Good day friends and family in Christ:
in my study of understanding 1 and 2 Samuel , can direct me to any websites or commentaries that maybe assisting me with the following on the book:
1)introduction of the book
2)historical and setting of the book
3)theme of the book
4)outline of the book
Kings and Prophets
The books of 1 and 2 Samuel form the transition from the era of the judges to that of the kings. They introduce a series of contrasts between good and evil judges, plus faithful and unfaithful kings. As 1 Samuel opens, the era of the judges is still in the forefront, but it is fading fast. The leadership of Israel rests on the undisciplined and elderly Eli, the high priest of the tabernacle at Shiloh and one of the last of the minor judges (1 Sam 4:18). Throughout the early chapters of 1 Samuel, the author draws a sharp contrast between Eli and his ungodly sons and the godly prophet Samuel. By the middle of the book (1 Samuel 15-16), the same kind of contrast is drawn between Saul and David.
In 2 Samuel the narrative shifts to the reign of David as he rises above Saul’s son Ish-bosheth to become the king, first of Judah and then of all the tribes of Israel (5:1-4). The book records David’s wars of conquest including the capture of Jerusalem and the relocation of the ark of the covenant to the City of David (6:1-19). But the author also records David’s failures: his adultery with Bathsheba (11:1-26), Absalom’s rebellion (15:1-18:30), Sheba’s revolt (20:1-26), and the disastrous census (24:1-25). Like all the prophetic writers, the author presents a portrait of his historical figures from the perspective of their faithfulness to God’s covenant.
Author and Date
First Chronicles 29:29 states that “the acts of David” (KJV) were written in the books of Samuel the seer, Nathan the prophet, and Gad the seer. This could indicate that Samuel may have written some of the earlier material in the first book. However, the books of 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Samuel are probably the products of multiple authors.
KEY FACTS
Author: Anonymous (Samuel, Nathan, or Gad?)
Date: Circa 960 BC
Recipients: United Kingdom of Israel
Key Word: Anointed (Hb. mashiach)
Key Verse: “So Samuel took the horn of oil, anointed him . . . and the Spirit of the LORD took control of David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah” (1 Sam 16:13).
The name Samuel means “the name of God,” “his name is God,” or “asked of God.” The Masoretes originally considered both 1 and 2 Samuel as one book. The Greek Septuagint calls 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings “First, Second, Third, and Fourth Kingdoms.” The content of each of the books is generally the same as 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings. Each of these books was included in the section of the “Former Prophets” in the Hebrew Bible because it was believed that they were written by prophets, whereas 1-2 Chronicles was placed in the “writings” (Kethuvim) because they were written by priests.
The books of 1-2 Samuel are anonymous but named in honor of Samuel who authored other works (1 Sam 10:25; 1 Chr 29:29) and was the head of a group of prophets (1 Sam 10:5; 19:20). However, Samuel could not be the author of all of the books’ contents since they record his death (1 Sam 25:1) and events after his death (2 Sam 1-24). Baba Bathra 15a asserts that the prophets Nathan and Gad wrote the rest of the material (cf. 1 Chr 29:29). These books were probably written circa 960 BC after the death of David in 971 BC and during the reign of Solomon (cf. 2 Chr 9:29).1
Outline
First and 2 Samuel follow a fourfold structure. In the first section the house of Samuel is exalted while the house of priest-judge Eli is abased (1 Samuel 1-7). The second part is about conflicts between Samuel and Saul (1 Samuel 8-15) while the third records the struggles between David and Saul (1 Samuel 16-31). The concluding section (2 Samuel) is about the reign of David.
Outline
I.Transition from Eli to Samuel (1 Samuel 1:1-7:17)
II.Reign of Saul (1 Samuel 8:1-31:13)
A.Saul’s Selection (1 Samuel 8:1-11:15)
B.Samuel’s Warning (1 Samuel 12:1-25)
C.Saul’s Rejection (1 Samuel 13:1-17:58)
D.Saul’s Failures (1 Samuel 18:1-31:13)
III.Reign of David (2 Samuel 1:1-24:25)
A.David’s Faith (2 Samuel 1:1-10:19)
B.David’s Faults (2 Samuel 11:1-12:31)
C.David’s Foes (2 Samuel 13:1-20:26)
D.David’s Fame (2 Samuel 21:1-24:25)
Message
By showing the deficiencies of the final phase of the judges’ era (chaps. 1-7), 1 Samuel is an apologetic for the new monarchy, which God graciously establishes for His people in spite of their sin. The book also highlights the inferiority of Saul in comparison to David (chaps. 13-31) whose rule was yet to be inaugurated. The promises to David anticipate the coming of David’s greater son who will rule in perfect obedience to God’s covenant (Gen 49:10; Deut 17:14-20; 2 Sam 7:12-16; Ps 89:36-37; 132:11-17; Isa 7:14; 9:6-7). Therefore, 1 Samuel is the first biblical book in the English Bible to use the term “anointed one” or messiah (2:10).
The message of 1-2 Samuel also highlights the role of the prophets in relation to the kings. Samuel and Nathan confront the sins of Saul and David and call them to repentance (1 Samuel 13; 15; 2 Samuel 12). Whereas Saul makes excuses for his mistakes, David genuinely repents saying, “I have sinned.” These stories set the stage for future accounts of prophets (e.g., Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah) confronting the errant kings of Israel and Judah.
blueletterbible.org Go to the verse and click on Tools -> Commentaries. You’ll have a vetted list of commentators on it. J Vernon McGee is always insightful and fun.
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