I. Name

The two books of Samuel receive their name Shemu-el, "Name of God," or "Asked of God," i Sam. 1:20, not from their author, but from the prophet who is such a conspicuous character in them. In the Hebrew they formed but one book, called "The Book of Samuel," but in the Septuagint and other ancient versions it was divided into two, and in 15 17 the Hebrew was divided, by Bomberg in his first edition of the Rabbinic Bible, to correspond with them. Because of its similarity in contents to the Book of Kings, which was also originally one book but has been divided into two, the four books of Samuel and Kings were in the older versions called First, Second, Third and Fourth Kings. This second title passed over into our Authorized Version, but has been omitted by the Revisers. Its individuality is well marked. In style and manner of treatment it is widely separated from both Judges and Kings.

II. Contents

As the two books of Samuel form a continuous narrative we shall treat them together. The facts are grouped around three leading characters.

1. Samuel.

a. The book opens with a statement of the birth of Samuel, when Eli was High Priest, and the affairs of Israel were in a disorderly condition. Chs. 1-3.

b. Samuel's judgeship, growing out of the invasion of the Philistines, with the loss of the Ark and its restoration. Chs. 4-7.

c. The clamor of Israel for a king, the anointing of Saul, and his confirmation by the people. Chs. 8-12.

2. Saul.

a. The disastrous reign of Saul up to the time of his rejection. Chs. 13-15.

b. The selection of David as his successor with an account of the relations existing between David and Saul. Chs. 16-30.

c. The tragic death of Saul and his sons on the battlefield. Ch. 31.

3. David.

a. David's lament over Saul and his crowning as king over Judah. 2 Sam. Chs. 1-4.

b. David is crowned as king over all Israel, makes provision for the public worship, and overcomes the opposition to his royal position. Chs. 5-9.

c. The public acts of David and the sins and sorrows of his later years, with the account of his repentance and spiritual progress. Chs. 10-24.

III. Authorship

The name of the author cannot now be determined. The book bears plain marks of diverse authorship. The claim of the Talmud, that Samuel wrote it, cannot possibly be correct beyond the twenty-fifth chapter of the first book, since his death is there recorded, and the strong probabilities are that he did not write even those parts which precede his death. The prevalent opinion is that the writer collected his facts from different documents of a historical character and arranged them in their proper order. These documents, prepared near the time in which the events occurred, give to the work the strongest assurance of its truthfulness.

In support of this theory it is noted:

(1) That parts of the work are composed of brief fragments, while other parts are written with much more detail.

(2) Different accounts of the same event are given, such as the manner of Saul's appointment, 1 Sam. 9:1-10:16 and 10:17-27, and the sparing of Saul's life by David, Chs. 24 and 26, which accounts are not contradictory as some assert, but emphasize different features of the same transaction.

(3) Detached observations are added, apparently by the compiler.

(4) A comparison of different events as recorded by the author of this book and as found in the book of Chronicles, indicate different sources of information.

The evidence seems to show that the writer drew from documents which were easily accessible and of a well-known historical character, such as the Book of Jashar, 2 Sam. 1:18, and a History of David, 1 Chron. 29:29. The practice of preserving such documents is too well known to need reference. (2 Sam. 8:16.)

It has been claimed that there is a discrepancy in some of the statements which discredits the whole narrative. Thus, the statement in 1 Sam. 7:13, in regard to the expulsion of the Philistines, seems at variance with I Sam. 9:16, where they are still seen in conflict with Israel; and the manner of Saul's becoming king in 1 Sam. 9:1-10:16 differs from what is said in 10:17-27; the statement of the early relations between Saul and David, found in 1 Sam. 16:14-23, seems to conflict with 1 Sam. 17:55-58. But these admit of a solution which is consistent with the general accuracy of the record. The driving out of the Philistines at one period does not preclude their reappearance many years later. Saul's anointing by the prophet does not conflict with his official acceptance by the people afterward; and when we consider the mental condition of Saul, his seeming ignorance of David need not be thought strange.

Other apparent discrepancies are doubtless due to the brevity of the statement and our ignorance of the details.

Nor do these facts necessarily imply a late origin of the book as many assert. On the contrary, it was probably written not long after the period to which the events refer. The language places it among the products of the purest period of Hebrew literature, and the limited reference to historical documents shows that it preceded the fuller literature of a later period. The indications point to a time not long after the death of Solomon.

IV. Design

It is apparent that the author did not intend to give a complete history of Israel during the time of which he wrote or even a complete history of the men whose lives are so prominent in the book. Had this been his purpose he would certainly have told us something of the last days of David. For this we must go to another and later work, the Book of Kings. He is not writing a general history, but as the Jews well understood, a theocratic history, in which the grand aim is to show how God is working out his plan of redemption through Israel. Hence many things are omitted as not bearing on this theme, while the Messianic element is everywhere made prominent. The establishment of the kingdom, the selection of David and his typical character, the renewal and enlargement of the Messianic promises, — these are the central thoughts and they are wrought out in such a way as to show that God is always present and so guiding in the affairs of His people as to make His purpose better known and bring it nearer to its consummation.

V. Differences between Samuel and Chronicles

Since the same period of history is treated in the books of Samuel and Chronicles it is natural to compare them. Attention has been called frequently to the fact that many events recorded in Samuel are omitted in Chronicles, such as David's kindness to Mephibosheth, 2 Sam. Ch. 9; the story of Bath-sheba and Uriah, 2 Sam. Chs. 11 and 12; the rebellion of Absalom, 2 Sam. 15; and David's song and last words, 2 Sam. Chs. 22 and 23. On the other hand Chronicles contains much that is omitted in Samuel, as David's preparation for the building of the temple, the arrangement of the Levites and priests for the temple service, and David's officers and heroes.

In other places the order in which the events occurred is different, and the numbers given in Samuel differ widely from those found in Chronicles.

But if we remember the different purpose of the two books, these variations present little difficulty. In Samuel the object is to record such facts as bear on the public welfare, the affairs of state; while Chronicles has its motive in the religious life of the time. Each writer would naturally select those facts which bore directly on his theme and develop them more fully, while he would pass lightly over, or altogether omit those which were not essential for his purpose. The difference in numbers is sometimes perplexing, but the confusion may be due to causes for which the writers are not responsible, especially the primitive method of Hebrew reckoning by figures, or the liability to mistake in transcribing.

LITERATURE

Commentaries: Keil and Delitzsch; Smith, International Critical Commentary. Driver's Notes on the Hebrew Text of the Books of Samuel; Keil's and Driver's Introduction to the Old Testament; Articles on Samuel, in Smith's and Hastings' Bible Dictionaries.