What are the…
Books of Samuel

The Septuagint translators regarded the books of Samuel and of Kings as forming one continuous history, which they divided into four books, which they called “Books of the Kingdom.” The Vulgate version followed this division, but called them “Books of the Kings.” These books of Samuel they accordingly called the “First” and “Second” Books of Kings, and not, as in the modern Protestant versions, the “First” and “Second” Books of Samuel.

The authors of the books of Samuel were probably Samuel, Gad, and Nathan. Samuel penned the first twenty-four chapters of the first book. Gad, the companion of David (1 Samuel 22:5), continued the history thus commenced; and Nathan completed it, probably arranging the whole in the form in which we now have it (1 Chronicles 29:29).

The contents of the books

The first book covers a period of about 100 years, and nearly coincides with the life of Samuel.

It contains…

  1. the history of Eli (chapters 1-4)
  2. the history of Samuel (5-12)
  3. the history of Saul, and of David in exile (13-31)

The second book, comprising a period of perhaps 50 years, contains a history of the reign of David (1) over Judah (1-4), and (2) over all Israel (5-24), mainly in its political aspects.

The last 4 chapters of 2nd Samuel may be regarded as a sort of appendix recording various events, but not chronologically.

These books do not contain complete histories. Frequent gaps are evident in the record, because their purpose is to present a history of the kingdom of God in its gradual development, and not of the events of the reigns of the successive rulers. It is noticeable that the section (2 Samuel 11:2-12:29) containing an account of David’s sin in the matter of Bathsheba is omitted in the corresponding passage in 1 Chronicles 20.

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Article Version: August 23, 2024