I Samuel 9, Saul, Son of Kish

The people of Israel want a king. YHWH has given a reluctant Samuel approval to seek out a king.

1 Samuel 9:1-5, Saul hunts for donkeys

There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites--a head taller than any of the others.

Now the donkeys belonging to Saul's father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, "Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys." So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them. When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, "Come, let's go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us."

 

Kish has a long genealogy, showing that his family are true Israelites. The description of Kish as a man of standing echoes the description of Boaz in Ruth 2. Kish is known and respected. His son, Saul, is also impressive, being physically taller than other men.

A search for lost donkeys will take Saul near to Samuel.

1 Samuel 9:6-10, Let's talk to the prophet

But the servant replied, "Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let's go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take." 

Saul said to his servant, "If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?"

The servant answered him again. "Look," he said, "I have a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take." (Formerly in Israel, if a man went to inquire of God, he would say, "Come, let us go to the seer," because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.)

"Good," Saul said to his servant. "Come, let's go." So they set out for the town where the man of God was.

The servant suggests visiting Samuel. The servant is willing to use a piece of silver as a gift.

We have a historical comment from the author regarding the terms used in ages past, showing some distance between the author and the time of this event.

1 Samuel 9:11-14, Girls give direction

As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water, and they asked them, "Is the seer here?"

"He is," they answered. "He's ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place. As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time."

They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming toward them on his way up to the high place.

Some girls in the community tell Saul and his servant how to find Samuel. The town has a "high place", a hilltop where people apparently make sacrifices to YHWH. (This fits the Canaanite culture in that the people worshipe their local god(s) at the top of a hill, at a nearby "high place." Later Israelite worship will move to the tabernacle and then to the temple, but at this time, Israel still seems to have the worship practices we saw in Judges. And meanwhile, the ark still resides in Kiriath Jearim.)

1 Samuel 9:15-17, Samuel alerted

Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed this to Samuel: "About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him leader over my people Israel; he will deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked upon my people, for their cry has reached me."

When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said to him, "This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people."

 

YHWH has been planning this! Our author provides a flashback to the day before, when Samuel was alerted to look for Saul.

1 Samuel 9:18-21, Samuel greets Saul

Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, "Would you please tell me where the seer's house is?"

"I am the seer," Samuel replied. "Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your father's family?"

Saul answered, "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?"

Samuel greets Saul, tells him the result of his search for donkeys and alerts Saul to something greater. Saul responds with confusion and humility -- how can all Israel be interested in him when his clan is a small clan inside a small tribe. The tribe of Benjamin is small because of many Benjamites were killed after the the rape of the concubine in Gibeah years before (Judges 19.) Saul, himself, is from Gibeah (1 Samuel 20: 26.)

1 Samuel 9:22-24, A leg of meat

Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited--about thirty in number. Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside."

So the cook took up the leg with what was on it and set it in front of Saul. 

Samuel said, "Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion, from the time I said, `I have invited guests.'" And Saul dined with Samuel that day.

Saul gives Samuel the best of the meat. (The meat set aside by Samuel was likely the priest's portion from the sacrifice.) After this, Samuel will get Saul and his servant to stay the night.

1 Samuel 9:25-27, Stay for a message from God

After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of his house. They rose about daybreak and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, "Get ready, and I will send you on your way." When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together.

As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us"--and the servant did so--"but you stay here awhile, so that I may give you a message from God."

The next morning, Samuel sends the servant on and tells Saul to stay behind, for a message from God. This important message will be the main event of the next chapter.

First published August 1, 2023; updated July 31, 2026

I Samuel 8, "Give Us a King!"

Samuel has now been judging Israel for some time.

1 Samuel 8:1-3, Samuel's sons are immoral

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.

Considerable time has passed. Samuel now has the same problem Eli did -- his sons act corruptly.  Beersheba is some distance south of Samuel's home at Ramah.

One sign of a monarchy is that rule is inherited, passed on to sons. We saw this in Judges 8:29-31 when Gideon, asked to become king, declined the offer but then began, himself, to act like a king. Later, his son Abimeleck ("my father is king") attempted to reign in Israel. Judges 9 describes the short and bloody reign of Abimeleck. Here Samuel has appointed his own sons as "judges", even though they are corrupt. It should not be too surprising that the people want a more formal monarchy, with significant military power to protect them from the Philistines and Ammonites.

1 Samuel 8:4-6, Elders ask for a king

So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." 

But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD.

These elders are presumably older, respected men of the various tribes. The Israelites want a king, just like the other nations have! This request displeases Samuel. There are certainly problems with the request (the desire to be like "all the other nations") but Samuel may also be unhappy that his own monarchy is being rejected.

1 Samuel 8:7-9, God gives permission

And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do."

YHWH says, "They have had me as king, if they wanted. It is not you they are rejecting." This answer is a surprise to Samuel. God seems to be allowing the people to work out a kingship, even if the people's desire is not reasonable.

1 Samuel 8:11-18, The problem with a king

Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. 

He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day."

(NIV footnotes: in verse 16, the Septuagint has "young men" in place of "cattle".  A number of translators have pointed out that "young men" does not fit that sentence and may be a misplaced word. The "cattle" of the MT is probably correct.)

Samuel attempts to explain the difference between a monarchy and the relaxed system of government they have been using (a "theocracy" with judges?  a patriarchal tribal system?)  But the monarchy is the more "modern" way to go in the ancient Near East.

Some of this doesn't sound too bad -- I can imagine some of the elders thinking, "My son will be a commander of thousands," and not thinking about their sons simply being drafted into the ranks of the army. But Samuel does end with the mention of slavery.

Robert Alter, in his study of 1 and 2 Samuel, portrays a grumpy rejected Samuel attempting to slow down the march to a monarchy. Youngblood, in his commentary, makes similar comments. The motives of our last judge are not necessarily pure.

1 Samuel 8:19-22, The people insist

But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."

When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD.

The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." 

Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Everyone go back to his town."

The people want a modern system of government! This does make some sense -- it is difficult to compete with organized armies of invaders without a strong central structure.

The people seem to be content to let God and Samuel work out the details! When YHWH says, "give them a king", Samuel dismisses the people.  This process will take time and Samuel is not in a hurry.

First published July 31, 2023; updated July 30, 2026

I Samuel 7, Ebenezer

The ark of Israel has been returned to Israel, to the town of Beth Shemesh. The presence of the ark in Beth Shemesh has killed numerous members of the town. The people of Beth Shemesh have appealed to Kiriath Jearim for help. (Beth Shemesh and Kiriath Jearim would have been a few miles west of Jerusalem near the border of Judah and Benjamin.)

1 Samuel 7:1-2, Return to Kiriath Jearim

So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD. They took it to Abinadab's house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the LORD. It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the ark remained at Kiriath Jearim, and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the LORD.

The ark is collected by the people of Kiriath Jearim. The people of Kiriath Jearim consecrate a priest to guard the ark but are otherwise afraid to move the ark. The ark then rests at Kiriath Jearim for twenty years.

The people "mourn" and "seek after YHWH". It is not clear if this is because the Philistines continue to oppress the Israelites or, possibly, because the ark is not in the tabernacle where it was to belong.

1 Samuel 7:3-6, Samuel as leader

And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines."

So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only.

Then Samuel said, "Assemble all Israel at Mizpah and I will intercede with the LORD for you."

When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah.

Samuel calls the people to renew their commitment to YHWH, giving up the fertility gods favored by the surrounding Canaanite cultures. The people agree to Samuel's request. They later assemble at Mizpah for a renewal meeting and "pour out" water before YHWH. (The act of pouring out water is clearly an act of contrition but apparently does not appear elsewhere in the Old Testament.)

1 Samuel 7:7-11, The Philistines invade

When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. And when the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. They said to Samuel, "Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines."

 

Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on Israel's behalf, and the LORD answered him. While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the LORD thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Car.

The Philistines, upon hearing that Israel has gathered enmasse at Mizpah, fear an attack and bring their own army to attack the Israelites. The people of Israel plead to Samuel to intervene with God and protect them. The plea to YHWH is answered. In a dramatic thunderstorm, the Philistines flee and the Israelites pursue them, destroying them in the chaos.

1 Samuel 7:12, Ebenezer

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD helped us."

As has happened in other times, a stone (or a pile of stones, see Joshua 4:1-9) is set up as a visible memorial.  

"Ebenezer" means "stone of help." The old hymn Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing has a stanza which begins "Here I raise my Ebenezer, here by Thy great help I've come...." That hymn remembers this memorable event in early Israel, a time when YHWH answered the pleas of the people and gave them victory. (I suspect that hymn has been sung by many who do not know what an Ebenezer is!  😉 )

1 Samuel 7:13-14, Peace

So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again. Throughout Samuel's lifetime, the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines. The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to her, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the power of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

The Israelites then begin to regain towns lost to the Philistines. A peace agreement with the Amorites and success over the Philistines gives some semblance of peace to the nation.

1 Samuel 7:15-17, Circuit rider

Samuel continued as judge over Israel all the days of his life. From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places. But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also judged Israel. And he built an altar there to the LORD.

Samuel judges Israel as a circuit rider, moving throughout the region and then returning home to Ramah.  Samuel's parents were from Ramathaim, probably the same region.

First published July 29, 2023; updated July 29, 2026

I Samuel 6, The Ark Returns

The Philistines have captured the ark of YHWH, God of Israel. It has not gone well for them.

1 Samuel 6:1-4a, Philistines make plans to return the ark

When the ark of the LORD had been in Philistine territory seven months, the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send it back to its place."

They answered, "If you return the ark of the god of Israel, do not send it away empty, but by all means send a guilt offering to him. Then you will be healed, and you will know why his hand has not been lifted from you."

The Philistines asked, "What guilt offering should we send to him?" 

The Philistines want to get rid of the ark, returning it to Israel. The Philistine priests urge them to return the ark with some gifts, as a sign of submission.

1 Samuel 6:4b-6, Golden images of the plagues

They replied, "Five gold tumors and five gold rats, according to the number of the Philistine rulers, because the same plague has struck both you and your rulers. Make models of the tumors and of the rats that are destroying the country, and pay honor to Israel's god. Perhaps he will lift his hand from you and your gods and your land. Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When he treated them harshly, did they not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way?

Here we first learn (in the Masoretic text) of the plague of rats. Rats, death and tumors (buboes) all describe bubonic plague.

The Philistine priests suggest that the gifts include gold items molded in the images of the plagues, a statement of the ills they hope will be abolished.

1 Samuel 6:7-9, Philistines make plans to return the ark

"Now then, get a new cart ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up. Take the ark of the LORD and put it on the cart, and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending back to him as a guilt offering. Send it on its way, but keep watching it. If it goes up to its own territory, toward Beth Shemesh, then the LORD has brought this great disaster on us. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us and that it happened to us by chance."

The ark is to be returned by wandering oxen. The cows, like the cart, are to be brand new to their work, never used before. (This is an indication of honor and respect.) The cows have calves (more on that in the next passage) and are to be hooked to the cart carrying the ark and then set free. The Philistines will then watch what happens.  

In modern terms, this is an experiment. If the cows, who have never left home, take the ark to Israel, it will mean that the God of the Israelites is in charge.

1 Samuel 6:10-12, The ark leaves Philistia

So they did this. They took two such cows and hitched them to the cart and penned up their calves. They placed the ark of the LORD on the cart and along with it the chest containing the gold rats and the models of the tumors. Then the cows went straight up toward Beth Shemesh, keeping on the road and lowing all the way; they did not turn to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed them as far as the border of Beth Shemesh.

The cows, with their calves penned up in Philistia, will desire to feed their newborns. But in this case, they aim straight for Beth Shemesh in Israel, lowing as they go. The steady mooing of the cows may indicate their desire to return to their calves; one has an image of the cows being driven, unhappily, by an unseen force.

1 Samuel 6:13-16, The ark rests at Beth Shemesh

Now the people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the ark, they rejoiced at the sight. The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and there it stopped beside a large rock. The people chopped up the wood of the cart and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD.

The Levites took down the ark of the LORD, together with the chest containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock. On that day the people of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the LORD.

The five rulers of the Philistines saw all this and then returned that same day to Ekron.

When the ark arrives in Beth Shemesh in Israel, the cows, and cart that got it there, are sacrificed to YHWH. The golden emblems are collected. The five city overlords observe the process and go home.

1 Samuel 6:17-18, Golden items described

These are the gold tumors the Philistines sent as a guilt offering to the LORD--one each for Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. And the number of the gold rats was according to the number of Philistine towns belonging to the five rulers--the fortified towns with their country villages. The large rock, on which they set the ark of the LORD, is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.

The narrator repeats the statements about five gold "tumors", one for each prominent city.  The number of gold images of rats is apparently more than five, one for each of the smaller towns in Philistine.

The people of Beth Shemesh celebrate. The narrator points out that (in his day) one could go visit the big rock that served as the pedestal for the ark.

1 Samuel 6:19-21, Death in Beth Shemesh

But God struck down some of the men of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the LORD had dealt them,and the men of Beth Shemesh asked, "Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God? To whom will the ark go up from here?"

Then they sent messengers to the people of Kiriath Jearim, saying, "The Philistines have returned the ark of the LORD. Come down and take it up to your place."

Many of the people of Beth Shemesh are struck down for "looking into" the ark. The ark, whether in Philistia or Israel, is a very dangerous item.

Ancient Hebrew manuscripts have significant conflicts about the number, in verse 19, of people who died in Beth Shemesh. Some Hebrew manuscripts give the number slain as 70 but most Hebrew manuscripts and the Septuagint give 50,070 slain instead of 70.Was it 70? Or 50,070? The Jewish historian Josephus, in the first century AD, apparently had access to a manuscript that had the number as 70, so that number is quite old. The small town of Beth Shemesh might have had a population in the hundreds; there could not have been 50,070 people in the town of Beth Shemesh! This is one more example of conflict and confusion about these Old Testament numbers. (I've summarized the various opinions in a post on The Problem of Large Numbers in the Old Testament.)

First published July 28, 2023; updated July 28, 2026

I Samuel 5, YHWH vs. Dagon

The Philistines have defeated the Israelites in battle and captured the ark of the covenant. The news kills the priest Eli. Now the ark lies in Philistine hands.

1 Samuel 5:1-5, Dagon face down

After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.  Then they carried the ark into Dagon's temple and set it beside Dagon. 

When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place.  

But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon's temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.

Dagon was probably a fertility god linked to grain harvests (say both Alter and Youngblood.)

The ark is carried as a trophy into the temple of Dagon. But the presence of the ark in Dagon's temple means that the idol of Dagon keeps being knocked down and put in a subservient posture. This makes a point that the priests of Dagon find hard to miss! (The first time this occurs, the idol is just tipped over. But after being righted, the idol is then tipped over and its head and hands have been cut off!)

The phrase "to this day" presumably refers to the later time of the writer of 1 Samuel.

1 Samuel 5:6-8a, Devastation in the path of the ark

The LORD's hand was heavy upon the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation upon them and afflicted them with tumors. When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, "The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy upon us and upon Dagon our god." 

So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked them, "What shall we do with the ark of the god of Israel?" 

They answered, "Have the ark of the god of Israel moved to Gath." 

Devastation -- skin tumors, in particular -- hit the people of Ashdod. The people of Ashdod don't want the ark and so have it moved.

NIV Footnotes: In verse 6, the Septuagint and Vulgate add a phase about rats appearing in the land. We will see in the next chapter that there was also a plague of rats.

1 Samuel 5:8b-12, Continued affliction

So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.  But after they had moved it, the LORD's hand was against that city, throwing it into a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors. 

The people of Gath experience the same plague(s).

1 Samuel 5:10-12, Send it to Israel!

So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. As the ark of God was entering Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, "They have brought the ark of the god of Israel around to us to kill us and our people."  

So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, "Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it will kill us and our people." For death had filled the city with panic; God's hand was very heavy upon it. Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

And now the people of Ekron are inflicted.  (Some manuscripts imply that the tumors may have been in the groin.)  The solution is to send the ark back to Israel.

Both Robert Alter and Ronald Youngblood, in their commentaries, suggest that a plague that involves rats, that is deadly, and that creates "tumors" (buboes?), accurately describes the bubonic plague.

First published July 27, 2023; updated July 27, 2026

Discussion Questions for a Study in Ruth

I'm not sure I'm ready to move on from the book of Ruth! So ...

... in the past, I've led various Bible studies on the book of Ruth.  Looking over old notes, I see a collection of discussion questions.  I copy some of those below. Some of these questions can be answered from the text but a number of them are open-ended, requiring speculation. I hope you find some of these interesting. (As always, feel free to leave a comment!)

Before I get to specific questions by chapter, I begin with a favorite trick question to ask around Christmas time:

I am a young woman who, 

traveled to Bethlehem, 

and gave birth to a son,

who is in the line of David, 

and was called "Redeemer."

Who am I?

(No, not Mary! 😁 )

Questions on chapter 1

1. Why do both women follow Naomi for a time?
2. Why does Naomi send the two women back to their gods? (Is this right?)
3. Is God punishing Naomi for going to Moab? Does Naomi think so?
4. What do Naomi's words say about her daughter-in-laws' chances of marrying in Bethlehem?
5. Naomi says "Return to your mother's home!" Where is Ruth's mother's home? (What might be available in her mother's home?)
6. How does Ruth react to her mother-in-law's instructions? Can you visualize this scene?! (It has been painted by numerous artists.)
7. A bitter Naomi says "YHWH has afflicted me!"  Should she be saying these things about God? What do you think is her opinion about God? Where is Ruth during these conversations?
8. Who takes care of the widows in Israel? (What was the Israel welfare system like?)
   

Questions on chapter 2

1. How does Ruth know of the Israelite custom of gleaning?
2. Why does the passage keep mentioning "Moab" and "the Moabitess"?
3. What characteristics of Ruth does the foreman notice?
4. What does Boaz's question mean? ("Whose young woman...?")
5. Why does Boaz ask the foreman about Ruth? Why doesn't he just ask Ruth?
6. In verse 11, there occurs the phrase "leave father and mother". It appears only one other time in the Old Testament. Where? What is suggested by this occurrence?
7. Notice Boaz's prayer: "May YHWH reward you." Who does YHWH use to reward her?
8. Boaz, in addressing Ruth, calls her "daughter". What does that term imply? 
9. How old do you think Boaz is (in comparison to Ruth)? Why?
10. What do we learn of Boaz from this chapter?
11. Why might the men of Boaz be tempted to rebuke Ruth?
12. Why might Boaz be especially concerned about the treatment of a foreigner? (Do you think Boaz would've reacted to all women the way he reacts to Ruth here?)
13. What is Boaz's fear regarding Ruth working in other fields?
14. What would it mean to Ruth to have food left over?
15. How should we interpret Boaz showering Ruth with gifts?
16. At the end of the chapter, Naomi says to Ruth, "Bless be the man who took notice of you!" What is Naomi really thinking about as she says this?

Questions on chapter 3

1. In chapter 1, Naomi prays "May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband." Who, at the beginning of chapter 3, is used to answer that prayer? (What is the theological statement here?)
2. The night on the threshing room floor -- what is going on there? Isn't Ruth's move rather bold?! Isn't this scene a little risque, a little forward? (I mean, she slips into bed with him, doesn't she?)
3. Why does Boaz react as he does? (If it is such a chaste scene, why does Boaz want no one to know a woman was with him and why does Ruth slip out when it is still dark?)
4. In chapter 2, when she first meets Boaz, Ruth uses a strange word for herself; she uses sipha, a Hebrew word for a virgin slave of the lowest class, assigned to menial tasks. In chapter 3, in the dark with Boaz, she uses the word ama, designating a higher status, that of an ordinary female servant. Why the change in description for herself?
5. How is Boaz showing kindness to the dead?
6. Why must Ruth do everything she is told? Why, when she slips onto the threshing room floor, must Ruth make sure Boaz does not know she is there?
7. What is the significance of Ruth uncovering the feet of Boaz?
8. What do you think was going through Ruth's mind after Boaz's promises in the dark? Did she sleep?  Did she pray? Did she talk quietly to him? What did Boz think? Did he sleep? (Did they kiss?)
9. Why has no go'el (kinsman-redeemer) stepped forward to redeem the two women?
10. Why does he give her barley? What does this symbolize?
11. While Ruth and Boaz were together in the barn, did Naomi sleep? What do you think was going through the mind of Naomi?
12. What is Naomi's reaction to the gift of "six measures"? Why? (This gift is explicitly mentioned twice!)
13. What does Naomi recognize in Boaz's character?

Questions on chapter 4

1. How does Boaz know that Naomi is selling land? (Or is she?)
2. Why is the kinsman-redeemer so caught off guard? Didn't he know about Ruth?
3. Why does the other kinsman-redeemer not want to redeem Ruth? Why does he back out? 
4. Why ten elders?
5. Who is "the dead man's widow?"
6. Why does Boaz add the phrase: "to maintain the name of the dead with his property?"
7. Why is Boaz conducting this sale? What is his major interest in the transaction?
8. What is the major interest of the Storyteller's audience in the transaction?
9. Do the witnesses (townspeople) recognize what the transaction is really about?
10. What do you know about the women mentioned in this passage? What does the listing of Rachel, Leah, Tamar, say about the status of the Moabite woman, Ruth?
11. Who is ultimately responsible for the fertility of Ruth and Boaz?
12. Who, in chapter 4, is said to have a son? (It is not Ruth!) What is the significance of this?
13. What do the women say to Naomi after the birth of Obed? How does this compare with their first conversation with Naomi (in 1:19 - 21)? How does Naomi respond?
14. How do the women describe Ruth's value to Naomi?
15. In verse 11 we have a blessing by the townsmen: "may you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem!" What however, is the prophecy of the women?
16. According to the text, who named Obed? (Obed apparently means "one who works/serves". It may be short for Obadiah, which means "one who serves YHWH".)
17. How does this book close? Why is David mentioned?
18. What is the implied theological/spiritual statement of the last verses of this book?

General questions over the book

1. Why did Ruth "as it turned out" go to Boaz's field?
2. In 2:12 Boaz says "May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." Who is used in chapter 4 to answer his prayer?
3. Why is a Moabitess allowed into the Israel community? (Compare with Deuteronomy 23:3; doesn't that passage indicate even David and Solomon should not be considered Israelites?)
4. Does Naomi really believe God is taking care of Israel? Does she believe in God? Does she believe YHWH is taking care of her?
5. How religious do you think Ruth is? Boaz? 
6. What role do women play in the story and the community? (Note the references to Rachel, Leah, and Tamar.) 
7. Our Storyteller never directly mentions YHWH.  Why?
8. Ruth has been married before? Why did Ruth not conceive before? Was Boaz unmarried? (If so, why?) 
9. What is the main point of the book? A theological (spiritual) point? Why is this book in the Bible?

An observation

As we finish the short book of Ruth, one might ask, "What is the main point of the book? What theological (spiritual) point is being made?"

There is debate among commentators on the main point of the book. Certainly one of the themes is the value of hesed (steadfast lovingkindness), modeled by Ruth, Naomi and Boaz.  But another significant theme is God's providence.  How does a human act when he/she is relying on the actions of YHWH?

In chapter 1, Naomi appears beaten, defeated, and says so.  In chapter 2 she has a plan for Ruth and instigates it.  Ruth, in chapters 2 and 3 is active and aggressive. But after being aggressive that night on the threshing room floor, she and Boaz patiently spend the night waiting for the dawn. Surely there was the temptation, that night on the threshing room floor, to hurry God's timing. Ruth was almost saved; Boaz was almost her husband. But the couple remain chaste and Ruth goes home to wait while Boaz prepares for his negotiations. And they are rewarded the next night, as Boaz takes her into his home and "goes to her". And, apparently nine months later, they have a child, a child that is the grandfather of King David.

There is a lot of wisdom required in knowing when God wants us to be aggressive and when He want us to be passive!

First published July 23, 2023, last updated July 26, 2025

I Samuel 4, Ichabod

Samuel has been recognized as a young prophet.  As a child, his first conversations with YHWH foretold the death of Eli's sons.

I Samuel 4:1a, All Israel

And Samuel's word came to all Israel. 

This sentence really concludes the paragraph about Samuel from the previous chapter, 

I Samuel 4:1b-3, Battle against the Philistines

Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek.  The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield.  

When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, "Why did the LORD bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the LORD's covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies."

Ebenezer means "stone of help".There are apparently a number of sites with this name as we will see another camp named Ebenezer by Samuel in chapter 7 (1 Samuel 7:12.)

The Israelite soldiers look for the reason for their defeat, and hope to use the ark as a talisman against the Philistines.

I Samuel 4:4-5, The ark arrives

So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. When the ark of the LORD's covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook.

There is enthusiasm and a renewal of morale in the Israelite camp. The ark is being viewed as an amulet, a totem, something with magical powers. It is the ark of the "Lord of hosts, who sits above the cherabim." Tagging along with the ark are the sons of Eli, two degenerate priests who have not been following the covenant. The Israelites are about to learn a lesson. 

I Samuel 4:6-9, The Philistines rally

Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, "What's all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?" 

When they learned that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp, the Philistines were afraid. "A god has come into the camp," they said. "We're in trouble! Nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert. Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!"

The Philistines will not be intimidated.  But they are desperate and are aware of YHWH's past work in Egypt and the Exodus.

I Samuel 4:10-11, Israel defeated

So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers.  

The ark of God was captured, and Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

What a large number of casualties!  30,000! (Or 30 eleph -- this is one more example of unusually large numbers in the Old Testament stories.)

God will not be a talisman.

I Samuel 4:12-18, Eli's death

That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh, his clothes torn and dust on his head.  When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry. 

Eli heard the outcry and asked, "What is the meaning of this uproar?"

The man hurried over to Eli, who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes were set so that he could not see. He told Eli, "I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day."

Eli asked, "What happened, my son?"  

The man who brought the news replied, "Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured."

When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. He had led Israel forty years.

Eli reacts more to the capture of the ark than to the death of his sons. We read a sad ending to a man of God. It gets worse.

I Samuel 4:19-22, Ichabod 

His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth, but was overcome by her labor pains.  As she was dying, the women attending her said, "Don't despair; you have given birth to a son." But she did not respond or pay any attention.

She named the boy Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel"--because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. She said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured."

This woman, who is unnamed, had endured the infidelity of Phinehas, then his death and the defeat of Israel. Now she is dying just as a son is born. Such sadness.

The Hebrew word kabowd (כָּבוֹד) means "glory." The name Ichabod means "no glory."

First published July 26, 2023; updated July 25, 2026