Critical Introduction Paper
Critical Introduction Paper
Critical Introduction Paper
Ana-Maria Bucsanu
Southeastern University
12/11/2022
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The Books of 1&2 Samuel
Books of Samuel, two Old Testament books that, along with Deuteronomy,
Joshua, Judges, and 1 and 2 Kings, are part of the Deuteronomic history tradition
that was first written down around 550 BC, during the Babylonian Exile. The two
books, which were originally one, are primarily concerned with the origins and early
history of ancient Israel's monarchy. The work is named after Samuel, presumably
because he is the first of its main characters and was involved in the selection of the
first two kings. In 1 Samuel, he is portrayed as a prophet and judge, as well as the
primary figure in Israel prior to the monarchy, with Saul as king. David is introduced
as king in 2 Samuel.
Authorship
The author(s) of 1 and 2 Samuel are unknown. The stories of Samuel, Saul, and
David are told in these books. According to Jewish tradition, the book of Samuel was
written by Samuel or a combination of Samuel, Nathan, and Gad. Because the Holy
Spirit is the divine author, the original author was inspired. In terms of the human
authors' identities, while Samuel, Nathan, and Gad may have written parts of it, we
simply do not know the names of the human authors who wrote Samuel.
Dates
the events from the Exodus to the Judges disappears. Because of the thorough
Kings, as well as the presence of evidence from other nations, the majority of the
incidents in the rest of the Old Testament can be dated with greater precision.
Historians can at least assign dates to events that occurred within the last ten years.
It is difficult to say when Samuel was written with certainty. The books of Samuel
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The Books of 1&2 Samuel
span roughly the years 1070-970 BC. Samuel governs Israel for at least 20 years (1
Samuel 7:2), Saul possibly for 40 years (1 Samuel 13:1), and David becomes king
about 1010 BC. This age sees major developments in Israel. What occurs changes
The book of Samuel begins with a humble woman barren and bearing her needs
before God, humbly asking Him to give her a son, a son who would humbly serve
God, and let Him rule. And God answered Hannah’s prayer by giving her Samuel.
He would be a ruling prophet listening to the voice of Israel’s ruling King. What God
said, Samuel would speak, and the people of God’s kingdom were to follow. That
would be humility before God their King. But the people of Israel were not humble.
They did not want to listen to the voice of their ruling King spoken through their ruling
prophet. The people rejected Samuel and demanded a new kingdom, a new politic
be adopted.
And God gave Israel what they wanted. God selected a man named Saul. Saul,
as a prince, was to listen to his King’s words that the prophet would speak and then
lead the kingdom to obey their ultimate King. When Saul waited and listened for
God’s voice with humility, battles were won for Saul and his military. But as Saul’s
power grew, so did his pride. He stopped bowing to his King and cast the ruling voice
of God aside. Saul refused to wait on his King before a battle and relied on his own
might. So, God would strip this prince of his crown. For in His Kingdom, God raises
up the humble but brings down the proud. And Saul did not humbly listen to the voice
of his King but proudly refused to bow. Saul is the king Israel deserved. He was a
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The Books of 1&2 Samuel
picture of themselves and would be brought down in turn. Pride threatened God’s
Kingdom and Israel’s throne, but God would not leave His Kingdom alone.
God would anoint a new prince that Israel did not deserve. This king would be
someone no one anticipated, a boy named David, a shepherd who would win peace
for God’s sheep, a prince who would listen to his ruling King. When David comes
with his staff and sling, it is a showdown, not just between Israel and her giant
enemy (Goliath), but between Israel’s two kings. David would show that in His
Kingdom, God raises up the humble but brings down the proud. As Goliath fell and
the people shouted, they compared their kings as they paraded around him saying,
“Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” (1 Samuel 18:7,
NIV). Devoured by rage, Saul sought to kill David. But through every chase, David
was humble while, to his pride, Saul was enslaved until finally, the paths these two
kings had paved led to David’s ascension and to the fall of mighty Saul to the grave.
Saul was gone, and so was Samuel. David was now the rightful and only prince in
Israel. So, God brought a new ruling prophet to David, named Nathan. He came
bearing a vision from God. One of David’s children, one of his descendants, would
sit on Israel’s throne forever. However, as David’s power grew, so did his pride. He
stopped bowing to his King and cast the ruling voice of God aside. He abused a
married woman named Bathsheba. The man, who was to shepherd God’s people,
preyed on them instead. War was raging inside David’s home, for his sons were no
different from their father. The crowned prince violated his own sister, and David,
seeing a picture of himself in the horror, had nothing to offer. So, in response,
David’s son Absalom slaughters his brother, and he takes his father’s throne as an
anointed imposter. But this was not the Shepherd-King God promised he would
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The Books of 1&2 Samuel
provide. And so, David was forced into exile from his own kingdom until his own son,
Much like the book began, Samuel ends with David praying a prayer much as
Hannah did. A prayer that acknowledges how in his Kingdom, God raises up the
humble but brings down the proud. The humble listen to the voice of their King, but
the proud always refuse to bow. But David’s prayer and God’s promise would be
answered.
The final King who would rule over Israel would come through another humble
woman who remembered the prayer Hannah prayed for Samuel. Mary repeated the
words of Hannah’s prayer. Through her humble womb, God would bring down the
proud. Because her son, Jesus, would be the humble King who would perfectly listen
to God and bow. That is what Jesus did when He went to the cross. He was not
proud before his ruling King but was humble even to death and loss. While we
cowardly did nothing, He went to battle against the enemies that have eternally
fought with us. He is God’s chosen. He is God’s anointed. Jesus is the final
Shepherd-King that God has forever appointed. Jesus is the prince we never could
have deserved. For, like Saul and David, He is not a picture of our pride but the
humble ruler we never could have earned. So, to rule His Kingdom, God raised up
humble Jesus and ascended Him to a throne high above all the proud. Jesus is the
son of David God promised would sit on his throne forever winning peace from our
The goal of 1 Samuel is to highlight two key events: the founding of the monarchy
in Israel (1 Samuel 8:12), and David's ascension to the throne after Saul (1 Samuel
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The Books of 1&2 Samuel
16:31). After a period, the Lord rejected Saul in favor of David (1 Samuel 15:16), yet
Saul remained on the throne until his death at Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 31). In 2
Samuel 7, God promises David and his descendants an endless dynasty. The book
of 1 Samuel develops the notion that adherence to God's word is a prerequisite for a
First and Second Samuel cover a transitional time in ancient Israel's history.
Leadership passes from the priest Eli to judge Samuel, then from judge Samuel to
King Saul, and finally from Saul to David. In Israel, Samuel is therefore the
connection between the judgeship and the kingdom. He is the prophet that God
sends to anoint Saul and David. Saul's kingdom was likewise in change. Under Saul,
Israel was more than a loose confederation that banded together whenever a shared
threat arose, but there was no strong central government as there was afterward.
The story of David's ascension in the second half of 1 Samuel sets the stage for
For starters, it depicts the entrance of the KINGS in Israel. 1 Samuel tells the
story of Israel's first king, Saul. God was mostly silent throughout this time. He was
expecting visions and miracles to mark this period of history, therefore he was given
a long period of idleness during the time of the judges. Similarly, there was no
story of Samuel's birth and service, as well as how he established the prophets in
Israel. Samuel is important because he anoints both Saul and David as kings. Later,
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The Books of 1&2 Samuel
when David sins, Nathan, the prophet, exposes him, and David repents (2 Samuel
11). This illustrates in Israel the integration of "church and state." The roles of kings
Third, it depicts King David's arrival. David is a significant figure in the Bible. He is
a figure of Christ, and he represents Israel's ideal King until Christ comes.
Conclusion
people's attitudes toward Him. His people can be loyal or rebellious, yet His final
victory will not be affected. We learn in 2 Samuel that our ultimate triumph in life is
determined by our attitude toward God. The emphasis of 2 Samuel is mostly on good
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The Books of 1&2 Samuel
References
Paul R. House. Old Testament Survey. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 1992.
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/1SA.18.NIV.
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/2SA.11.NIV.