Journal: Westminster Theological Journal
Volume: WTJ 82:2 (Fall 2020)
Article: The Lord’s Anointed In The Books Of Samuel
Author: Gregory Goswell

WTJ 82:2 (Fall 2020) p. 241

The Lord’s Anointed In The Books Of Samuel

Greg Goswell

Greg Goswell is Academic Dean and Lecturer in Biblical Studies (Old Testament) at Christ College, Sydney, an affiliated college of the Australian College of Theology.

In the book of Samuel a messianic ideal is set forth in the persons of Saul and David, though it is also made clear that both leaders fail in their performance. The key aspects of the ideal are already present in the Song of Hannah (1 Sam 2:1–10): there is a strong bond between Yhwh and “his anointed,” the person anointed derives power from God, and he owes obedience to God. In the subsequent narrative, these three key features are developed along the following lines: the anointed one is pictured as fighting the Lord’s battles, the standard of behavior expected of him is nothing less than perfection, and the person of the Lord’s anointed is inviolate. These recurring motifs amount to a significant theological pattern and have the effect of fostering the hope of the coming of one who would fulfill this ideal, though that aspiration is not explicitly stated in the book.

Whatever view is taken of the concept of the Messiah in the OT, an essential starting point for thinking on this subject is the book(s) of Samuel, though this way of approaching the subject is not obvious to all.1 The reason usually given is that those referred to under the title “the Lord’s anointed” (and variants on this title) and the persons who are anointed in Samuel are historical figures (notably Saul and David) and are reigning kings rather than eschatological figures. On that basis Joseph Fitzmyer quickly surveys and dismisses the passages in Samuel that will be the focus of my study, in each case declaring that they are devoid of messianic connotation; furthermore, he sums up his brief study by saying that they do not even hint at messianic expectation.2 My argument to the contrary is that Saul and David are depicted

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as messianic figures in such a way that their position and roles presage a royal personage promised by God. Though the book of Samuel is not explicit concerning the prospect of a future ideal ruler in the Davidic line, the experiences of Saul and David present a messianic paradigm that helps to shape what God’s people are to expect to see in the coming messianic figure.

I. A Book About David? The Contribution Of Titrology

The usual English title of the book(s) of Samuel, derived from the Vulgate Liber Samuelis, coincides with...