The Biblical Meaning & Symbolism behind the name Samuel

We named our fourth child Samuel and as I have learned more about this name, I have come to love it more and more. I take the responsibility of naming a human being very seriously—this is the name that they’ll be known by for their entire life and I want it to be something they can find inspiration in and deeper meaning, especially as a Christian family who aims to worship and become more Christ-like. For Samuel, that is an easy task.

God Has Heard

To start, Samuel is a classic Hebrew name. It derives from Shemu’el (שְׁמוּאֵל), combining shem (name) and El (God) or shama (to hear) with El (God). So Samuel means “God has heard” or “Name of God”.

This name reminds me of my daughter’s name meaning (you can read about it here). Hers means “God has seen” and so it feels very fitting to have a sibling with a similar name. They actually share the same birthday so it feels extra special now! I have felt many times when God has heard my prayers and desires. It is even mentioned again in 1 Samuel 7:9 that “Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel; and the Lord heard him.” I know the Lord will be a constant companion throughout Samuel’s entire life.

The Prophet Samuel

When it comes to people my Samuel can look up to that have the same name, there are many. The first and most well known is the prophet Samuel, a very important figure in ancient Israel and in the Bible. He was a judge and prophet and anointed Israel’s first two kings: Saul and David. In the Bible, we get to read about his faithful mother Hannah, about him as a child being called by God, and the rest of his life as a prophet. There is so much that my Samuel can learn from him.

“Remember Me”

Although this pregnancy came easily, I have struggled with infertility in the past and so I relate to Hannah and her yearning for a child. She prays mightily and begs or vows, almost trying to make a deal with God in order to “earn” a son. At one point in my desire to be pregnant, I did the exact same thing, pouring out my soul before the Lord. I felt God’s love but I wanted Him to “remember me…and I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life.” After Hannah vowed and prayed, she then conceived and that is why she named her son Samuel, because “I asked him of the Lord [and God heard me]”. I hope my Samuel can see that God truly does care about what we care about. Our righteous desires, no matter how big or small, are something He wants to bless us with. And when we come to Him and pour out our souls, it is like when Jesus talks about if a son asks for a fish he would not give him a snake. Meaning, God desires to give us even better things to those who ask Him. He is good and generous and loving. He is not only a God who hears our prayers but wants to bless us.

“For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him.”
– 1 Samuel 1:27

“Here am I”

The other story many know about Samuel the prophet is when he was a child. In 1 Samuel 2:26, it says “the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men.” And one night, the Lord called Samuel and the boy answered. “Here am I”. He thought it was Eli the prophet so he ran to where Eli was laying but was told he did not call for him. It wasn’t until the third time this happened that Eli told Samuel to go lie down and say “Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth”. So Samuel did exactly that and then received a revelation and vision from God about what was to come from Eli’s house and his own future.

What I want my Samuel to learn from this is to see the natural obedience that this young Samuel had. He got up and surrendered his own sleep to be there for his mentor and guide, the prophet Eli. And he took Eli’s advice seriously and obeyed what to say so that the Lord would converse with him. The phrase “here am I” is one I hope my Samuel will offer to God again and again in his life. Just like Jesus says “here am I, send me”, my Samuel can be an important participant to bring to pass His work and glory. My sweet Samuel came in such a direct and distinct timing and it truly feels like he is being called by God at this exact time. I feel like Hannah, seeing God’s hand in this boy’s timing and wanting to give all I have to show my gratitude. I am dedicated to giving my all to teaching Samuel what it means to be a disciple of the Lord.

“And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.”
– 1 Samuel 3:19

My Samuel can learn from this specific verse to not let the Lord’s words fall to the ground. Meaning, that he takes God’s word seriously and carries them as a duty, holding them as the treasure they are (whether that be answers to prayers, the Holy Ghost whisperings, the actual scripture verses, and so much more). This verse can also be interpreted that God did not let any of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. I think this is just as instructive. To trust that God will use opportunities in my Samuel’s life to bless and uplift others. It shows that God is always a partner and will not let his righteous efforts go to waste.

As Samuel lived the rest of his life as the prophet, here are some of the things he preached about:
– “return unto the Lord with all your hearts…and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only.” – 1 Samuel 7:3
– “Only fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.” – 1 Samuel 12:24

Samuel the Lamanite

There is another prophet named Samuel, but this one is in the Book of Mormon. He is a Lamanite, who came to the Nephite country to prophesy the coming of the Lord. It begins in Helaman 13 and says he was cast out of Zarahemla when preaching repentance and he was about to return to his own land when a voice of the Lord came unto Samuel that he should return and prophesy whatever things come into his heart. When he was not allowed to enter the city, he got upon the wall and cried with a loud voice, letting the Spirit guide his words and say whatever the Lord put into his heart.

I hope my Samuel holds tight to that phrase of the Lord putting words into his heart to preach and say. I know he will experience that on his mission but I think it can go much deeper than that and be something he strives for throughout his life. I hope as his mother that I can follow the guides and whispers of the Spirit to say and do things that are according to God’s will.

As the story continues, Samuel prophesies destruction to the wicked Nephite people and nothing can save them save it be repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. Samuel mentions an angel bringing him glad tidings to his soul and warns against walking after the pride of our own hearts and whatever our heart desires but to remember the Lord our God and repent.

Samuel, still standing on the wall, prophesies that in 5 years the Son of God will come to redeem all those who believe on his name and the sign will be great lights in the heavens. Helaman 14:3-6 is where he says, “insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, that it shall appear unto man as if it was day. There shall be one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a sign…and it shall be the night before he is born. And behold, there shall a new star arise…[and] many signs and wonders in heaven.”

Samuel the Lamanite also prophesies of Christ’s death and resurrection, also with signs of light. Many believed and sought for the prophet Nephi, but just as many did not and were angry with him. So much so that they cast stones at him upon the wall and shot arrows “but the Spirit of the Lord was with him, insomuch that they could not hit him with their stones neither with their arrows.” (Helaman 16:2). The non-believers blamed him to have the power of the devil in him and sought to take and bind him but Samuel “cast himself down from the wall” and fled to prophesy among his own people. And it ends that he was never heard of more among the Nephites.

This story is truly one of my favorites in the Book of Mormon. It feels so relatable to the world of today, people doubting and influenced by nay-sayers. Living in ways that only serve them and not others. I hope my Samuel sees the courage and bravery of one of the mighty Samuel’s he is named after and can see that even if he stands alone, with God on his side, he will never be alone and miracles will come to pass to protect him from the evils of this world.

Sam the brother of Nephi

There is a Sam at the very beginning of the Book of Mormon who is known as “the brother of Nephi”. Although we have little that Sam actually says, you can tell when you read the whole story that he is just, faithful, righteous, and a quiet supporter who sided with Nephi many times along their journey. His quiet strength and loyalty portrayed as his character/personality is one that my Samuel could relate to and I love how he has this stalwart faith as an early believer in Nephi’s revelations and Nephi finds him as a close ally. Sam is one of the only other brothers that Lehi saw partake of the tree of life and I just love this second wonderful person to be more like as my son reads from the scriptures.

Samuel Smith the brother of Joseph

Although not in scripture, there is another Samuel I know of that my Samuel can find inspiration from. Joseph Smith had a younger brother who is commonly known as the “first LDS missionary”. He was the third person to be baptized (after Joseph Smith himself and Oliver Cowdery) and Samuel was also one of the several men who signed a statement declaring their testimony of seeing the golden plates and holding them in their hands. He served missions all over Eastern U.S. and the Midwest. He may have been the first Latter-day Saint to approach the jail after his two brother’s martyrdoms and that he helped retrieve their bodies back to Nauvoo. He is also someone who shows loyalty, faith, obedience, righteousness even in times of struggle, and I know my Samuel will enjoy getting to know this important early church member of the LDS religion.

Samuel Rucker and Hans Samuel Hansen

There are two more people my Samuel is named after: two of his ancestors. Samuel Rucker (his 4th great-grandfather) was born September 22nd, 1816 in Tennessee and lived there his whole life. He had 3 children with his first wife who died and he remarried with 7 more kids born with his last name. We don’t know much else about him but it is written that his home was burned about the time of the Civil War (1861-1865) which means he would have been about 44 years old at the start of the war. This war completely divided the United States and although we don’t know exactly what part he played in the war, the region he lived in was filled with people who wanted to stay loyal to the U.S. (the Union) whereas the rest of Tennessee officially joined the Confederacy. This could have played a part in the fact that their home was burned since East Tennessee became a crossroads of armies, scouts, and raiding parties from both sides. This loss to a farm, during wartime years, would have been devastating. He had young children (our direct ancestor Aaron DeWitt Rucker was a toddler during the Civil War) and I’m sure it brought great hardship. My Samuel Rucker can seek the resilience that I’m sure this Samuel Rucker had to rebuild, care for his family, and keep living with hope even when the world around us is torn and split apart in anger and evil.

There is another Samuel on my side of the family (his 3rd great-grandfather) who was born February 2nd, 1870 in Wisconsin, lived in Kansas, and eventually ended up in Skagit Washington where he and his wife Clara lived for the rest of their lives. His parents were both born in Denmark and shortly after they each immigrated, they met and married in Wisconsin (the same wedding anniversary as Ryan and I!). This Hans Samuel is also a 4th child with a girl, boy, girl, boy ordination. I’m sure this Hans felt the overwhelming love from his older siblings as my Samuel will. Although he went by Hans and not Samuel, I wanted to feature him because he is another part of my Samuel’s history and we can learn from any and all people who came before us.