The King-Priest in Samuel: A Messianic Motif - Hardcover

by Nicholas Majors (Author), Jason S. Derouchie (Foreword by)

Scholars studying the ANE have noticed that Canaanite kings ruled as a representative of their god and served in a priestly role. Yahweh allows Israel to have a king "like all the nations" (Deut 17:14), but he shapes the monarchy according to his covenant. A key question remains, does God's allowance for a king "like all the nations" include a king-priest model? This study presents a synchronic view of the king as a priest within the MT of Samuel, analyzing the motif and considering how the narrator heightens the hope for the coming anointed one, whom the narrator describes as both king (1 Sam 2:10) and priest (2:35-36). This study will argue that, from the monarchy's inception, Yahweh considered Israel's kingship a sacral task. My study examined the king as a priest through a synchronic literary-theological approach.

Author Biography

Nicholas Majors currently serves as an adjunct professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Colorado Christian University. He serves as the book review editor for the Journal of Biblical and Theological Studies. He has written numerous articles and presented at various conferences that wrestle with the message of the Old Testament and its relationship to Christians.