Were Saul and David Yahweh’s Anointed Kings?

The People Demand a King

When Samuel was old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel, but “his sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gains and took bribes and perverted justice” in 1 Sam 8:1 – 3.  This gives the elders of Israel the opportunity to ask for a king to be appointed “to judge us like all the nations” v 4 – 5. 

Samuel prayed to Yahweh, and Yahweh said to Samuel “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day– in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods– so they are doing to you also. Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day– in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods– so they are doing to you also.” v 7 – 9.

Samuel told the people the words of Yahweh in v10 – 18, “This will be the governance of the king מלך who will reign מלך over you: he will take your sons and place [them] for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots. He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and [some] to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give [them] to his servants. He will take a tenth עשר of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants. He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use [them] for his work. He will take a tenth עשר of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.”  (עשר also means ‘tithe’)

The people refuse to listen to Samuel, and demand a king over them so they “may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles” v 19 – 20. Samuel told Yahweh, and Yahweh told Samuel “Listen to their voice and king to them rule.” v 21 – 22.

Did Yahweh Anoint Saul or Was He Chosen by Lot?

In his book Prolegomena to the History of Ancient Israel, J Wellhausen notes in Chapter VII – Judges, Samuel, and Kings p. 252, author J. Wellhausen states “In the one story Saul seeks the asses and finds the crown, in the other he hides himself among the stuff and is drawn for king.  In the one he is called by the seer, in the other he is chosen by lot – the divine causality operative in both cases.  But how the idea is exaggerated at the later stage, and how nakedly it is put forward!”

In the first account in 1 Sam 9 – 10, Saul searches for his father’s donkeys, and after days of searching he goes to a seer for help 1 Sam 9: 1 – 10.  The seer is Samuel, who is ready with ‘a sacrifice on the high place” v12, ‘he must bless the sacrifice, afterward those who are invited will eat” v. 13.  A day before Saul’s coming v. 15, Yahweh revealed “About this time tomorrow, I will send you a mighty one איש out of the land of Benjamin and you will anoint him משח to be ‘prince’ נגיד over my people, and he will deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines, for I have regarded my people because their cry has come to me” v. 16.  When Samuel saw Saul, Yahweh said to him ”Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you.  This one shall rule over my people.” V 17.  Samuel invites Saul to go to the high places and eat with him, Saul asks why Samuel is speaking to him this way, since he is only a Benjamite v19 – 21. Saul was given a place at the head of those who were invited, about 30 men, and ate with Samuel  v22 – 24. When they came down from the high place into the city, Samuel said to Saul “you remain standing now, that I may proclaim the word of God to you.” v25 – 27.

In 1 Samuel 10:1, Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head and kissed him saying “Has not Yahweh anointed you a ruler over his inheritance?”  Then Samuel tells him he will find two men close to Rachel’s tomb, further from there, at the oak of Tabar three men will meet you – one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a jug of wine, who will give you two loaves v 2 – 4.  Then you will come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is and meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place prophesying and the Spirit of Yahweh will come upon you and you will prophesy with them, and be changed into another man v 5 – 6.  Samuel concludes in saying “You shall wait 7 days until I come to you and show you what you should do” v 8.   But God changed his heart and all those signs came about on that day v9.

In what Wellhausen sees as the second account in 1 Sam 10: 17 – 27, Samuel has Israel present themselves before Yahweh by their tribes and clans, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot, and the Matrite family was taken, and Saul, son of Kish was taken v19 – 21.  Saul can’t be found because he is hiding himself by the baggage v22.  When he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people v23.  All the people shouted and said “[long] live the king!” v24.  Samuel told the people the ordinances of the kingdom and wrote them in the book and placed before Yahweh v25.  Those whose hearts God had touched went with Saul to his house at Gibeah, but a worthless man said “how can this one deliver us? And they despised him and did not bring him any present v26 – 27.     

Although Wellhausen stated that “the divine” is at play in both scenarios, I don’t see Yahweh’s hand at work when lots are chosen, and there is no anointing.

Was David Anointed as King by Yahweh?

Samuel was afraid that Saul will kill him, if he hears Yahweh has rejected him from being king over Israel in 1 Sam 16:1 – 2. Yahweh has Samuel prepare a sacrifice and invite Jesse to anoint the one designed to him v 2 – 3.  When he arrives in Bethlehem, he tells the elders of the city to “consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice”, and he “consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice” v 5.  Three men passed before Samuel are not chose, nor Jesse’s seven sons, but the youngest who was tending the sheep was brought before Samuel and was the one to be anointed v6 – 12.  When David was anointed the Spirit of Yahweh came mightily upon him from that day forward v13.

Wellhausen states of this account on p. 268 “In this piece David’s career begins with his being anointed king in Saul’s place at Jehovah’s command, when a mere shepherd boy, who was not even counted in the family he belonged to.  But in the sequel no one know anything about this.  Even in the story of Goliath (which in other respects harmonizes better with SVI. 1 – 13 than any other piece) the older brothers, here three, not seven, know nothing of the anointing of the youngest, although they were present and heard their own claims discussed (xvii. 28).  In the stories of David’s persecution also, chapter xxiv, xxvi, Saul alone is the sacred person, the anointed of Jehovah, not David.”

In 1 Sam 16:14 At the same time the Spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul and an evil spirit from Yahweh terrorized him.  David was summoned to play the harp for Saul v15 – 19, and “Saul loved him greatly and he became his armor bearer” v21.  Whenever the spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play with his hand, and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him v23.

There are problems with this account which lead me to believe it is untrue.  If Saul was picked by lot as stated in 1 Sam 10: 17 – 27, then this account is proven false because Saul was not anointed by Yahweh, nor did he have Yahweh’s Spirit. We must wonder also if Yahweh would send an evil spirit against someone, let alone someone previously anointed as king?  Also, would someone who had received Yahweh’s spirit, sin, as both Saul and David did? 

Other problems with the Davidic narrative are discussed in the article The Story of King David – Inspired or Interpolation?