25b, 30) 6. Dressed with care (Ruth 3:3 // Prov. 31:22, 25a) 7. Discreet with men (Ruth 3:6–13 // Prov. 31:11–12, 23) 8. Delivering blessings (Ruth 4:14–15 // Prov. 31:28–29, 31)
RUTH—NOTE ON 4:12 Perez . . . Tamar . . . Judah. Read Gen. 38:1–30 for the background to these three. Tamar, the widow of Judah's first son, Er, when denied a levirate marriage to Judah's remaining son, Shelah (38:14), took matters into her own hands and immorally consorted with her father-in-law Judah (38:18). Perez, the firstborn of twins by Tamar, became the main ancestor of the Ephrathites and Bethlehemites (1 Chron. 2:3–5, 19, 50, 51; 4:4). See note on Ruth 4:18. offspring. The firstborn son would be considered the son of Mahlon. Additional sons would legally be the offspring of Boaz (Deut. 25:6).
RUTH—NOTE ON 4:13 he went in to her. OT euphemism for sexual intercourse. the Lord gave her conception. As with Rachel (Gen. 30:22) and Leah (Gen. 29:31), so also with Ruth (cf. Ps. 127:3).
RUTH—NOTE ON 4:14 the Lord . . . has not left you. In contrast to Naomi's worst moments of despair (1:20–21). a redeemer . . . his name. Refers to Obed, not Boaz (cf. 4:11), who cared for Naomi in her latter years.
RUTH—NOTE ON 4:15 more . . . than seven sons. Seven represented the number of perfection and thus seven sons would make the complete family (cf. 1 Sam. 2:5). However, Ruth exceeded this standard all by herself.
RUTH—NOTE ON 4:16 became his nurse. This expresses the natural affection of a godly grandmother for her God-given grandson.
RUTH—NOTE ON 4:17 the neighborhood gave him a name. Here is the only place in the OT where a child was named by someone other than the immediate family. Obed means "servant." A son has been born to Naomi. Ruth vicariously bore the son that would restore the family name of Naomi's deceased son Mahlon (cf. 4:1). Obed . . . Jesse . . . David. This complete genealogy appears identically in four other biblical texts (4:21–22; 1 Chron. 2:12–15; Matt. 1:5–6; Luke 3:31–32). Boaz and Ruth were the great-grandparents of David.
RUTH—NOTE ON 4:18–22 Perez . . . David. This representative genealogy, which spans nine centuries from Perez (c. 1885 B.C.) to David (c. 1040 B.C.), specifically names 10 generations. The first five (Perez to Nashon) cover the patriarchal times to the exodus and wilderness wanderings. Salmon to David covers Joshua's lifetime and the judges to the monarchy. This genealogical compression by omission does not signal faulty records, because in Jewish thinking, "son" could mean "descendant" (cf. Matt. 1:1). The purpose of a
family record was not necessarily to include every generation, but rather to establish incontestable succession by way of the more notable ancestors.
RUTH—NOTE ON 4:18 Perez. See note on v. 12. Although this genealogy only goes back to Perez, it conclusively establishes that David's lineage extends further back through Judah (Gen. 49:8–12), Jacob (Gen. 28:10–17), and Isaac (Gen. 26:24) to Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3).
RUTH—NOTE ON 4:18–19 Hezron. Cf. Gen. 46:12.
RUTH—NOTE ON 4:19 Ram. Listed as Arni in some Greek texts of Luke 3:33.
RUTH—NOTE ON 4:19–20 Amminadab. The father-in-law of Aaron (Ex. 6:23), who appears in 1 Chron. 2:10, and is cited in Matt. 1:4 and Luke 3:33. Some Greek manuscripts also include Admin between Ram and Amminadab in Luke 3:33.
RUTH—NOTE ON 4:20 Nahshon. The leader of Judah in the exodus (Num. 1:7; 2:3; 7:12, 17; 10:14).
RUTH—NOTE ON 4:20–21 Salmon. The husband of Rahab the harlot (cf. Matt. 1:5).
RUTH—NOTE ON 4:21 Salmon fathered Boaz. Since Matt. 1:5 lists Rahab the harlot, who lived c. 1425–1350 B.C., as Salmon's wife, it thus indicates that some generations have been selectively omitted between Salmon and Boaz (c. 1160– 1090 B.C.).
RUTH—NOTE ON 4:22 David. Looking back at Ruth from a NT perspective, latent messianic implications become more apparent (cf. Matt. 1:1). The fruit that is promised later on in the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:1–17) finds its seedbed here. The hope of a messianic king and kingdom (2 Sam. 7:12–14) will be fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ (Rev. 19–20) through the lineage of David's grandfather Obed, who was born to Boaz and Ruth the Moabitess.
1 Samuel
1 Samuel 1 • 1 Samuel 2 • 1 Samuel 3 • 1 Samuel 4 • 1 Samuel 5 • 1 Samuel 6 • 1 Samuel 7 • 1 Samuel 8 • 1 Samuel 9 • 1 Samuel 10 • 1 Samuel 11 • 1 Samuel 12 • 1 Samuel 13 • 1 Samuel 14 • 1 Samuel 15 • 1 Samuel 16 • 1 Samuel 17 • 1 Samuel 18 • 1 Samuel 19 • 1 Samuel 20 • 1 Samuel 21 • 1 Samuel 22 • 1 Samuel 23 • 1 Samuel 24 • 1 Samuel 25 • 1 Samuel 26 • 1 Samuel 27 • 1 Samuel 28 • 1 Samuel 29 • 1 Samuel 30 • 1 Samuel 31 Introduction to 1 Samuel
Title Author and Date Background and Setting Historical and Theological Themes Interpretive Challenges Outline Footnotes Study Notes
Introduction to 1 Samuel
Title
First and Second Samuel were considered as one book in the earliest Hebrew manuscripts, and were later divided into the two books by the translators of the Greek version, the Septuagint (LXX), a division followed by the Latin Vulgate (Vulgate), English translations, and modern Hebrew Bibles. The earliest Hebrew manuscripts entitled the one book "Samuel" after the man God used to establish the kingship in Israel. Later Hebrew texts and the English versions call the divided book "1 and 2 Samuel." The LXX designated them "The First and Second Books of Kingdoms" and the Vulgate, "First and Second Kings," with our 1 and 2 Kings being "Third and Fourth Kings."
Author and Date
Jewish tradition ascribed the writing of "Samuel" to Samuel himself or to Samuel, Nathan, and Gad (based on 1 Chron. 29:29). But Samuel cannot be the writer because his death is recorded in 1 Sam. 25:1, before the events associated with David's reign even took place. Further, Nathan and Gad were prophets of the Lord during David's lifetime and would not have been alive when the book of Samuel was written. Though the written records of these three prophets could have been used for information in the writing of 1 and 2 Samuel, the human author of these books is unknown. The work comes to the reader as an anonymous writing, i.e., the human author speaks for the Lord and gives the divine interpretation of the events narrated.
The books of Samuel contain no clear indication of the date of composition. That the author wrote after the division of the kingdom between Israel and Judah in 931 B.C. is clear, due to the many references to Israel and Judah as distinct entities (1 Sam. 11:8; 17:52; 18:16; 2 Sam. 5:5; 11:11; 12:8; 19:42–43; 24:1, 9). Also, the statement concerning Ziklag's belonging "to the kings of Judah to this day" in 1 Sam. 27:6 gives clear evidence of a post-Solomonic date of writing. There is no such clarity concerning how late the date of writing could be. However, 1 and 2 Samuel are included in the Former Prophets in the Hebrew canon, along with Joshua, Judges, and 1 and 2 Kings. If the Former Prophets
were composed as a unit, then Samuel would have been written during the Babylonian captivity (c. 560–540 B.C.), since 2 Kings concludes during the exile (2 Kings 25:27–30). However, since Samuel has a literary style different from Kings, it was most likely penned before the exile during the period of the divided kingdom (c. 931–722 B.C.) and later made an integral part of the Former Prophets.
Background and Setting
The majority of the action recorded in 1 and 2 Samuel took place in and around the central highlands in the land of Israel. The nation of Israel was largely concentrated in an area that ran about 90 miles from the hill country of Ephraim in the north (1 Sam. 1:1; 9:4) to the hill country of Judah in the south (Josh. 20:7; 21:11) and between 15 to 35 miles east to west. This central spine ranges in height from 1,500 feet to 3,300 feet above sea level. The major cities of 1 and 2 Samuel are to be found in these central highlands: Shiloh, the residence of Eli and the tabernacle; Ramah, the hometown of Samuel; Gibeah, the headquarters of Saul; Bethlehem, the birthplace of David; Hebron, David's capital when he ruled over Judah; and Jerusalem, the ultimate "city of David."
The events of 1 and 2 Samuel took place between the years c. 1105 B.C., the birth of Samuel (1 Sam. 1:1–28), to c. 971 B.C., the last words of David (2 Sam. 23:1– 7). Thus, the books span about 135 years of history. During those years, Israel was transformed from a loosely knit group of tribes under "judges" to a united nation under the reign of a centralized monarchy. They look primarily at Samuel (c. 1105–1030 B.C.), Saul who reigned c. 1052–1011 B.C., and David who was king of the united monarchy c. 1011–971 B.C.
Historical and Theological Themes
As 1 Samuel begins, Israel was at a low point spiritually. The priesthood was corrupt (1 Sam. 2:12–17, 22–26), the ark of the covenant was not at the tabernacle (1 Sam. 4:3–7:2), idolatry was practiced (1 Sam. 7:3–4), and the judges were dishonest (1 Sam. 8:2–3). Through the influence of godly Samuel (1 Sam. 12:23) and David (1 Sam. 13:14), these conditions were reversed. Second Samuel concludes with the anger of the Lord being withdrawn from Israel (2 Sam. 24:25).
During the years narrated in 1 and 2 Samuel, the great empires of the ancient world were in a state of weakness. Neither Egypt nor the Mesopotamian powers, Babylon and Assyria, were threats to Israel at that time. The two nations most hostile to the Israelites were the Philistines (1 Sam. 4; 7; 13; 14; 17; 23; 31; 2 Sam. 5) to the west and the Ammonites (1 Sam. 11; 2 Sam. 10–12) to the east. The major contingent of the Philistines had migrated from the Aegean Islands and Asia Minor in the twelfth century B.C. After being denied access to Egypt, they settled among other preexisting Philistines along the Mediterranean coast of Palestine. The Philistines controlled the use of iron, which gave them a decided military and economic advantage over Israel (1 Sam. 13:19–22). The Ammonites were descendants of Lot (Gen. 19:38) who lived on the Transjordan Plateau. David conquered the Philistines (2 Sam. 8:1) and the Ammonites (2 Sam. 12:29– 31), along with other nations that surrounded Israel (2 Sam. 8:2–14).
There are four predominant theological themes in 1 and 2 Samuel. The first is the Davidic Covenant. The books are literarily framed by two references to the "anointed" king in the prayer of Hannah (1 Sam. 2:10) and the song of David (2 Sam. 22:51). This is a reference to the Messiah, the King who will triumph over the nations who are opposed to God (see Gen. 49:8–12; Num. 24:7–9, 17–19). According to the Lord's promise, this Messiah will come through the line of David and establish David's throne forever (2 Sam. 7:12–16). The events of David's life recorded in Samuel foreshadow the actions of David's greater Son (i.e., Christ) in the future.
A second theme is the sovereignty of God, clearly seen in these books. One example is the birth of Samuel in response to Hannah's prayer (1 Sam. 9:17; 16:12–13). Also, in relation to David, it is particularly evident that nothing can frustrate God's plan to have him rule over Israel (1 Sam. 24:20).
Third, the work of the Holy Spirit in empowering men for divinely appointed tasks is evident. The Spirit of the Lord came upon both Saul and David after their anointing as king (1 Sam. 10:10; 16:13). The power of the Holy Spirit brought forth prophecy (1 Sam. 10:6) and victory in battle (1 Sam. 11:6).
Fourth, the books of Samuel demonstrate the personal and national effects of sin. The sins of Eli and his sons resulted in their deaths (1 Sam. 2:12–17, 22–25; 3:10–14; 4:17–18). The lack of reverence for the ark of the covenant led to the death of a number of Israelites (1 Sam. 6:19; 2 Sam. 6:6–7). Saul's disobedience resulted in the Lord's judgment, and he was rejected as king over Israel (1 Sam.
13:9, 13, 14; 15:8, 9, 20–23). Although David was forgiven for his sin of adultery and murder after his confession (2 Sam. 12:13), he still suffered the inevitable and devastating consequences of his sin (2 Sam. 12:14).
Interpretive Challenges
The books of Samuel contain a number of interpretive issues that have been widely discussed: 1) Which of the ancient mss. is closest to the original autograph? The standard Hebrew (Masoretic) text has been relatively poorly preserved, and the LXX often differs from it. Thus, the exact reading of the original autograph of the text is in places hard to determine (see 1 Sam. 13:1). The Masoretic text will be assumed to represent the original text unless there is a grammatical or contextual impossibility. This accounts for many of the numerical discrepancies. 2) Is Samuel ambivalent to the establishment of the human kingship in Israel? It is claimed that while 1 Sam. 9–11 presents a positive view of the kingship, 1 Sam. 8 and 12 are strongly anti-monarchial. It is preferable, however, to see the book as presenting a balanced perspective of the human kingship. While the desire of Israel for a king was acceptable (Deut. 17:15), their reason for wanting a king showed a lack of faith in the Lord (see notes on 1 Sam. 8:5, 20). 3) How does one explain the bizarre behavior of the prophets? It is commonly held that 1 and 2 Samuel present the prophets as ecstatic speakers with bizarre behavior just like the pagan prophets of the other nations. But there is nothing in the text that is inconsistent with seeing the prophets as communicators of divine revelation, at times prophesying with musical accompaniment (see notes on 1 Sam. 10:5; 19:23–24). 4) How did the Holy Spirit minister before Pentecost? The ministry of the Holy Spirit in 1 Sam. 10:6, 10; 11:6; 16:13–14; 19:20, 23; 2 Sam. 23:2 was not describing salvation in the NT sense, but an empowering by the Lord for his service (see also Judg. 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14). 5) What was the identity of the "harmful spirit"? Is it a personal being, i.e., a demon, or a spirit of discontent created by God in the heart (cf. Judg. 9:23)? Traditionally, it has been viewed as a demon (see note on 1 Sam. 16:14). 6) How did Samuel appear in 1 Sam. 28:3– 5? It seems best to understand the appearance of Samuel as the Lord allowing the dead Samuel to speak with Saul. 7) What is the identity of David's seed in 2 Sam. 7:12–15? It is usually taken as Solomon. However, the NT refers the words to Jesus, God's Son in Heb. 1:5 (see notes on 2 Sam. 7:12–15).
Outline