“The First Book of Samuel,” Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide (2002), 90–99
“The First Book of Samuel,” Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide, 90–99
The First Book of Samuel
Prophets or Kings?
The book of 1 Samuel begins with the story of Samuel’s birth and contains an account of his ministry. The book describes the ministry of a prophet to the kings of Israel, so 1 Samuel is essentially the story of the nation of Israel as well. The Israelites rejected the Lord’s counsel to trust in Him and be ruled by judges and prophets and instead asked for a king. Notice that the title of this book in your Bible says it is “Otherwise Called the First Book of the Kings.”
Getting Ready to Study 1 Samuel
Samuel obviously did not write 1–2 Samuel, since we read of his death before the end of 1 Samuel. The book of 1 Samuel was written by someone in the time of King Solomon. For more information about 1 Samuel, see the Bible Dictionary, “Samuel, books of” (p. 769).