Relics & Shrines
According to the Orthodox synaxarion, the relics of the Prophet Samuel were transferred from Judea to Constantinople in the year 406.
ProphetOld Testament
Prophet Samuel
Also known as Samuel the Prophet
The last of the judges of Israel and a prophet who anointed Saul and David; his birth followed his mother Hannah's prayer for a child.
August 20New Calendar
Feast Day
September 2Old Calendar
Commemorated as
The Holy Prophet Samuel
Come to them for
Children
Life
Samuel stands in the Old Testament as the fifteenth and last of the judges of Israel and as a prophet whose ministry bridged the era of the judges and the rise of the monarchy. The son of Elkanah of Ramathaim-Zophim in the hill country of Ephraim and descended from the tribe of Levi, his birth answered the prayer of his mother Hannah, who had been childless; the name Samuel is understood to mean one besought from God.
In fulfillment of a vow, Hannah brought the young child to the sanctuary at Shiloh and entrusted him to the high priest Eli, under whose care Samuel grew into the prophetic office. He came to be acknowledged throughout Israel as a trustworthy prophet of the Lord, and it fell to him to anoint Israel's first two kings, Saul and David, making his ministry the hinge between the period of the judges and the kingdom.
In his own wordsReadHide
Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth.
Troparion & Kontakion5 hymnsReadHide
You were given to a barren womb as a most precious gift,
and were sacrificed to your Lord as a whole burnt offering.
You served Him with holiness and righteousness;
therefore O Samuel, God’s Prophet, we honor you as an intercessor for our souls.
Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).
You arrived by your mother’s prayers, bearing the name “God has heard.”
You were called by the Lord from infancy, O revered Prophet Samuel,
you shepherded the rebellious people well and became the founder of the kingdom of Israel;
entreat the True God for us who honor you with faith
that He may save our souls.
Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).
You were dedicated to God as a revered gift before your conception, and from an early age you served Him like an angel,
O most blessed one, and you were worthy to prophesy concerning the future.
Therefore, we cry to you: “Rejoice, O Samuel, God’s Prophet and great High Priest.”
Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).
O great Samuel, who anointed the holy God-seer David,
hasten to ask that we may be anointed with the peace of the Holy Spirit,
and to be strangers to evil, as David was for Saul’s tormented soul.
Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).
You arrived by your mother's prayers, bearing the name “God has heard.”
You were called by the Lord from infancy, O revered Prophet Samuel,
you shepherded the rebellious people well and became the founder of the kingdom of Israel;
entreat the True God for us who honor you with faith
that He may save our souls.
Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).
Timeline5 momentsReadHide
- BirthBorn in answer to Hannah's prayerSamuel was born to Elkanah and Hannah at Ramathaim-Zophim. Hannah, who had been childless, had vowed to dedicate the child to God, and his name is explained as meaning besought from God.
- ChildhoodDedicated at Shiloh under EliIn keeping with her vow Hannah brought the young Samuel to the sanctuary at Shiloh and gave him into the care of the high priest Eli, who at that time judged Israel. While still a boy he received a revelation foretelling judgment upon the house of Eli on account of the wickedness of Eli's sons.
- MaturityJudge and prophet of IsraelSamuel succeeded Eli, who died when the Philistines defeated Israel, slew his sons Hophni and Phinehas, and captured the Ark of the Covenant. As the last of the judges Samuel exercised his office on a circuit among Israelite towns and was recognized as a prophet of the Lord.
- Later ministryAnointed Saul and DavidAt the people's demand for a king, Samuel anointed Saul as Israel's first king. After Saul's disobedience to God, Samuel denounced him and afterward anointed David, to whom he gave refuge during Saul's pursuit.
- DeathRepose in old ageSamuel died in extreme old age and, according to the biblical account, was buried at Ramah.
Contributions & Legacy
2 contributionsReadHide
Veneration
Samuel is venerated as a prophet across Jewish, Christian, and Islamic tradition. In the Eastern Orthodox Church his feast is observed on August 20, a date shared by the Roman Catholic and Lutheran calendars; the Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates him on July 30.
Member ofReadHide
Family1 relativeShowHide
Companions1 figureShowHide
High priest and judge at Shiloh who raised the young Samuel and whom he succeeded as judge over Israel.
Eli the High Priest
not commemorated
Related Saints2 saintsShowHide
Saints connected to his life, mission, and place in Orthodox tradition.
Israel's king, whom Samuel anointed and to whom he gave refuge during Saul's pursuit.
Prophet-King David
Israel's first king, whom Samuel anointed at the people's demand and later denounced for disobedience.
King Saul
not commemorated
Browse similar saints by calling and place.
Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints