1 Samuel
Introduction

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31

Absurdities
Cruelty and Violence
Injustice
Contradictions
Intolerance
Family Values
Women
Sex
Homosexuality
Interpretation
Language
Science and History
Good Stuff
SAB: 1 Samuel

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Family Values in 1 Samuel

  1. "He [Samuel's father] had two wives." Once again, by its silence, the Bible endorses polygamy. 1:2

  2. "The Lord had shut up her [Hannah's] womb." Why? The Bible doesn't say. Maybe God had nothing better to do. 1:5

  3. The sons of Eli had sex with women "at the door of the tabernacle." 2:22

  4. If you piss him off, God will cut off your arm, consume your eyes, grieve your heart, and kill your sons and grandfathers. 2:31-34

  5. God will punish Eli's descendants forever for the sins of Eli's sons. 3:12-13

  6. Samuel tells Eli that God will punish his descendants forever (3:12-13) and Eli says, "Okay, whatever God wants is fine with me." 3:18

  7. God orders Saul to kill all of the Amalekites: men, women, infants, sucklings, ox, sheep, camels, and asses. 15:2-3

  8. Saul killed everyone but Agag (the king) and the best of the animals. But still God was furious with Saul for not killing everything as he had been told to do. He said, "it repenteth me that I have set Saul up to be king." 15:7-26

  9. Saul is rebuked by Samuel for "doing evil in the sight of the Lord" by failing to kill all of the Amalekites. 15:18-19

  10. Because Saul didn't kill everyone as God commanded, God changes his mind about him being king. 15:23-26

  11. David kills 200 Philistines and brings their foreskins to Saul to buy his first wife (Saul's daughter Michal). Saul had only asked for 100 foreskins, but David was feeling generous. 18:25-27

  12. Saul kills 85 priests of Nob and all men, women, children, and animals in the city of Nob. 22:18-19

  13. "And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smote Nabal, that he died." This was convenient for David who then took his property and his wife, Abigail. 25:38

  14. David takes his second wife (Abigail) after God killed her husband (Nabal). He also, at the same time, took another wife (#3), Abinam. In the meantime, Saul gave Michal (his daughter and David's first wife) to another man. 25:41-44

  15. "And David smote the land and left neither man nor woman alive." (No wonder God liked David so much!) 27:8-11

  16. David just keeps getting more wives. God doesn't seem to mind a bit. 30:5