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."

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. And 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. Therefore 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." Samuel went and lay down in his place.

So

And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times:-"Samuel, Samuel." Then Samuel answered:-"Speak; for Thy servant heareth.” And the Lord said to Samuel:-"Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever."

And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.

Then Eli called Samuel, and said: "Samuel, my son." And he answered:-"Here am I."

And he said: "What is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me; God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that He said unto thee."

And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him.

And he said: "It is the Lord: let Him do what seemeth Him good."

And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of His words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.

3. Paraphrase.

4. i. c.

From one end of the kingdom to the other. Dan was the most northern and Beersheba the most southern city of Palestine.

Study Note 31, Outline Study.

XXI

THE STORY OF DAVID

(I Samuel xvi-xvii)

Introductory Note.-The sons of Eli were defeated and slain in battle by the Philistines and Eli himself died on hearing the news. Samuel, who was by this time well known as a seer or prophet and was believed to have frequent and direct communication with God, was recognized as Judge, and governed wisely for many years. But the Israelites were weary of their loose political organization, which placed them at a disadvantage amid the powerful monarchies which were springing up all around them. After vainly warning the people of the danger of committing the national power to one man, Samuel obtained the divine permission to give Israel a king, and Saul was chosen.

The Israelites, under the leadership of King Saul and his heroic son, Jonathan, made head against the Philistines and their other enemies and became a powerful military nation. King Saul, however, disregarded the advice of Samuel, or, rather, the admonitions of the divine revelation of which Samuel was the medium, and henceforth his affairs ceased to prosper. He was now a suspicious tyrant, growing old, and moody to the verge of insanity; and Israel was again in death grapple with the Philistines.

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."

And Samuel said:-"How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me."

And

And the Lord said: "Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord. call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto Me him whom I name unto thee."

And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said:-"Comest thou peaceably?" And he said: "Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said:-"Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him." But the Lord said unto Samuel: -“Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said:"Neither hath the Lord chosen this." Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said:-"Neither hath the Lord chosen this." Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse:-"The Lord hath not chosen these." And Samuel said unto Jesse: "Are here all thy children?"

And he said: "There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep."

And Samuel said unto Jesse:-"Send and fetch him : for we will not sit down till he come hither." And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look

to.

And the Lord said:—“Arise, anoint him: for this is he." 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.1

But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. And Saul's servants said unto him:-"Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on the harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well."

And Saul said unto his servants :- "Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me." Then answered one of the servants, and said :—“Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him.”

Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said: "Send me David thy son, which is with the