Samuel's character was one of uncoinmon dig nity and patriotism. His chief concern was his country's weal. Grotius compares him to Aris tides, and Saul to Alcibiades (Opera Meal. tom. i. p. 119). To preserve the worship of the one Jehovah, the God of Israel, to guard the liberties and rights of the people, to secure them from hostile invasion and internal disunion, was the grand work of his life. His patriotism was not a Roman love of conquest or empire. The subju gation of other peoples was only sought when they disturbed the peace of his country. He was loath indeed to change the form of government, yet he did it with consummate policy. First of all he resorted to the divine mode of appeal to the Omni scient ruler —a solemn sortilege — and brought Saul so chosen before the tribes, and pointed him out to them as peerless in form and aspect. Then, -waiting till Saul should distinguish himself by some victorious enterprise, and receiving him frcsh from the slaughter of the Ammonites, Ile again confirmed him in his kingdom, while the national enthusiasm, kindled by his triumph, made him the popular idol. Samuel thus, for the sake of future peace, took means to show that Saul was both chosen of God and yet virtually elected by the people. This procedure, so cautious and so gene rous, proves how little foundation there is for the remarks which have been made against Samuel by some writers, such as Schiller (Neve Thalia, iv. 94), Vatke (BIM Theol. p. 36o), and the Wol fenbiittel Fragmentist, p. zoo, ed. Schmidt).
The power of Samuel with God, as an inter cessor for the people, is often referred to, and is compared to that of Moses (Jer. xv. ; Ps. xcix. 6). He was the first of a series of prophets that continued in an unbroken line till the close of the O. T. Canon (Acts iii. 24 ; Augustin, De Civ. Dei,
1. xvii.) Early established as a prophet, he was known as the seer' (I Sam. ix. r8). Though the term seer became obsolete, the objective term vision' was still preserved as the title of prophetic oracles. From Samuel's position lie was highly venerated (r Sam. ix. 13 ; xvi. 4). It is in the days of Samuel that mention is first made of the schools of the prophets at Naioth. It is natural to suppose that he was to some extent their origi nator. In the prospect of a regal form of govern ment he seems to have made the prophetic office a formal institute in the Jewish nation. [ScHocas.] We are informed (r Chron. ix. 22) that the alloca tion of the Levites for the temple-service was made by David and Samuel the seer—i.e. that David followed some plan or suggestion of the deceased prophet, which he may have learned when among the sons of the prophets at Naioth (r Sam. xix. IS). Reference is made (t Chron. xxvi. 2S) to some do nations which Samuel gave for the public religious service. Lastly (xxix. 29), the acts of David the king are said to be written in the book of Samuel the seer ; at least the ill 41M1 were written "In, whatever tbe phrase may mean (Davidson's intrad. p. 513). It may imply authorship, or it may signify that the history of David was written in the history of Samuel. He man, grandson of Samuel, is noted as a singer (1. Chron. vi. 33). The high respect in which Samuel was held by the Jewish nation in after ages may be learned from the eulogy pronounced upon him by the son of Sirach (Ecclus. xlvi. i3 20). liis fame was not confined to Israel. The remains of Sanmel, according to, Jerome (Advers.
were under the emperor Arcadius brouglit from Judaa, with great pomp, to Constantinople (D'Herbelot, Bibl. Orient. pp. 735, 1021 ; Hot tinger, Histor. Oriental, i. E.