Introduction to the Book of Samuel

In the Hebrew Bible, 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel are a single book, directly following the Book of Judges and preceding the Book of Kings. The Septuagint, for convenience, divided the Book of Samuel and the Book of Kings each into two parts. The Book of Samuel records the history of Samuel, Saul, and David from the early 11th century BC to the early 10th century BC. It narrates how God, according to His promises to the patriarchs, raised up kings among His people (Genesis 17:6; 35:11; 49:10), using David’s throne to foreshadow Christ’s eternal kingship and David’s kingdom to foreshadow Christ’s eternal kingdom (2 Samuel 7:16).

The Book of Samuel is not only a historical record but also a prophetic word. Therefore, in the Hebrew Bible’s Tanakh (תנ״ך), it is listed as the third book of the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings). Prophetic works are never simply historical records for history’s sake; they are more concerned with revealing God’s will through history, serving as a warning for future generations. Consequently, the space dedicated to figures and events in the Book of Samuel is not based on their political status, length of reign, or national achievements, nor does it list all historical data. Instead, content is selected and organized according to its spiritual significance. For example, Eli served as judge for forty years, but his administrative achievements are never mentioned; Saul reigned for forty years, but apart from his early battles, other deeds are rarely recorded.

The final compilation of the Book of Samuel likely occurred after Solomon’s death but before the destruction of the Northern Kingdom (1 Samuel 27:6). Its purpose was to explain to the Israelites, who had fallen into failure after the division of the kingdom, why God’s chosen people had descended to their pitiful state at the time. Did God’s promise concerning David’s throne truly have a future? The prophet’s message was: God is the sovereign ruler of history. The survival of His people in the Promised Land and the rise and fall of nations depend entirely on their faithfulness to the covenant and their obedience to God’s law (Deuteronomy 28). Although Israel’s failure can be traced back to Solomon’s corruption, and even further to David’s sin and the corruption of the period of the Judges, the people in their failure could still hope: no matter how weak or fallen humanity becomes, God has a way to restore His people, to transform “fleshly” lives (Romans 8:8) into “spiritual” lives (Romans 8:9), and to raise up utterly corrupt descendants of Adam to be kings after His own heart (Acts 13:22), who will “reign with Christ” in glory (Revelation 20:6) “forever and ever” (Revelation 22:5)!