For Thursday, February 27, please read/review I Samuel 1-14 and then finish up the book (reading through Chapter 31).
Please think about the following question and add your comments to the post below.
Does I Samuel seem to you to be best classified as history, prophecy, biography, tragedy, or something else entirely? Cite one passage/story in this book that you think particularly supports your view of this book.
I think 1 Samuel is best classified as a tragedy. In 1 Samuel 31:4 "Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.” But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it." This is tragic because through a swath of 1 Samuel we have been reading about Saul and his various deeds good and bad. It is tragic to see him die by his own command.
ReplyDeleteI think it best viewed as a tragedy because of how Saul to hear from God resorts to going to a medium to speak to the deceased Samuel in I Samuel 28. It shows how far Saul has fallen that he resorts something clearly prohibited by his God. This is also a precursor to Saul killing himself later.
ReplyDelete(I just wanted to add one more sentence here) Samuel's ghost appearing is also something that would fit right into a dramatic tragedy.
ReplyDeleteI think first Samuel brings a message to the believers out there. First it says what the Lord doesn't like which are the prideful and second those whom refuse to obey will be punished until they repent. In many of the tragedies we have read it has been those who refuse to do as they are told and those who become arrogant, choosing to do what they believe is right. Eli's sons thought they would win the battle if they brought the arc, Saul thought appeasing Israel was the way to making the Lord happy. There are many stories within first Samuel that would contribute to my thoughts but a few other verses from different books in the bible are from Proverbs 6:16-19 and Mark 7:20-23
ReplyDeleteI had never thought of the book of I Samuel as being either a biography or a tragedy but it really is, as well as obviously, a history and a prophecy.
ReplyDeleteI Samuel would then be a short biography of three men, Samuel from his youth to his death, Saul from the beginning of his reign to his death, and David from his youth to near the beginning of his reign. I Samuel is also a history but less so compared to the books of Chronicles. I Samuel is also a tragedy of the government of Israel from Judges to a monarch, which the Lord did not want; it is also the tragedy of Israels first King.
I Samuel 16:13-16 "Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him (David) 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. But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil sprit from the Lord troubles him. And Saul's servants said unto him, "Behold now, an evil spirit from God toubleth thee. Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirits from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well".
This text is right towards the middle of the chapter and encapsulate very well the people whom I Samuel revolves around and their roles in the scripture.
This is mine above
ReplyDeleteI believe that 1 Samuel is a tragedy.
ReplyDeleteSamuel 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."
Saul, abandoned by God and ultimately forsaken even by Samuel, seems like a truly tragic figure. When reading the Bible, it feels as though Saul suddenly became king. Because of this, he had to constantly be mindful of God, the people, and Samuel.
That being said, it does not mean that Saul was right to offer sacrifices himself or to disobey God's command. However, I do not understand what exactly he did that was so unforgivable. In the end, he was made king by others, and though he made mistakes, the fact that he was never given a chance for forgiveness makes his story truly tragic.
Sophia Lee
There are many moments throughout the book of I Samuel that are evidence of a tragedy. Although, according to Aristotle, I Samuel should NOT be considered a tragedy, I disagree. I think the beginning of this tragic story starts at the very beginning of the book with Hannah. The entirety of Hannah's life has an abundance of tragedy, beginning with her marriage to Elkanah. Hannah is unable to have children, unlike Elkanah's other wife, Peninnah. Peninnah constantly berates her for her barren womb, making Hannah's life miserable. Then, Hannah's prayers to God were answered, and she was able to conceive a child. However, the tragedy intensifies because she promised to give her son away after begging God for him. Hannah's life as a woman proved to be incredibly difficult, and I think her tragic life laid the framework for many other tragedies to come.
ReplyDeleteLauren Bland
There is a lot of moments in the book. Due to tragic stories and events, I will say it's somewhat tragic. The most tragic event is the death of king Saul. What was the turning point for the book. But however not everything is a tragedy. First the rise of David. David was Annointed king and had a mission to kill the goliath. Finally, Hannahs prayer. Later Samuel was born. Overall, the book of Samuel may seem tragic it has lighthearted moments as well.
ReplyDeleteThe events of 1 Samuel read to me as events in a tragedy. The story that takes place in 1 Samuel shows the struggles that happen in the lives of God's chosen people. In this book, instead of learning from the mistakes of those who came before, figures adopt key faults that turn this story into a tragedy. Eli did not know how to balence
ReplyDelete(sorry accidentally pressed submit before I was done)
DeleteEli did not know how to balance being the ruler of a nation and father to his children. With this, Eli's children became corrupt and did not follow what the Lord wanted for them or for the people under Eli's command. The same thing could be said under Samuel and Saul, where the people closest to them were the ones who suffered the most in their relationships with the Lord, whether it be for ego, indulgence, or power. I think that the repetitiveness of this trait is what truly turns 1 Samuel into a tragedy.
- Jorja
Hey, I did not realize this didn't submit through properly. Does I Samuel seem to you to be best classified as history, prophecy, biography, tragedy, or something else entirely? Cite one passage/story in this book that you think particularly supports your view of this book.
ReplyDeleteI think that 1 Samuel is best classified as history and tragedy. In my opinion, lots of history is deeply tragic, the death of Abraham Lincoln after winning the Civil War, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand when he was on his way to visit wounded parade spectators, and Admiral Nelson dying right as he breaks the French blockade at the Battle of Trafalgar. Such is true in the Old Testament as well, the best history is often tragic and 1 Samuel is no exception. Right before Saul’s death he visits a witch in order to talk to Samuel, and Samuel prophesies over him, "Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines." Now, it would have been easy for Saul to flee from the field, but he doesn’t. He stands and fights the next day, he faces his death with courage. Saul is redeemed in his death, catharsis.
- Walker Larson