Meaning of the Name Samuel
The Hebrew name Shemuel is usually explained as 'God has heard' or 'his name is El (God)'. 1 Samuel 1:20 ties the name to Hannah's prayer: 'Because I have asked him of the LORD.'
Origin
The name Samuel is of Hebrew origin.
Who is Samuel in the Bible?
Samuel is the prophet who grew up at the sanctuary as Hannah's vow and answered while still a child, 'Speak; for your servant hears.' He became Israel's last judge and anointed first Saul and then David as king.
The story of Samuel in the Bible
Samuel's story begins with his mother's prayer: childless Hannah weeps before the Lord at the sanctuary and vows that if she is given a son she will dedicate him to God. When the boy is born she names him Samuel, saying she asked him of the Lord; the name is also traditionally explained as 'God has heard.' Hannah keeps her vow: once weaned, the boy is brought to Shiloh, to the priest Eli, and grows up serving the Lord. One night the child hears his name called; three times he thinks it is Eli, but the caller is the Lord. Taught by Eli, he answers, 'Speak; for your servant hears,' and from that night he becomes a prophet heeded throughout Israel. He is Israel's last judge: when the people demand a king he resists at first, then at God's direction anoints Saul. After Saul is rejected, Samuel is sent to Bethlehem and anoints David, Jesse's youngest son, on whom the Spirit of the Lord comes powerfully. He is the key figure in Israel's passage from judges to kings.
Is Samuel mentioned in the Quran?
The name Samuel does not appear as such in the Quran; Islamic sources identify the unnamed prophet who appointed Talut (Saul) as king with Samuel. In the Bible his story is told in detail in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel.
Verses where Samuel appears
- 1 Samuel 1:20 —
When the time had come, Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of Yahweh.”
- 1 Samuel 3:10 —
Yahweh came, and stood, and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak; for your servant hears.”
- 1 Samuel 16:13 —
Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers: and the Spirit of Yahweh came mightily on David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.