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Samuel.

Samuel is the hinge figure between the era of the judges and the era of the kings. Born to Hannah after years of barrenness, dedicated to the temple as a boy, called by name in the night by the LORD ("Samuel, Samuel"). He grows up to be the last of the judges and the first of the great prophets. He reluctantly anoints Saul as Israel's first king when the people demand one, then anoints David as Saul's successor. Two biblical books bear his name.

Timeline

• Born to Hannah after years of barrenness (1 Samuel 1)
• Called as a boy in the temple (1 Samuel 3)
• Last of the judges, first of the great prophets
• Anointed Saul as first king (1 Samuel 10)
• Anointed David as second king (1 Samuel 16)

Key verses

• 1 Samuel 3:10 →
• 1 Samuel 16:7 →

Why Samuel matters

Samuel is the prophet who establishes the pattern: prophets confront kings. He warns Israel of what they're asking for when they want a king "like the nations" (1 Samuel 8). His tension with Saul models every later prophet's tension with every king. His anointing of David sets up the messianic line. "Man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7) — his summary of how God chose David — is one of the most quoted Old Testament verses.

Related tools

• All 29 figuresThe full index
• Bible verse lookupAny reference, ESV
• Trivia categoryProphet & Judge