History · Old Testament

1 Samuel

c. 1105–1010 BC

Section: History · Old Testament
Events span: c. 1105–1010 BC
Written: c. 1000 BC
Author: Samuel, Nathan, and Gad (by tradition)

1 Samuel spans Israel's shift from judges to kings: Samuel the prophet anoints the first king, Saul, whose disobedience costs him the throne. God then chooses the shepherd David, who kills Goliath and endures Saul's murderous jealousy.

Historical setting: Transitioning from the judges to a monarchy, as Samuel anoints first Saul, then David.

Key themes

From judges to monarchy
Obedience over sacrifice
God looks at the heart
The rise of David
Rejecting God as king

Key events

Samuel the Prophet (1 Samuel 1–7)

Hannah prays for a son and dedicates Samuel to the LORD 1 Sam 1–2c. 1105 BC
God calls the boy Samuel in the night at Shiloh 1 Sam 3c. 1100 BC
The Philistines capture the ark, but it brings them plague and is returned 1 Sam 4–6c. 1080 BC
Samuel leads Israel to victory over the Philistines and judges the nation 1 Sam 7c. 1060 BC

Saul, the First King (1 Samuel 8–15)

Israel demands a king; Samuel warns them but anoints Saul 1 Sam 8–10c. 1050 BC
Saul defeats the Ammonites and is confirmed as king 1 Sam 11c. 1050 BC
Saul offers an unlawful sacrifice; Samuel says his kingdom will not endure 1 Sam 13c. 1045 BC
Saul spares Agag and the best plunder, and God rejects him as king 1 Sam 15c. 1030 BC

The Rise of David (1 Samuel 16–31)

Samuel secretly anoints the shepherd boy David as the next king 1 Sam 16c. 1025 BC
David kills the Philistine giant Goliath with a sling and a stone 1 Sam 17c. 1024 BC
Jealous of David, Saul tries to kill him; Jonathan befriends and protects him 1 Sam 18–20c. 1020 BC
David flees as a fugitive and spares Saul's life twice in the wilderness 1 Sam 24–26c. 1015 BC
Saul consults the witch of Endor on the eve of his final battle 1 Sam 28c. 1010 BC
Saul and his sons die fighting the Philistines on Mount Gilboa 1 Sam 31c. 1010 BC

Key lessons

God prizes obedience over religious performance: “to obey is better than sacrifice,” as Saul discovers when partial obedience forfeits his throne. 1 Sam 15:22
Faith sees God where others see only the giant; David faces Goliath sure that “the battle is the LORD’s,” while a whole army stands frozen in fear. 1 Sam 17:47
Demanding a king “like all the nations,” Israel is really rejecting God’s own rule; trading trust in him for visible security is a recurring temptation. 1 Sam 8:7
Waiting on God’s timing is itself faith: already anointed, David twice spares Saul rather than seize the throne by force. 1 Sam 24

“for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7 KJV

Critical scholarship view

Where mainstream critical scholarship dates or attributes this book differently from the traditional view above.

Written: Part of the Deuteronomistic History, c. 6th century BC
Author: The Deuteronomistic historians