| 1 SAMUEL |
| Explanatory Footnotes - page 2 |
| and David was anointed king while tending sheep (16:11-13). The leaders God appoints are not necessarily those seeking power. 10:5 Musical Prophets This is one of the earliest references to prophets in the Bible. Under the kings, prophets became much more significant, possibly because they so often spoke out against the kings. The description of the prophets' musical procession is intriguing, though we can only guess what exactly they were doing. Unquestionably, the Spirit's powerful effect on Saul made a startling change in him (verse 11). 13:19 Military Dominance Samuel's leadership had kept the Philistines from occupying Israel (see 7:13). However, nobody could question the Philistines' military dominance. They had outposts in several central Israelite towns (10:5; 13:3) and, most important, kept a monopoly on iron weapons by outlawing local blacksmiths. Only the royal family of Israel possessed a sword or a spear (verse 22), presumably weapons that had been smuggled in and hidden. 15:8 Old Enemies The Israelites had first encountered the Amalekites, a semi-nomadic group of pitiless raiders, on their way out of Egypt. Due to the Amalekites' unprovoked attack, Moses had declared that God wanted Amalek wiped out (Exodus 17:8-16; Deuteronomy 25:7-19). The hositlity continued. Typically, the Amalekites would sweep into unprotected towns and villages on the edge of the southern desert, killing and looting, leaving the survivors without food. Though Samuel's order to Saul is hard to understand, knowing the Amalekites' reputation makes it easier to sympathize with. For a more general explantion of holy war, see "Is a War Every Holy?". |
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