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The Book of Samuel (Hebrew: ספר שמואל, Sefer Shmuel) is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Samuel) in the Old Testament. The book is part of the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings) that constitute a theological history of the Israelites and that aim to explain God's law for Israel under the guidance of the prophets.[1]
According to Jewish tradition, the book was written by Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan,[2] who together are three prophets who had appeared within 1 Chronicles during the account of David's reign.[3][4] Modern scholarly thinking posits that the entire Deuteronomistic history was composed circa 630–540 BCE by combining a number of independent texts of various ages.[5][6]
The book begins with Samuel's birth[7] and Yahweh's call to him as a boy. The story of the Ark of the Covenant follows. It tells of Israel's oppression by the Philistines, which brought about Samuel's anointing of Saul as Israel's first king. But Saul proved unworthy, and God's choice turned to David, who defeated Israel's enemies, purchased the threshing floor[8] where his son Solomon would build the First Temple, and brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. Yahweh then promised David and his successors an everlasting dynasty.[9]
In the Septuagint, a basis of the Christian biblical canons, the text is divided into two books, now called the First and Second Book of Samuel.
- ^ Gordon 1986, p. 18.
- ^ Hirsch, Emil G. "SAMUEL, BOOKS OF". www.jewishencyclopedia.com.
- ^ 1 Chronicles 29:29
- ^ Mathys, H. P., 1 and 2 Chronicles in Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001), The Oxford Bible Commentary, p. 283
- ^ Knight 1995, p. 62.
- ^ Jones 2001, p. 197.
- ^ 1 Samuel 1:1–20
- ^ 2 Samuel 24:24
- ^ Spieckerman 2001, p. 348.