Questions tagged [samuel-shmuel-book-of]
The third book of Neviim about Shmuel the last Judge of the Jewish nation, his anointing of Shaul and David the first and second Kings and concerning their leadership of Israel
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Why didn't David ask God what to do when Avshalom rebelled
During the conflict between David and Shaul, David inquired of God (perhaps via the urim v'tummim) as to how to behave (where he should go, what he should do etc.). However, when his son Avshalom ...
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Is Chushai to blame for the deaths in Avshalom's rebellion?
In 2 Shmuel 17 Ahitophel counsels Avshalom to immediately pursue David with 12,000 soldiers and predicts that they will be able to kill David without having to kill David's men.
At David's behest, ...
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What are the peculiarities of a school or company of the prophets לַהֲקַ֚ת הַנְּבִיאִים֙ (1 Samuel 19:20)?
What are the peculiarities of a school or company of the prophets לַהֲקַ֚ת הַנְּבִיאִים֙ (I Samuel 19:20)?
What did one learn in a school of the prophets?
How did one become a student in a school of ...
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What’s the deal with צרויה?
Found out recently that צרויה as in (Yoav Ben Tzruyah) was actually Yoav’s mom and not his father. Why is Yoav constantly referred to as the son of his mother, when the Tanach norm is to use their ...
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Why did David hamstring the horses? [duplicate]
In 2 Shmuel 8:4 we read
David captured 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers of his force; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, except for 100 which he retained.
The traditional explanation ...
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Why is David able to continue being with his wives after they are captured
In 1 Shmuel 30 we learn that David's wives were taken captive by Amalekites. David and his men were able to retrieve them sometime later, however enough time seems to have passed that the captors ...
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Did David utter an unnecessary oath?
In 1 Shmuel 25 Avigail persuades David not to execute his plan to kill Naval and Naval's household. After David acquiesces to her plea he then continues in pasuk 34 to swear (see commentaries such as ...
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Why did Goliat fall on his face?
In 1 Shmuel 17:49 we read
וַיִּשְׁלַח דָּוִד אֶת־יָדוֹ אֶל־הַכֶּלִי וַיִּקַּח מִשָּׁם אֶבֶן וַיְקַלַּע וַיַּךְ אֶת־הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי אֶל־מִצְחוֹ וַתִּטְבַּע הָאֶבֶן בְּמִצְחוֹ וַיִּפֹּל עַל־פָּנָיו ...
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Do any commentators equate 2 אֲחִיָּהs?
In 1 Shmuel 14:3 a Kohen named אֲחִיָּה carries the ephod and is a descendant of Eli who lived in Shiloh. In 1 Melachim 11 there is a similarly named person who is a prophet and is also from Shiloh. ...
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How did Saul prophesy after his rebellion?
In 1 Samuel 10, Saul was said to be given a new heart, and the Spirit of Hashem rushed upon him, and he prophesied with a group of prophets. (Please forgive my ignorance of Hebrew.) In 1 Samuel 16:14 ...
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Why did David’s harp playing relieve King Saul's illness?
David's harp playing brought relief to King Saul from his mental illness. (Source: I Samuel 16.)
Why did the harp playing provide relief?
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Why did שמואל הנביא need permission to save his own life?
In יבמות ס״ה,ב׳ it brings the story of when Hashem told שמואל הנביא to go and anoint דויד, and שמואל asked Hashem what he should do in order not to arouse Shaul’s suspicion, thereby endangering his ...
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Dovid and Natan
In Shmuel Bet, Perek 12, pesukim 1-7, Dovid and Natan are speaking and Dovid tells Natan this man who stole the sheep deserves death and Natan says, this man is you!
When listening to a shiur, the ...
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Malbim on the irrationality/illegitimacy of Amalek
Malbim on Shmuel 1:15:2 writes about the irrationality, or perhaps the illegitimacy of Amalek's war with Bnei Yisrael:
"כה אמר ה' צבאות, הנה התורה בארה בטעם מצות מיחוי זכר עמלק כמה טעמים כמ&...
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Here I am- how did Moshe know that it was G-d calling him?
In Parashas Shemos, we read:
And the angel of the L-rd appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, but the bush was not ...
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Did God's prophecy against Eli fail?
1 Samuel 2:27-36 details a prophecy against Eli and his house. One verse reads:
31 The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it ...
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How to refer to chapters in Shmuel Bet if one doesn't wish to use the Christian system of division
I saw someone refer to a section in Shmuel
Samuel 1:16
When I questioned which book, I was told that there is only one book of Shmuel, the Christian system divides them.
I would like to learn more ...
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How do we reconcile the 2 burial places of Rachel?
Rachel's burial place is located south of Jerusalem, near Bethlehem (in the territory of Judah) by Gen 48:7. But it is located north of Jerusalem (Zelzah/Ramah) in the territory of Benjamin by 1 ...
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What does it mean that Doeg the Edomite was "detained before the Lord"?
Now a certain man of the servants of Sha᾽ul was there that day, detained before the Lord; and his name was Do᾽eg the Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Sha᾽ul. (1 Sam. 21:8)
Was ...
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Why does 1 Samuel 14:49 leave out Eshba'al?
I know of three lists of Saul's children:
1 Samuel 14:49 -
Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malki-Shua. The name of his older daughter was Merab, and that of the younger was Michal.
1 Samuel 31:...
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Are there Answers for Objections to Saul's Reign Length?
Not Jewish but I've never come across a Christian defense of the reign length 1 Samuel 13:1 attributes Saul. This is probably because of Acts 13:21 and the messiness of the former verse(Saul's missing ...
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Did Saul consult the Urim before his final battle?
Scripture tells us that on the eve of his final battle, Saul besought God but was answered with no dream, Urim or prophets (Samuel 1.28.6). The midrash says that Saul chose not to consult with the ...
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What is the meaning of the name Yishai (Hebrew: יִשַׁי – Yišay, in pausa יִשָׁי – Yišāy) translated into English as Jesse
The question arises from research I have been conducting into Jesse, who came from Bethlehem in Judah, and who was the father of David.
1 Sam 17:12 (JPS): Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of ...
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Was Ahitophel Punished In The Afterworld For Committing suicide
I have 2 Questions here:
Was Ahitophel A Tzadik? (Righteous Person)
Why did Ahitophel commit suicide in Shmuel 2 17:23, as in why did he think that this would be a good idea as opposed to just ...
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Tzadok the Kohen Gadol considered greater than Aharon and his sons?
When I was recently learning Sotah I saw on daf 48b that Tzadok, during the time of Dovid HaMelech, was a rare instance during that period, of someone who asked the Urim VeTumim and was answered.
רַב ...
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For those who hold that David sinned, how was he allowed to ever marry Bat Sheba?
I might be erring here, but IIRC adulterers can't ever be married.
For those who hold that David did sin, how was he allowed to marry Bat Sheba?
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For those who claim that David didn't sin, why didn't he marry Bat Sheva right away?
In the story of David sleeping secretly with Bat Shevah and trying to conceal his actions by fooling Uriah (II_Samuel.11.25). THe Gemmorah (Shabbat.56a) suggests that David didn't sin:
"As Rabbi ...
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How does Nathan's "poor man’s lamb" parable relate to David's deeds?
IIRC, the story tells us that David sleeps with Uriah's wife, impregnates her, tries to get away with it and fails, commands his general to send the husband to be murdered, and after he dies, openly ...
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Did אָכִיש actually use Hashem?
וַיִּקְרָ֨א אָכִ֜ישׁ אֶל־דָּוִ֗ד וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵ֠לָיו חַי־יְהוָ֞ה כִּי־יָשָׁ֣ר אַתָּ֗ה
(שמואל א 29:6)
This has the פְּלִשְׁתִּי swearing by Hashem.
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Ark of the Covenant
During the journey a man named Uzza touched the Ark of the Covenant to support it and fell dead on the spot (2 Samuel 6:1-8, 1 Chronicles 13:9-10). Here are two questions: 1. Why does God kill for ...
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When was book of Shmuel written?
The Gmara says :
שמואל כתב ספרו והכתיב (שמואל א כח, ג) ושמואל מת דאסקיה גד החוזה ונתן הנביא
(Baba Batra 15:1), that is Shmuel, Gad and Nathan wrote the book of Shmuel.
However, in Shmuel 1 27:6 it ...
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Question about Shmuel 1:11:11 and Tehillim 83:8
From what I can tell, whenever the word "Amon" - "עמון" appears in Tanach (not עמוני/ת, etc), it's always preceded by the word "bnei" - "בני", except for two ...
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G-d abrogated the Torah?
I was having a discussion with some Muslims regarding abolishing of the Mosaic law. During that discussion they produced the following as an example of abrogation taking place:
Bamidbar 25:13 states:
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Multiple Tribes of Binyamin?
In the book "Sefer Yosef Breslevi", there's an essay by Yisrael Ben-Shem in which he raises multiple questions related to various appearances of people from the Tribe of Binyamin throughout ...
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When (day, month, year) did Avshalom son of king David die?
When (day, month, year) did Avshalom son of king David die?
Please cite a source as to exactly when this happened.
II Samuel 18:15 And there circled about ten young men who were Joab's
armor bearers, ...
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Plural and singular in Shmuel 2:24:14
In Shmuel 2:24:14 it says:
"David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for His compassion is great; and let me not fall into the hands of men.”"
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Was it David's custom to go into battle without an armour?
Shmuel I 17:38-39:
וַיַּלְבֵּ֨שׁ שָׁא֚וּל אֶת־דָּוִד֙ מַדָּ֔יו וְנָתַ֛ן ק֥וֹבַע נְח֖שֶׁת עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וַיַּלְבֵּ֥שׁ אֹת֖וֹ שִׁרְיֽוֹן. וַיַּחְגֹּ֣ר דָּוִ֣ד אֶת־חַ֠רְבּוֹ מֵעַ֨ל לְמַדָּ֜יו וַיֹּ֣אֶל ...
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Was Eli the Kohen Gadol until he died?
Apparently, a blind kohen can't serve in the Mikdash:
Bechorot 44a:
The Sages taught in a baraita: When it is stated that a blind man [iver] is disqualified from performing the Temple service (see ...
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How Could David Kill the Ger Amaleki Based on Halacha?
In Shmuel Bet, David Hamelech kills the Ger Haamaleki for killing Shaul.
However, the only reason he knew this was because of his own admission.
How does this relate to אין אדם משים עצמו רשע, the fact ...
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Why not to Eli?
I wasn't quite sure on how to word the Title. My question is on Nach in Shmuel Alef, where in Perek 2 a Prophet, either Elkanah or as the Ralbag says it was Pinchas, they tell Eli, that because of ...
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Why is Yiftach's sacrifice of his kin looked at so negatively, while Chana's "sacrifice" of kin so positively?
According to the commentaries (who include the Ralbag, Radak, Ibn Ezra and Abarbanel) who say Yiftach didn't literally kill his daughter but rather made more of a spiritual "sacrifice", where she ...
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How can the Rambam say anointing a King requires a Sanhedrin, when Shmuel anointed King David alone?
The Rambam says a King must be anointed by a Sanhedrin, why did Shmuel seemingly go alone in secret?
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Blot out the memory of Amalek or kill his descendants?
Can a prophet issue commands that go beyond the Torah?
The Torah says only to blot out Amalek's memory:
The Lord said to Moses, "... I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."...
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If a husband intentionally warns his wife knowing that she will not sin, does she drink?
Berachos 31b:
״אִם רָאֹה תִרְאֶה״, אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: אָמְרָה חַנָּה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, ״אִם רָאֹה״ — מוּטָב, וְאִם לָאו — ״תִּרְאֶה״ אֵלֵךְ וְאֶסְתַּתֵּר ...
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Why was it wrong for David to number Israel?
(This is not a duplicate of halacha - Why was King David Punished for Sending Others to Conduct a Census? - Mi Yodeya.)
1 Chronicles 21, and 2 Samuel 24 relate how King David took it upon himself to ...
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What do we make of the witch of Endor?
The Torah forbids necromancy [Lev. 19:31 and 20:6,27; Deut. 18:11]. Yet King Saul goes to the witch of Endor, who brings up the dead prophet Samuel for him. Samuel responds:
Why have you ...
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Why was King David allowed to mourn on the floor?
I heard from my rav that one of the laws of a king is that during mourning, he is not allowed to sit on the floor. Rather he sits on a couch, so as not shame his status as the king.
If this is true, ...
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Why do some translators translate "to prophesy" as to "speak in ecstasy"?
Why do translators translate "to prophesy" as to "speak in ecstasy"?
Why do the Jewish translators, for example, in the Sefaria translation of the below passages, translate "to prophesy" as to "...
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Why does the book of Shmuel present two origins for the expression "Is Shaul too among the prophets"?
Shmuel I 10:10-12:
וַיָּבֹ֤אוּ שָׁם֙ הַגִּבְעָ֔תָה וְהִנֵּ֥ה חֶֽבֶל־נְבִאִ֖ים לִקְרָאת֑וֹ וַתִּצְלַ֤ח עָלָיו֙ ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים וַיִּתְנַבֵּ֖א בְּתוֹכָֽם׃
וַיְהִ֗י כָּל־יֽוֹדְעוֹ֙ מֵאִתְּמ֣וֹל ...
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What Happened To King David's Parents?
I read somewhere (I believe it was a midrash) that King David's parents were murdered?
Is this this factual or is it an allegory for some other interpretation, e.g losing their money/status?
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