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Save "'The People' in 1 Samuel"
'The People' in 1 Samuel

In 1 Samuel there are a number of references to 'the people' gathering together in assembly. The surface reading would have us imagine an unrealistic assembly of the entire population of the tribes of Israel coming together at these events. This, I suggest, is not the case. Rather, 'the people' has a specific meaning in the narrative.

וַיַּצְעֵ֤ק שְׁמוּאֵל֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם אֶל־ה' הַמִּצְפָּֽה׃
Samuel summoned the people to the LORD at Mizpah

Clearly when Samuel calls 'the people' to assemble, he does not mean all the people. It would appear that this use of 'the people' in the text is being used in a technical sense. As we shall see, 'the people' is used rather often as a short-hand for the elders of the tribes of Israel. These are the leaders of the tribal community; the powerful, the influential people.

וַיִּֽתְקַבְּצ֔וּ כֹּ֖ל זִקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל הָרָמָֽתָה׃
All the elders of Israel assembled and came to Samuel at Ramah,
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר ה' אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל שְׁמַע֙ בְּק֣וֹל הָעָ֔ם לְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמְר֖וּ אֵלֶ֑יךָ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א אֹֽתְךָ֙ מָאָ֔סוּ כִּי־אֹתִ֥י מָאֲס֖וּ מִמְּלֹ֥ךְ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
and the LORD replied to Samuel, “Heed the demand of the people in everything they say to you. For it is not you that they have rejected; it is Me they have rejected as their king.

It would appear that this use of 'the people' has a long tradition in the biblical compilation. Before Israel enters into the land of Canaan there is an assembly at Pisgal where the tribes of Israel and the heads of 'the people' are treated in a poetic couplet. Yet, Thomas Romer makes the suggestion these may be different groups entirely.

(ה) וַיְהִ֥י בִישֻׁר֖וּן מֶ֑לֶךְ בְּהִתְאַסֵּף֙ רָ֣אשֵׁי עָ֔ם יַ֖חַד שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
(5) Then [God] became King in Jeshurun,
When the heads of the people assembled,
The tribes of Israel together.
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