wait until Samuel arrived and administrated over the prescribed sacrifices. Since sacrifices were normally offered up twice a day, in the early morning and at twilight (cf. Num 28:1–6), Samuel could have arrived at any time on the seventh day and still fulfilled his role in the process.58 Unfortunately Saul did not give Samuel an opportunity to do so but offered the “burnt offering” (v. 9; Hb. ʿōlay) himself. Before the king could offer up the “fellowship offerings” (Hb. šělāmiym), however,
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