1 Samuel - Odessa, Missouri Community of Christ

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2 Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Samuel 2007 EditionRationalistic critics of the book tend to believe it was the result of much more piecingtogether, and some of them date its final form as late as 500 B.C. 2 The Talmud (ca. A.D.500) attributed authorship of both 1 and 2 Samuel to the prophet Samuel. 3 However, it isunlikely that Samuel wrote both books. 4SCOPEThe Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel'sconception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in971 B.C. 5 David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11; 5:5). This means hecame to power in 1011 B.C. Saul also reigned for 40 years (Acts 13:21) so he becameking in 1051 B.C. We can estimate the date of Samuel's birth fairly certainly on the basisof chronological references in the text to have been about 1121 B.C. 6 Thus the Book ofSamuel covers about 1121-971 B.C., or about 150 years of history.We should note that the first part of 1 Samuel overlaps historically with the end of theJudges period that we find in the Book of Judges. Apparently Samson was born just a fewyears before Samuel. Samson's 20-year judgeship evidently began shortly before thebattle of Aphek (1104 B.C.) at which time Eli died (1 Sam. 4:18). 7 It ended not manyyears before the battle of Mizpah (1084 B.C.) when the Philistine domination of Israelceased temporarily (1 Sam. 7:13). Samuel's ministry, therefore, probably ran concurrentwith that of Samson until Samson died. Saul began to reign about 35 years after Samsondied (i.e., 1051 B.C.). Samuel evidently lived about 30 years after that. 8EventsOLD TESTAMENT HISTORYBiblical ReferencesCreation to Israel's move to Egypt Genesis 1—50The Exodus Exodus 1—18Israel at Mt. Sinai Exodus 19—Numbers 10The Wilderness Wanderings Numbers 11—21Israel on the Plains of Moab Numbers 22—Joshua 2The Conquest and Division of Canaan Joshua 3—24The Amphictyony (rule by judges) Judges 1—1 Samuel 7The Reign of Saul 1 Samuel 8—31; 1 Chronicles 102 For a refutation of this view, see Gleason L. Archer Jr., A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, pp. 284-85.3 Baba Bathra 14b.4 See David M. Howard Jr., An Introduction to the Old Testament Historical Books, pp. 142-43.5 See Edwin R. Thiele, The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings, pp. 51-52.6 See Eugene H. Merrill, Kingdom of Priests, pp. 149-50.7 Leon Wood, Israel's United Monarchy, p. 23, wrote that the battle of Aphek happened about 1075 B.C.Though Wood is helpful in many respects, I do not think his dates are as accurate as those of Merrill andThiele.8 Merrill, pp. 149-50.
2007 Edition Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Samuel 3EventsOLD TESTAMENT HISTORYBiblical ReferencesThe Reign of David 2 Samuel 1—24; 1 Chronicles 11—29The Reign of Solomon 1 Kings 1—11; 2 Chronicles 1—9The Divided Monarchy 1 Kings 12—2 Kings 17; 2 Chronicles 10—31The Surviving Kingdom of Judah 2 Kings 18—25; 2 Chronicles 32-36The Return under Zerubbabel Ezra 1—6The Return under Ezra Ezra 7—10The Return under Nehemiah Nehemiah 1—13PURPOSEA main purpose of the Book of Samuel seems to have been to record the establishment ofkingship in Israel and to explain its theological significance. It deals with the Israelites'initial request for a king, the establishment of that king (Saul), and the tragic results ofthat king's reign. It then explains the consolidation of power under a second king (David),God's promises to him, and his decline in his later years. The climax of the book comes in2 Samuel 7, where God promises David an everlasting dynasty. The writer (or writers)clearly wanted to legitimatize the Davidic monarchy and dynasty. Whether and how themonarchy should be established are main subjects of 1 Samuel, and the question of whoshould be Israel's king dominates much of 2 Samuel. 9As with all the historical narratives of the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit's purpose ingiving us the books of 1 and 2 Samuel was not just to record events that transpired. It wasprimarily to teach spiritual lessons to the original readers, and to readers of all time, byrevealing the causes and effects of various human responses to God's grace. 10 God guidedthe inspired writers of Scripture to teach theology as well as to record history. This isclear in all the so-called historical books of both Testaments. We can see this as weexamine the reasons God selected the particular events and facts that He recorded forinclusion out of the mass of possible data that He could have set forth.Scholars have disputed what it was that the writer chose to emphasize primarily in theBooks of Samuel. Some have felt his unifying purpose was to demonstrate thesovereignty of God. 11 Some believe it was to show that God provides leadership for Hispeople. 12 Others have seen the purpose as something else. I believe those who see the9 Howard, pp. 141, 146-47.10 See Steven D. Mathewson, "Guidelines for Understanding and Proclaiming Old Testament Narratives,"Bibliotheca Sacra 154:616 (October-December 1997):410-35, for help in preaching narrative portions ofthe Old Testament.11 E.g., Ludwig Kohler, Old Testament Theology, p. 94.12 Stanley D. Tucker, "The Theology of the Book of Samuel: A Study Of God's Humiliation or Exaltationof Leaders," Biblical Viewpoint 12:2 (1978):152; David F. Payne, I & II Samuel, p. 5.
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