Samuel’s Call Narrative: Literary Design and Meaning

ABSTRACTThe gap between the content of Samuel's call narrative (1 Sam 1,1-4,1a), which describes his inauguration as a prophet, and its design, which strays from the literary model of calls to prophecy, has yet to be offered a plausible synchronic explanation. The literary reading suggested in this article presents a new interpretation of Samuel's misunderstanding of the call, and clarifies the theological meaning of Eli's involvement in his initiation into prophecy; these explain how the unique characteristics of the story construct its intertwined dual theme: the call to prophecy, and the replacement of the leadership, and explicate why the leadership change includes not only a personal replacement of Eli, but also of the priestly leadership model with a prophetic one.