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1 & 2 Samuel is unavailable, but you can change that!

The Bible is both a divine and a human book. It is the inspired word of God for his people, whether in biblical times or for the church today. It is also a fully human book, written by different people in a variety of cultural settings. Knowledge of biblical language and society is essential if the meaning of the human writer is to be grasped fully. The Apollos Old Testament Commentary aims to...

and the next king has been identified from Jesse’s family. Samuel’s question evokes the imagery of ch. 2, where a ‘lad’ (na‘ar) could have been either a servant or a son. Is he leaving scope for Jesse to offer a member of his household rather than a biological son? Jesse’s answer leaves hope even as it creates expectation—the least of the sons has not been presented because he is tending the sheep. This creates a sense of hope in that ANE kings routinely styled themselves as ‘shepherds’, while a
Pages 184–185
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