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Who Was Samuel in the Bible? Prophet, Priest, and Last Judge of Israel
Samuel was a prophet and the last of Israel's judges. He led the nation during the transition from the period of the judges to the monarchy (1 Samuel 7:15; 8:4-5). He anointed Saul as Israel's first king and later anointed David to replace him (1 Samuel 10:1; 16:13). His story begins with his mother Hannah's prayer for a son and runs through 1 Samuel 25:1, where his death is recorded.
Samuel served as a prophet, a judge, and a leader of worship who offered sacrifices (1 Samuel 3:20; 7:9, 15). Scripture lists him with Moses as a man of intercession (Jeremiah 15:1).
Samuel at a Glance
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Name meaning | Hannah named him this because she had asked the LORD for him (1 Samuel 1:20); the NIV footnote says the name sounds like the Hebrew for "heard by God" |
| Testament | Old Testament |
| Key books | 1 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, Psalms, Jeremiah, Acts, Hebrews |
| Time period | About 1100-1015 BC (traditional dating) |
| Family | Father Elkanah; mother Hannah; sons Joel and Abijah |
| Known for | Hearing God's call as a boy, anointing Saul and David |
Hannah's Prayer and Samuel's Birth
Elkanah, a man from Ramathaim in the hill country of Ephraim, had two wives, Peninnah and Hannah. Peninnah had children, and Hannah had none (1 Samuel 1:1-2). Each year at Shiloh, Peninnah provoked Hannah until she wept and would not eat (1 Samuel 1:6-7).
Hannah prayed at the house of the LORD and vowed that if God gave her a son, she would give him to the LORD for all his life, and no razor would be used on his head (1 Samuel 1:10-11). Eli the priest saw her lips moving without sound and thought she was drunk. When she explained, he blessed her (1 Samuel 1:12-17).
The LORD remembered Hannah, and she gave birth to Samuel (1 Samuel 1:19-20). After he was weaned, she brought him to Eli at Shiloh to serve the LORD (1 Samuel 1:24-28). Her prayer of praise in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 celebrates God raising the humble and bringing down the proud.
Growing Up at Shiloh
Samuel ministered before the LORD as a boy, wearing a linen ephod. Each year his mother brought him a little robe (1 Samuel 2:18-19). Hannah went on to have three more sons and two daughters (1 Samuel 2:21).
Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests who treated the LORD's offering with contempt and slept with women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting (1 Samuel 2:12, 17, 22). By contrast, the text says Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with people (1 Samuel 2:26).
The Call in the Night
In those days the word of the LORD was rare (1 Samuel 3:1). One night, while Samuel was lying down in the house of the LORD, he heard his name called. He ran to Eli three times, and each time Eli said he had not called (1 Samuel 3:4-8). Eli realized the LORD was calling the boy and told him how to respond (1 Samuel 3:8-9).
"The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, 'Samuel! Samuel!' Then Samuel said, 'Speak, for your servant is listening.'" (1 Samuel 3:10, NIV)
God's message was judgment on Eli's house because Eli had failed to restrain his sons (1 Samuel 3:11-14). Samuel was afraid to tell Eli, but Eli insisted, and Samuel told him everything (1 Samuel 3:15-18).
The LORD was with Samuel as he grew and let none of his words fall to the ground. All Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized him as a prophet (1 Samuel 3:19-20).
The Ark Captured and Returned
Israel lost a battle to the Philistines and brought the ark of the covenant into the camp, expecting it to save them (1 Samuel 4:3). The Philistines won again, captured the ark, and killed Hophni and Phinehas (1 Samuel 4:10-11). When Eli heard the news, he fell backward, broke his neck, and died at 98 (1 Samuel 4:15-18).
The ark brought plagues on the Philistine cities, and after seven months they returned it on a cart pulled by two cows (1 Samuel 5:6-12; 6:1, 10-12). It stayed at Kiriath Jearim for twenty years (1 Samuel 7:1-2).
Samuel as Judge
Samuel called Israel to put away foreign gods and serve the LORD only (1 Samuel 7:3-4). He gathered them at Mizpah, where they fasted and confessed their sin (1 Samuel 7:5-6). When the Philistines attacked, Samuel offered a lamb and cried out to the LORD. The LORD thundered against the Philistines, and Israel routed them (1 Samuel 7:9-11).
Samuel set up a stone and named it Ebenezer, explaining that the LORD had helped them up to that point (1 Samuel 7:12). He judged Israel all his life, traveling a yearly circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah and returning home to Ramah (1 Samuel 7:15-17).
Israel Asks for a King
When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons Joel and Abijah as judges, but they took bribes and perverted justice (1 Samuel 8:1-3). The elders asked Samuel for a king to lead them, like the other nations (1 Samuel 8:4-5).
Samuel was displeased and prayed. The LORD told him that the people had rejected God as their king, not Samuel, and to give them what they asked after warning them (1 Samuel 8:6-9). Samuel described how a king would take their sons, daughters, fields, and a tenth of their produce (1 Samuel 8:11-18). The people insisted (1 Samuel 8:19-20).
Anointing Saul
God led Saul son of Kish to Samuel while Saul was searching for his father's lost donkeys (1 Samuel 9:3-6, 15-17). Samuel anointed him privately with a flask of oil (1 Samuel 10:1). Later Saul was chosen publicly by lot at Mizpah (1 Samuel 10:20-24). Read more about Israel's first king in our profile of Saul in the Bible.
At Gilgal, Samuel gave a farewell address, asking the people to testify whether he had ever cheated or oppressed anyone. They said he had not (1 Samuel 12:3-5). He promised he would not sin by failing to pray for them (1 Samuel 12:23).
Saul's Rejection
Saul offered a burnt offering himself instead of waiting for Samuel, and Samuel told him his kingdom would not endure (1 Samuel 13:8-14). Later God commanded Saul to destroy the Amalekites completely. Saul spared King Agag and the best of the livestock (1 Samuel 15:3, 9). Saul claimed the animals were for sacrifice, and Samuel answered:
"But Samuel replied: 'Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.'" (1 Samuel 15:22, NIV)
Samuel told Saul that the LORD had rejected him as king (1 Samuel 15:23, 26). Samuel put Agag to death himself (1 Samuel 15:33). Until the day he died, Samuel did not go to see Saul again, though he mourned for him (1 Samuel 15:35).
Anointing David
God sent Samuel to Jesse of Bethlehem to anoint one of his sons (1 Samuel 16:1). When Samuel saw the eldest son Eliab, he assumed he was the one. God told him not to consider appearance or height, because the LORD looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:6-7). Seven sons passed by, and none was chosen (1 Samuel 16:10).
The youngest, David, was out tending sheep. When he arrived, God told Samuel to anoint him, and the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully on David from that day on (1 Samuel 16:11-13). See our profile of David in the Bible for the rest of his story.
Later, when David fled from Saul, he went to Samuel at Ramah. Saul's messengers, and then Saul himself, prophesied when they came near (1 Samuel 19:18-24).
Samuel's Death and the Medium at Endor
Samuel died, all Israel mourned him, and he was buried at his home in Ramah (1 Samuel 25:1). Later, facing the Philistines with no answer from God, Saul consulted a medium at Endor and asked her to bring up Samuel (1 Samuel 28:6-11). The woman cried out when she saw Samuel, and Samuel told Saul that he and his sons would die the next day (1 Samuel 28:12, 19). Saul and his sons died in battle on Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 31:1-6).
Lessons from Samuel's Life
- God answers prayer. Samuel's birth came in answer to Hannah's request (1 Samuel 1:27).
- Listening comes before speaking. Samuel's first response to God was a readiness to hear (1 Samuel 3:10).
- Obedience matters more than ritual. Samuel told Saul that God values obedience over sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22).
- God looks at the heart. Samuel was told not to judge by appearance when choosing a king (1 Samuel 16:7).
- Integrity is visible. The people confirmed Samuel had not cheated or oppressed anyone (1 Samuel 12:3-5).
Where Samuel Appears in the Bible
- 1 Samuel 1-16; 19:18-24; 25:1; 28:3-20
- 1 Chronicles 6:28, 33; 9:22; 11:3; 26:28; 29:29
- 2 Chronicles 35:18
- Psalm 99:6; Jeremiah 15:1
- Acts 3:24; 13:20; Hebrews 11:32
The books of 1 and 2 Samuel are named after him. Jewish tradition credits Samuel with writing part of 1 Samuel, and 1 Chronicles 29:29 refers to records kept by Samuel the seer.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who were Samuel's parents?
Samuel's father was Elkanah, from Ramathaim in Ephraim, and his mother was Hannah (1 Samuel 1:1-2, 20). Hannah had prayed for a son and dedicated him to the LORD.
How old was Samuel when God called him?
The Bible does not give his age. It calls him a boy who was ministering before the LORD under Eli (1 Samuel 3:1). The historian Josephus, writing outside the Bible, said he was twelve.
Was Samuel a priest or a prophet?
Samuel is called a prophet (1 Samuel 3:20) and he judged Israel (1 Samuel 7:15). He also offered sacrifices and led worship (1 Samuel 7:9), and 1 Chronicles 6:28, 33 lists him among the Levites.
Which kings did Samuel anoint?
Samuel anointed Saul as Israel's first king (1 Samuel 10:1). After God rejected Saul, Samuel anointed David, the youngest son of Jesse (1 Samuel 16:13).
Where was Samuel buried?
Samuel was buried at his home in Ramah after all Israel mourned for him (1 Samuel 25:1; 28:3).