question the existence of a command when he says, “This is a remarkable statement because Samuel cites no commandment that has been broken, nor can we construe one [my italics]. The commandment that seems to have been broken is, ‘thou shalt not violate Samuel’s authority.’ ”10 Such a statement, however, can be made only if one is willing to deny the legitimacy of Samuel’s prophetic function, a function that is central to his entire life and ministry (cf. 3:20) since Samuel, as the prophet of the