Anointing of David by Samuel, Félix-Joseph Barrias, 1842, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la ville de Paris. Public domain.
Old Testament · Book 9 of 66
1 Samuel
1 Samuel records Israel's move from the judges to the kings. Samuel leads the nation, Saul is made its first king and then rejected, and David is anointed and flees from Saul until Saul dies in battle.
1 Samuel records Israel's move from the judges to the kings. Samuel leads the nation, Saul is made its first king and then rejected, and David is anointed and flees from Saul until Saul dies in battle.
What is 1 Samuel about?
1 Samuel begins with a barren woman praying at Shiloh and a boy who hears the word of the LORD when it was rare. Israel carries the ark into battle and loses it, and the Philistines send it back. The people ask for a king like all the other nations, and the LORD gives them Saul and then rejects him. Samuel anoints David, the youngest son of Jesse, and Saul hunts him through the wilderness. The book ends with Saul dead in battle and David not yet king. At Bethlehem the LORD tells Samuel how He chooses: “For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.” (16:7).
All 31 chapters
Every chapter of the book, in one grid. Each cell opens that chapter.
- Samuel and Eli1 Samuel 1 to 3
- The ark1 Samuel 4 to 7
- The king asked for1 Samuel 8 to 15
- David anointed1 Samuel 16 to 20
- David hunted1 Samuel 21 to 31
The colour is the movement of the story the chapter stands in, and every cell opens that chapter's Study level.
Who wrote it, where, when, for whom, and why?
The book does not name its writer. It says that Samuel explained to the people the rights of kingship, wrote them on a scroll and laid it up before the LORD (10:25). Samuel's death is told at 25:1, six chapters before the book ends, so other hands carried the record on. Chronicles says that the acts of David are written in the chronicles of Samuel the seer, Nathan the prophet and Gad the seer (1 Chronicles 29:29), and the book itself explains that the prophet of its readers' day was formerly called the seer (9:9).
Then Samuel explained to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his own home.
1 Samuel 10:25, Berean Standard Bible.
The rest of Scripture remembers the book's people. Psalm 99:6 names Samuel among those who called on the LORD's name, and Jeremiah 15:1 sets him beside Moses as one who stood before the LORD for the people. Psalm 78:60 says the LORD abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh. Paul tells the story from the judges to David in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:16 to 22), and Hebrews 11:32 names David and Samuel among the faithful.
The book opens in the hill country of Ephraim, where Elkanah of Ramathaim-zophim goes up each year to worship at Shiloh (1:1 and 3). The ark goes out to Ebenezer and Aphek and through the Philistine cities before it rests at Kiriath-jearim (4:1 to 7:1). Saul's home is Gibeah of Benjamin (10:26) and David's is Bethlehem of Judah (16:1). David's flight runs through the wilderness of Judah to Ziklag in Philistine country, and the book ends with Israel's defeat on Gilboa (31:1).
Scripture keeps its own count. Paul says that after about 450 years God gave Israel judges until the time of Samuel the prophet, and then forty years under Saul (Acts 13:20 and 21). The Berean text of 13:1 reads that Saul was thirty years old when he became king and reigned forty-two years. The book ends on the eve of David's reign, which began when he was thirty (2 Samuel 5:4). How these numbers are read is set out under Where do readers disagree.
The book is written for Israel under its kings. It says that Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day (27:6), which speaks to readers who knew kings of Judah, and it explains an older word for them: the seer of its story is the prophet of their day (9:9).
The book gives its reasons in the words of its speakers. Hannah sings that the LORD will give power to His king (2:10). The LORD tells Samuel that the people have rejected Him as their king (8:7). Samuel tells Israel that all will be well if they and their king follow the LORD (12:14), and that the LORD will not abandon His people for the sake of His great name (12:22). At Bethlehem the LORD says that He sees the heart (16:7).
Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own.
1 Samuel 12:22, Berean Standard Bible.
1 Samuel stands at the close of the time of the judges, when the Philistines hold the coastal plain and press into the hill country. The book names their cities Ashdod, Gath and Ekron and the temple of Dagon at Ashdod (5:1 to 2). No blacksmith could be found in Israel, and the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares and axes (13:19 to 20). The tabernacle stands at Shiloh (1:3), Samuel judges Israel on a yearly circuit from his home at Ramah (7:16 and 17), and Israel's first king rules from Gibeah.
Sources. 1 Samuel 1:1 and 3, 2:10, 4:1 to 7:1, 5:1 and 2, 7:16 and 17, 8:7, 9:9, 10:25, 10:26, 12:14, 12:22, 13:1, 13:19 and 20, 16:1, 16:7, 25:1, 27:6 and 31:1; 2 Samuel 5:4; 1 Chronicles 29:29; Psalm 78:60; Psalm 99:6; Jeremiah 15:1; Acts 13:16 to 22; Hebrews 11:32. Every verse is read in the Berean Standard Bible.
How is 1 Samuel arranged, and what does it teach?
The five movements the book falls into, what it teaches, what it was written to do, and the hinge it turns on.
- Samuel and Eli1 Samuel 1 to 3, 85 verses, turning at 3:19
A barren woman's prayer at Shiloh, the fall of Eli's house, and the boy who hears the LORD.
- The ark1 Samuel 4 to 7, 72 verses, turning at 4:21
The ark is lost in battle, humbles Dagon in Philistia, and comes home to Kiriath-jearim.
- The king asked for1 Samuel 8 to 15, 226 verses, turning at 15:28
Israel asks for a king like the nations, and Saul is anointed, confirmed and then rejected.
- David anointed1 Samuel 16 to 20, 177 verses, turning at 16:13
The youngest son of Jesse is anointed, kills Goliath, and wins Jonathan's love and Saul's jealousy.
- David hunted1 Samuel 21 to 31, 250 verses, turning at 31:6
David flees, spares Saul twice and waits, and Saul and his sons die in battle.
The theme
The LORD humbles and He exalts, as Hannah sings at 2:7, and the book shows it twice: Eli's house falls as Samuel rises, and Saul falls as David rises. Israel asks for a king like the nations, and the LORD gives one while keeping the throne as His own (8:7; 12:14). What decides a king's standing is obedience to the LORD's voice (15:22) and a heart the LORD sees (16:7).
The purpose
1 Samuel tells Israel how its kingdom began and why the throne passed from Saul's house to David. It shows the LORD answering a barren woman's prayer, keeping His word against Eli's house, and choosing a king by the heart. It leaves David anointed and still waiting, which is where 2 Samuel takes up his reign.
Saul falls as David rises, and the two lines cross at 16:13 to 14
The coloured band under the axis is the five movements of the chapter grid, chapters 1 to 31. Each dot is an event; the verses are listed in the fold below the drawing.
The events on each line (14)each with the verse that moves the line
Saul, dashed line
- entersSaul enters the story, a head taller than any of the people 9:2
- risesSamuel anoints him ruler in private 10:1
- risesHe is chosen by lot before the tribes 10:21
- risesThe people confirm him as king at Gilgal 11:15
- fallsSamuel tells him his kingdom will not endure 13:13 to 14
- fallsThe LORD rejects him as king after Amalek 15:23
- fallsThe Spirit of the LORD departs from Saul 16:14
- fallsSaul and his sons die on the same day 31:6
David, solid line
- entersThe youngest son is tending the sheep 16:11
- risesSamuel anoints him and the Spirit rushes upon him 16:13
- risesHe meets Goliath in the name of the LORD of Hosts 17:45
- risesJonathan's soul is knit to his 18:1
- risesHe refuses to lift his hand against the LORD's anointed 24:6
- risesHe spares Saul a second time 26:9
Samuel and the house of Eli, 1 Samuel 1 to 3
What the text says in these 3 chapters, and the pages they open on.
Hannah has no child, and at Shiloh she prays and vows that a son of hers will belong to the LORD all his life. The LORD remembers her, and she names the boy Samuel and brings him to Eli the priest. Her song says what the whole book will show: the LORD humbles and He exalts. Eli's sons have no regard for the LORD and despise the offering, and a man of God tells Eli that his house will fall. In a time when the word of the LORD was rare, the LORD calls the boy by name in the night, and Samuel answers that His servant is listening.
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.
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1 Samuel 1Hannah's prayer and vow at ShilohShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
Hannah has no child, and at Shiloh she prays in distress and vows her son to the LORD. The LORD remembers her, and she gives the boy Samuel back to Him.
- Eli mistakes her silent prayer for drunkenness.
- She names her son Samuel because she asked for him from the LORD (1:20).
- She leaves the weaned boy at Shiloh to serve the LORD all his life.
On this chapter (2)
- Hannah
The barren wife who prays at Shiloh and gives her son to the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 1:11
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
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1 Samuel 2Hannah's song, and the sons of EliShow the summary and 3 pagesShow summary, 3 pagesHide the summary
Hannah sings that the LORD humbles and exalts, and Eli's sons despise the LORD's offering. A man of God tells Eli that his house will fall.
- The song ends on the LORD's king and His anointed (2:10).
- The boy Samuel grows in favor with the LORD and with man (2:26).
- The LORD promises a faithful priest in place of Eli's house (2:35).
On this chapter (3)
- Hannah's prayer
The song of 2:1 to 10 and the Magnificat beside it.
- Hannah
The barren wife who prays at Shiloh and gives her son to the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 2:7
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
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1 Samuel 3the LORD calls Samuel in the nightShow the summary and 3 pagesShow summary, 3 pagesHide the summary
The LORD calls the boy Samuel by name in the night, and Samuel answers that His servant is listening. The LORD tells him the judgment on Eli's house.
- The word of the LORD was rare in those days (3:1).
- Eli tells Samuel how to answer the voice.
- The LORD lets none of Samuel's words fall to the ground (3:19).
On this chapter (3)
- Samuel hears his name
The call in the night at Shiloh, and the boy's answer.
- Hearing God
How God speaks and how His people learn to hear.
- 1 Samuel 3:10
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
Characters (5)
Who the text follows. A name with a page carries its door.
- Hannah
Elkanah's wife, who prays for a son and gives him to the LORD.
- Elkanah
Hannah's husband, of Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim.
- Eli
The priest at Shiloh, who judged Israel forty years.
- Hophni and Phinehas
Eli's sons, priests who have no regard for the LORD.
Show the next 1
- Samuel
Hannah's son, given to the LORD at Shiloh, prophet and the last judge.
Places (2)
Where the chapters stand.
Themes (3)
What these chapters raise, each on its own page.
- Hannah
The prayer, the vow and the son given back.
- Hannah's prayer
The song of 2:1 to 10 and the Magnificat beside it.
- Samuel hears his name
The call in the night and the boy's answer.
Where the New Testament uses these chapters (2)each marked as a quotation or an allusion, with the evidence
- Probable allusionHannah's song, 1 Samuel 2:1 to 10 at Luke 1:46 to 55. Mary's song follows Hannah's in its turns: God brings down rulers and exalts the humble, and fills the hungry and sends the rich away empty (Luke 1:52 to 53 beside 1 Samuel 2:7 to 8). No formula of citation stands in Luke. Read so from the shared turns of the two songs.
- Probable allusionThe boy who grows in favor, 1 Samuel 2:26 at Luke 2:52. Luke says Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man, in the words 1 Samuel uses of the boy Samuel at 2:26. Read so from the wording of the two verses.
The ark taken and returned, 1 Samuel 4 to 7
What the text says in these 4 chapters, and the pages they open on.
Israel loses to the Philistines near Aphek and sends for the ark to save them. The ark is captured, Eli's sons die, and when Eli hears the news he falls and dies. His daughter-in-law names her son Ichabod, because the glory has departed from Israel. In the temple of Dagon at Ashdod the idol falls on its face before the ark, and the LORD's hand is heavy on Ashdod, Gath and Ekron. After seven months the Philistines send the ark home on a cart. It comes to Beth-shemesh and then to Kiriath-jearim, and at Mizpah Israel turns back to the LORD, and Samuel sets up a stone and names it Ebenezer.
And she named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” because the ark of God had been captured and her father-in-law and her husband had been killed.
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1 Samuel 4the ark captured, and the glory departedShow the summary and 3 pagesShow summary, 3 pagesHide the summary
Israel carries the ark into battle against the Philistines and loses it. Eli's sons die, Eli falls dead at the news, and a child is named Ichabod.
- The battle is fought between Ebenezer and Aphek (4:1).
- Eli had judged Israel forty years (4:18).
- The name Ichabod means that the glory has departed from Israel (4:21).
On this chapter (3)
- The ark and Dagon
The ark in the temple of Dagon, and the plague on the Philistine cities.
- The ark of the covenant
The chest in the Most Holy Place and what it held.
- 1 Samuel 4:21
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
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1 Samuel 5Dagon falls, and the hand of the LORD on PhilistiaShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
The Philistines set the ark beside Dagon in his temple at Ashdod, and the idol falls on its face before it. The LORD's hand strikes Ashdod, Gath and Ekron.
- Dagon falls twice, the second time broken on the threshold.
- Each city sends the ark on to the next (5:8 and 10).
- The rulers of the Philistines decide to send it back.
On this chapter (2)
- The ark and Dagon
The ark in the temple of Dagon, and the plague on the Philistine cities.
- 1 Samuel 5:4
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
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1 Samuel 6the ark sent home on a cartShow the summary and 3 pagesShow summary, 3 pagesHide the summary
After seven months the Philistines send the ark home on a new cart with a guilt offering. Cows carry it straight to Beth-shemesh.
- The cows go straight up the road, lowing as they go (6:12).
- The LORD strikes seventy men of Beth-shemesh who looked inside the ark (6:19).
- The town asks who can stand before this holy God (6:20).
On this chapter (3)
- The ark and Dagon
The ark in the temple of Dagon, and the plague on the Philistine cities.
- The ark of the covenant
The chest in the Most Holy Place and what it held.
- 1 Samuel 6:20
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
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1 Samuel 7the stone Ebenezer, thus far the LORD has helped usShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
The ark rests twenty years at Kiriath-jearim, and Israel turns back to the LORD at Mizpah. The LORD thunders against the Philistines, and Samuel sets up the stone Ebenezer.
- Samuel tells Israel to put away the foreign gods (7:3).
- The Philistines flee while Samuel offers the sacrifice (7:10).
- Samuel judges Israel on a yearly circuit from Ramah.
On this chapter (2)
- The stone
The stones of Scripture, the stone Ebenezer among them.
- 1 Samuel 7:12
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
The ark goes out to battle, through three Philistine cities and home again
The stations (7)
- 1Ebenezer and Aphek, the ark taken in battle 1 Samuel 4:1proposed
- 2Ashdod, Dagon falls before it 1 Samuel 5:1identified
- 3Gath 1 Samuel 5:8identified
- 4Ekron 1 Samuel 5:10identified
- 5Beth-shemesh, the cows bring it home 1 Samuel 6:12identified
- 6Kiriath-jearim, twenty years in Abinadab's house 1 Samuel 7:1identified
- 7The stone Ebenezer, between Mizpah and Shen 1 Samuel 7:12proposed
- Filled: an identified site.
- Dashed ring: a proposed site, one candidate among several.
- Arrow: the order of the text, schematic.
Characters (4)
Who the text follows. A name with a page carries its door.
Places (4)
Where the chapters stand.
- Philistia
The coastal plain of the Philistine cities, Israel's enemy through the book.
- Ebenezer and Aphek
The two camps of the battle where the ark is lost.
- Ashdod, Gath and Ekron
The three Philistine cities the ark passes through.
- Kiriath-jearim
Where the ark rests twenty years in Abinadab's house.
Themes (2)
What these chapters raise, each on its own page.
- The ark and Dagon
The idol fallen before the ark, and the plague on Philistia.
- The ark of the covenant
What the ark was and what it held.
The king asked for, 1 Samuel 8 to 15
What the text says in these 8 chapters, and the pages they open on.
Samuel grows old and his sons take bribes, and the elders ask for a king to judge them like all the other nations. The LORD tells Samuel that the people have rejected Him as their king, and gives them one. Saul of Benjamin, a head taller than any of the people, is anointed in private, chosen by lot at Mizpah and confirmed at Gilgal after he rescues Jabesh-gilead. Samuel gives Israel his farewell and promises to keep praying for them. Then Saul offers the sacrifice himself instead of waiting for Samuel, and later spares what the LORD told him to destroy in Amalek. The LORD rejects him, and Samuel tells him the kingdom has been torn from him.
But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.
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1 Samuel 8the elders ask for a king like the nationsShow the summary and 3 pagesShow summary, 3 pagesHide the summary
Samuel's sons take bribes, and the elders ask for a king to judge them like all the other nations. The LORD tells Samuel that they have rejected Him as their king.
- Samuel warns what a king will take from them (8:11).
- The people still ask for a king to fight their battles (8:20).
- The LORD tells Samuel to give them a king (8:22).
On this chapter (3)
- The king
The king Israel asked for and the King God gives.
- Was Israel's request for a king a sin, when Deuteronomy 17:14 to 15 allows one?
Answered under Where do readers disagree, lower on this page, with each reading and who holds it.
- 1 Samuel 8:7
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
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1 Samuel 9Saul looks for donkeys and meets SamuelShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
Saul goes looking for his father's lost donkeys, and his servant takes him to the seer in the land of Zuph. The LORD has told Samuel the day before that He will send him a man from Benjamin to anoint.
- Saul calls his tribe the smallest in Israel and his clan the least in Benjamin (9:21).
- The book explains that the prophet of its day was formerly called the seer (9:9).
- Samuel seats Saul in the place of honor and sets the kept portion before him.
On this chapter (2)
- Saul
The first king of Israel, anointed and then rejected.
- 1 Samuel 9:17
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
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1 Samuel 10Saul anointed and chosen by lotShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
Samuel anoints Saul ruler over the LORD's inheritance, and the Spirit of God rushes upon him. At Mizpah the lot falls on Saul, who is hiding among the baggage.
- Samuel pours oil on Saul's head in private (10:1).
- Saul prophesies with a group of prophets (10:10).
- Some worthless men despise him, and Saul keeps silent (10:27).
On this chapter (2)
- The anointing
The oil poured on priests and kings, and the Anointed One.
- 1 Samuel 10:1
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
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1 Samuel 11Jabesh-gilead rescued and Saul confirmedShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
Nahash the Ammonite besieges Jabesh-gilead, and Saul rallies Israel and rescues the town. The people confirm Saul as king at Gilgal.
- The men of Jabesh offer to serve Nahash (11:1).
- Saul attacks in three divisions in the morning watch (11:11).
- All the people rejoice at Gilgal before the LORD (11:15).
On this chapter (2)
- Gilgal
The place where Saul is confirmed as king.
- 1 Samuel 11:15
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
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1 Samuel 12Samuel's farewell to IsraelShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
Samuel gives his farewell to Israel and asks them to witness whether he wronged anyone. He calls down thunder and rain, and the people confess that asking for a king was evil.
- No one can name a wrong Samuel has done (12:3).
- Samuel sets out the condition: fear the LORD and obey His voice (12:14).
- He promises to keep praying for them (12:23).
On this chapter (2)
- The king
The king Israel asked for and the King God gives.
- 1 Samuel 12:23
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
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1 Samuel 13Saul's offering, and the first rebukeShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
Saul waits seven days at Gilgal, then offers the burnt offering himself before Samuel arrives. Samuel tells him his kingdom will not endure.
- The troops desert Saul while he waits (13:8).
- The LORD has sought a man after His own heart (13:14).
- No blacksmith can be found in Israel (13:19).
On this chapter (2)
- How old was Saul when he began to reign, and how long did he reign?
Answered under Where do readers disagree, lower on this page, with each reading and who holds it.
- 1 Samuel 13:14
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
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1 Samuel 14Jonathan at Michmash, and Saul's oathShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
Jonathan and his armor-bearer climb to a Philistine outpost at Michmash, and panic from God spreads through the camp. Saul's oath forbidding food brings Jonathan under a death sentence, and the troops save him.
- Jonathan says that nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few (14:6).
- Jonathan tastes honey, not knowing of his father's oath.
- Saul builds his first altar to the LORD (14:35).
On this chapter (2)
- Jonathan
Saul's son, who trusts the LORD to save by many or by few.
- 1 Samuel 14:6
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
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1 Samuel 15Amalek, and Saul rejected as kingShow the summary and 3 pagesShow summary, 3 pagesHide the summary
Saul is sent to destroy Amalek and spares Agag and the best of the flocks. Samuel tells him that obedience is better than sacrifice, and the LORD rejects him as king.
- Saul keeps what is best and destroys what is worthless (15:9).
- Saul says the flocks were kept to sacrifice to the LORD.
- Samuel never visits Saul again before his death (15:35).
On this chapter (3)
- The Canaanite conquest
Israel's wars of judgment, argued in full.
- How can the command against Amalek be just?
Answered under Where do readers disagree, lower on this page, with each reading and who holds it.
- 1 Samuel 15:22
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
A king is made in three steps and unmade in two
- 1. MadeAnointed in private1 Samuel 10:1Samuel pours oil on Saul's head: the LORD has anointed him ruler over His inheritance.
- 2. MadeChosen by lot1 Samuel 10:21At Mizpah the lot falls on Benjamin, on the clan of Matri, and on Saul son of Kish.
- 3. MadeConfirmed at Gilgal1 Samuel 11:15After the rescue of Jabesh-gilead the people confirm Saul as king before the LORD.
- 4. UnmadeRejected at Gilgal1 Samuel 13:13 to 14Saul offers the sacrifice himself, and Samuel tells him his kingdom will not endure.
- 5. UnmadeRejected after Amalek1 Samuel 15:23Saul spares what he was told to destroy, and the LORD rejects him as king.
Characters (5)
Who the text follows. A name with a page carries its door.
- Samuel
Hannah's son, given to the LORD at Shiloh, prophet and the last judge.
- Saul
Son of Kish of Benjamin, the first king, anointed and then rejected.
- Jonathan
Saul's son, who makes a covenant with David and loves him as himself.
- Kish
Saul's father, a Benjamite whose lost donkeys bring Saul to Samuel.
Show the next 1
- Agag
The king of Amalek whom Saul spares.
Places (5)
Where the chapters stand.
- Ramah
Samuel's home, where he judges Israel and where he is buried.
- Gibeah
Saul's home in Benjamin.
- Mizpah
Where Saul is chosen by lot before the tribes.
- Gilgal
Where Saul is confirmed as king, and where he is twice rebuked.
Show the next 1
- Jabesh-gilead
The town across the Jordan that Saul rescues from Nahash.
Themes (2)
What these chapters raise, each on its own page.
- The anointing
The oil poured on kings, and the Anointed One.
- The Canaanite conquest
Israel's wars of judgment, Amalek among them, argued in full.
Where the New Testament uses these chapters (1)each marked as a quotation or an allusion, with the evidence
- Explicit quotationA man after God's own heart, 1 Samuel 13:14 at Acts 13:22. Paul, in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch, joins 1 Samuel 13:14 to Psalm 89:20: I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart. Paul, as Luke records him.
David anointed and at court, 1 Samuel 16 to 20
What the text says in these 5 chapters, and the pages they open on.
The LORD sends Samuel to Bethlehem, to the house of Jesse, and passes over seven sons for the youngest, who is tending the sheep. Samuel anoints David, and the Spirit of the LORD rushes upon him and departs from Saul. David comes to court to play the harp for the king. In the valley of Elah he goes out against Goliath of Gath in the name of the LORD of Hosts and kills him with a sling and a stone. Jonathan loves him as himself and makes a covenant with him, the women sing of his victories, and from that day Saul keeps a jealous eye on David and tries to kill him. Jonathan warns David, and the two part in peace.
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.”
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1 Samuel 16David anointed at BethlehemShow the summary and 5 pagesShow summary, 5 pagesHide the summary
The LORD sends Samuel to Bethlehem and passes over seven of Jesse's sons for the youngest. Samuel anoints David, and the Spirit leaves Saul, who sends for David to play the harp.
- The LORD sees the heart (16:7).
- The Spirit of the LORD rushes upon David from that day (16:13).
- David's playing relieves Saul of the spirit of distress (16:23).
On this chapter (5)
- The anointing
The oil poured on priests and kings, and the Anointed One.
- David, a type of Christ
How the shepherd king is read forward to the Son of David.
- The heart
What Scripture means by the heart, and the LORD who sees it.
- What was the spirit from the LORD that tormented Saul?
Answered under Where do readers disagree, lower on this page, with each reading and who holds it.
- 1 Samuel 16:7
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
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1 Samuel 17David and Goliath in the valley of ElahShow the summary and 4 pagesShow summary, 4 pagesHide the summary
Goliath of Gath defies the armies of Israel for forty days in the valley of Elah. David goes out in the name of the LORD of Hosts and kills him with a sling and a stone.
- David has killed a lion and a bear keeping his father's sheep.
- He refuses Saul's armor.
- He wins without a sword in his hand (17:50).
On this chapter (4)
- David and Goliath
The valley of Elah, the giant of Gath and the battle that is the LORD's.
- How tall was Goliath?
Answered under Where do readers disagree, lower on this page, with each reading and who holds it.
- Did Saul know David before the valley of Elah?
Answered under Where do readers disagree, lower on this page, with each reading and who holds it.
- 1 Samuel 17:45
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
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1 Samuel 18Jonathan's love and Saul's jealousyShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
Jonathan loves David as himself and makes a covenant with him. The women sing of David's tens of thousands, and Saul becomes jealous and afraid of him.
- Jonathan gives David his robe and weapons.
- Saul keeps a jealous eye on David from that day (18:9).
- Saul hurls a spear at David twice (18:11).
On this chapter (2)
- David and Jonathan
The covenant of two friends in chapters 18 and 20.
- 1 Samuel 18:1
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
- Study
1 Samuel 19David escapes Saul's spear and flees to SamuelShow the summary and 3 pagesShow summary, 3 pagesHide the summary
Saul orders David killed, and Jonathan pleads for him. Saul's spear misses again, Michal lets David down through a window, and David flees to Samuel at Ramah.
- Saul tries to pin David to the wall (19:10).
- Michal lowers David from the window (19:12).
- Saul's messengers and then Saul himself prophesy at Naioth.
On this chapter (3)
- David and Jonathan
The covenant of two friends in chapters 18 and 20.
- Ramah
Samuel's town, where David flees.
- 1 Samuel 19:10
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
- Study
1 Samuel 20Jonathan's covenant and the partingShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
Jonathan tests his father's mind at the New Moon feast and finds that Saul means to kill David. The two friends part in peace, bound by an oath in the LORD's name.
- Saul hurls his spear at Jonathan (20:33).
- Jonathan signals David with arrows in the field.
- They swear that the LORD is witness between their descendants forever (20:42).
On this chapter (2)
- David and Jonathan
The covenant of two friends in chapters 18 and 20.
- 1 Samuel 20:42
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
Characters (6)
Who the text follows. A name with a page carries its door.
- David
The youngest son of Jesse of Bethlehem, anointed while Saul still reigns.
- Saul
Son of Kish of Benjamin, the first king, anointed and then rejected.
- Jonathan
Saul's son, who makes a covenant with David and loves him as himself.
- Jesse
David's father, of Bethlehem, with eight sons.
Show the next 2
- Goliath
The champion of Gath who defies the armies of Israel.
- Michal
Saul's daughter, David's wife, who lets him down through a window.
Places (3)
Where the chapters stand.
- Bethlehem
Jesse's town, where David is anointed.
- The valley of Elah
Where Israel and the Philistines face each other and David meets Goliath.
- Gibeah
Saul's court, where David plays the harp.
Themes (3)
What these chapters raise, each on its own page.
- David and Goliath
The valley of Elah and the battle that is the LORD's.
- David and Jonathan
The covenant of two friends.
- David, a type of Christ
The shepherd king read forward to the Son of David.
David hunted and Saul's end, 1 Samuel 21 to 31
What the text says in these 11 chapters, and the pages they open on.
David flees. At Nob the priest Ahimelech gives him the consecrated bread and Goliath's sword, and Saul has the priests of Nob killed for it. David gathers four hundred men at the cave of Adullam, saves Keilah from the Philistines, and hides in the wilderness while Saul searches for him day after day. Twice David has Saul in his hand, in a cave at En-gedi and asleep in his camp, and twice he refuses to lift his hand against the LORD's anointed. Abigail keeps him from taking vengeance on Nabal. At last he lives among the Philistines at Ziklag. Saul, with no answer from the LORD, consults a medium at Endor, and the next day he and his sons die in battle with the Philistines.
So he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed. May I never lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed.”
- Study
1 Samuel 21the bread at Nob, and David at GathShow the summary and 3 pagesShow summary, 3 pagesHide the summary
David comes alone to Nob, and the priest Ahimelech gives him the bread of the Presence and Goliath's sword. At Gath David pretends to be mad before Achish.
- There is no bread but the Bread of the Presence (21:6).
- Goliath's sword is wrapped behind the ephod (21:9).
- David feigns madness at the gate of Gath (21:13).
On this chapter (3)
- The showbread
The bread of the Presence, given to David at Nob.
- Was Ahimelech or Abiathar high priest at Nob?
Answered under Where do readers disagree, lower on this page, with each reading and who holds it.
- 1 Samuel 21:6
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
- Study
1 Samuel 22Adullam, and the priests of Nob killedShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
David gathers about four hundred men at the cave of Adullam. Doeg the Edomite reports the priests of Nob, and at Saul's order he kills eighty-five of them.
- The distressed, the indebted and the discontented rally to David (22:2).
- Doeg kills the priests himself (22:18).
- Abiathar escapes to David, who takes the blame (22:22).
On this chapter (2)
- Nob
The town of priests Saul destroys.
- 1 Samuel 22:2
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
- Study
1 Samuel 23Keilah saved, and Saul hunts David in ZiphShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
David asks the LORD twice and saves Keilah from the Philistines. Saul hunts him in the Wilderness of Ziph, and a Philistine raid calls Saul away as he closes in.
- Abiathar brings the ephod, and David inquires of the LORD through it (23:6 and 9).
- Jonathan finds David at Horesh and strengthens his hand in God (23:16).
- The place of the escape is named Sela-hammahlekoth (23:28).
On this chapter (2)
- Jonathan
Saul's son, who strengthens David's hand in God at Horesh.
- 1 Samuel 23:16
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
- Study
1 Samuel 24Saul spared in the cave at En-gediShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
Saul enters a cave at En-gedi where David and his men are hiding. David cuts off a corner of Saul's robe and refuses to harm the LORD's anointed.
- David's men say the LORD has delivered his enemy to him (24:4).
- David will not lift his hand against the LORD's anointed (24:6).
- Saul says David is more righteous than he (24:17).
On this chapter (2)
- David, a type of Christ
How the shepherd king is read forward to the Son of David.
- 1 Samuel 24:6
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
- Study
1 Samuel 25Nabal and AbigailShow the summary and 3 pagesShow summary, 3 pagesHide the summary
Samuel dies and is buried at Ramah. Nabal insults David's men, and his wife Abigail meets David with gifts and keeps him from bloodshed.
- Abigail is intelligent and Nabal is harsh (25:3).
- David blesses the LORD for sending her (25:32).
- The LORD strikes Nabal dead about ten days later (25:38).
On this chapter (3)
- Abigail
Nabal's wife, who keeps David from bloodshed.
- Nabal
The rich fool of Carmel.
- 1 Samuel 25:32
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
- Study
1 Samuel 26Saul spared again in his campShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
The Ziphites betray David again, and Saul hunts him in the Wilderness of Ziph. David takes Saul's spear and water jug while the camp sleeps and spares him a second time.
- David asks who can lift a hand against the LORD's anointed and be guiltless (26:9).
- A deep sleep from the LORD has fallen on the camp (26:12).
- David calls to Abner from the far hill.
On this chapter (2)
- David, a type of Christ
How the shepherd king is read forward to the Son of David.
- 1 Samuel 26:9
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
- Study
1 Samuel 27David settles at Ziklag under AchishShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
David escapes to Achish king of Gath with his six hundred men, and Achish gives him Ziklag. He raids the peoples of the south and tells Achish he has raided Judah.
- Saul stops searching for David once he hears that David has fled to Gath (27:4).
- David lives in Philistine territory a year and four months (27:7).
- Achish trusts David, thinking Israel now hates him (27:12).
On this chapter (2)
- Ziklag
David's town among the Philistines.
- 1 Samuel 27:1
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
- Study
1 Samuel 28Saul and the medium at EndorShow the summary and 3 pagesShow summary, 3 pagesHide the summary
The Philistines gather, and the LORD does not answer Saul by dreams, Urim or prophets. Saul disguises himself and consults a medium at Endor, and hears that he and his sons will die.
- Saul had removed the mediums from the land (28:3).
- The woman sees Samuel and cries out (28:12).
- The figure says Saul and his sons will be with him tomorrow (28:19).
On this chapter (3)
- Saul at Endor
The medium, the figure that rose, and the readings of it.
- Did Samuel himself speak at Endor?
Answered under Where do readers disagree, lower on this page, with each reading and who holds it.
- 1 Samuel 28:14
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
- Study
1 Samuel 29the Philistine lords send David backShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
The Philistines gather at Aphek for war with Israel, and David marches with Achish. The Philistine commanders refuse to take him into battle, and Achish sends him back.
- The commanders recall the song of Saul's thousands and David's tens of thousands (29:5).
- Achish says he has found no fault in David from the day he came (29:6).
- David and his men leave in the morning, and the Philistines go up to Jezreel (29:11).
On this chapter (2)
- Philistia
The land of the Philistine cities, whose lords send David back.
- 1 Samuel 29:6
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
- Study
1 Samuel 30Ziklag burned and recoveredShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
David returns to find Ziklag burned and the families taken by Amalekites. He finds strength in the LORD, pursues them and recovers everything.
- David's men speak of stoning him (30:6).
- The LORD tells David to pursue (30:8).
- Those who stayed with the supplies share alike with those who fought (30:24).
On this chapter (2)
- Ziklag
David's town among the Philistines.
- 1 Samuel 30:6
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
- Study
1 Samuel 31Saul and his sons die in battleShow the summary and 2 pagesShow summary, 2 pagesHide the summary
The Philistines defeat Israel on Mount Gilboa. Saul's three sons die, Saul falls on his own sword, and the men of Jabesh-gilead recover the bodies from the wall of Beth-shan.
- Saul's armor-bearer refuses to kill him (31:4).
- Saul and his sons die together that same day (31:6).
- The men of Jabesh burn the bodies and bury the bones.
On this chapter (2)
- Mount Gilboa
Where Saul and his sons fall.
- 1 Samuel 31:6
The verse on its own page, with the commentators on it by era.
David is hunted through the wilderness of Judah, and Saul ends in the north
The stations (10)
- 1Nob, the bread of the Presence 1 Samuel 21:1proposed
- 2Gath 1 Samuel 21:10identified
- 3The cave of Adullam 1 Samuel 22:1proposed
- 4Keilah 1 Samuel 23:5proposed
- 5The Wilderness of Ziph 1 Samuel 23:14proposed
- 6En-gedi, the first sparing, 24:6 1 Samuel 24:1identified
- 7The hill of Hachilah, the second sparing, 26:9 1 Samuel 26:1proposed
- 8Ziklag, given by Achish, burned and recovered, 30:1 1 Samuel 27:6proposed
- 9Endor, Saul goes to the medium 1 Samuel 28:7proposed
- 10Mount Gilboa, Saul dies 1 Samuel 31:1identified
- Filled: an identified site.
- Dashed ring: a proposed site, one candidate among several.
- Arrow: the order of the text, schematic.
- Saul's colour: stations 9 and 10, his last night and his death.
Characters (7)
Who the text follows. A name with a page carries its door.
Places (4)
Where the chapters stand.
- Nob
The town of priests where David receives the bread.
- En-gedi
The wilderness where David spares Saul in a cave.
- Ziklag
David's town among the Philistines.
- Mount Gilboa
Where Saul and his sons fall.
Themes (3)
What these chapters raise, each on its own page.
- Saul at Endor
The medium, the figure that rose, and the readings of it.
- David, a type of Christ
The anointed king rejected and hunted before he is crowned.
- The Davidic covenant
The promise to David's house that 2 Samuel 7 records.
Where the New Testament uses these chapters (1)each marked as a quotation or an allusion, with the evidence
- Named referenceDavid and the consecrated bread, 1 Samuel 21:1 to 6 at Matthew 12:3 to 4 and Mark 2:25 to 26. Jesus answers the Pharisees with have you not read what David did, and retells the bread of the Presence given at Nob. Jesus, as Matthew and Mark record him.
- Author
- Traditionally Samuel (with additions after his death by Nathan and Gad: cf. 1 Chr 29:29)
- Date
- Events c. 1050–1010 BC; compilation during the early monarchy
- Audience
- Israel under the Davidic monarchy reflecting on how monarchy came to be
Where do readers disagree?
One list: the readings with their holders, and what the evidence does not settle.
Who wrote 1 Samuel, and when?
- Samuel, then Nathan and Gad, from prophetic records. Held by the Babylonian Talmud in Bava Batra 14b to 15a, and by Adam Clarke in his Commentary on the Bible, who has a later author compile the records.
- One panel of a Deuteronomistic History. Held by Martin Noth (1943) and by P. Kyle McCarter Jr. (I Samuel, Anchor Bible, 1980).
What the evidence does not settle: How much came from Samuel's own records, and when the whole took its shape; the book names no writer.
The argument in full
Samuel, then Nathan and Gad, from prophetic records. 1 Chronicles 29:29 names the chronicles of Samuel the seer, Nathan the prophet and Gad the seer. Samuel's death at 25:1 means other hands carried the record on, and the note at 27:6 that Ziklag still belongs to the kings of Judah points to a writer after the kingdom divided.
One panel of a Deuteronomistic History. An editor working by Deuteronomy's standards shaped Joshua to Kings into one history after 586 BC, drawing on older written blocks such as the ark narrative of chapters 4 to 6 and the story of David's rise.
Was Israel's request for a king a sin, when Deuteronomy 17:14 to 15 allows one?
- The asking itself was the sin. Held by Gregory the Great in his Commentary on 1 Kings, who calls the request a great rashness against God's will.
- The motive and the haste were the sin. Held by Matthew Henry in his Commentary, and by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown in their Commentary Critical and Explanatory.
What the evidence does not settle: Whether Deuteronomy 17 permits what 1 Samuel 8 condemns, or regulates a concession.
The argument in full
The asking itself was the sin. The LORD tells Samuel that the people have rejected Him as their king (8:7). Samuel calls the request a great evil, and the people confess that they have added it to all their sins (12:17 and 19).
The motive and the haste were the sin. The law foresees Israel asking for a king like all the nations and tells them to appoint the one the LORD chooses. Had they waited, they would have had David, a king of God's giving. The fault lies in wanting a king to fight their battles in the LORD's place (8:20), and the LORD still gives the king and rules through him (12:14).
What was the spirit from the LORD that tormented Saul?
- A spirit under God's rule, sent as judgment. Held by Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel (1864), and by Matthew Henry in his Commentary.
- The LORD withdrew, and an evil spirit came in His place. Held by Jerome in his Homilies on the Psalms, who asks whether God has an evil spirit and answers that He does not.
What the evidence does not settle: Whether the LORD sent the spirit or allowed it: the text says that it came from the LORD after the Spirit of the LORD departed, and that David's playing relieved Saul (16:23), and no more.
The argument in full
A spirit under God's rule, sent as judgment. God rules even over spirits whose work He does not approve. Scripture reports the same arrangement at Judges 9:23 and 1 Kings 22:19 to 23.
The LORD withdrew, and an evil spirit came in His place. The spirit is called the LORD's because the LORD withdrew from Saul and let it trouble him. The text sets the two events in one verse: the Spirit of the LORD departed, and the spirit of distress came (16:14).
Did Samuel himself speak at Endor?
Saul at Endor, argued in full→- The real Samuel, brought up by God. Held by Origen in his Homily on 1 Kingdoms 28.
- A demon in Samuel's likeness. Held by Tertullian in On the Soul, and by Eustathius of Antioch, who wrote against Origen on this passage.
What the evidence does not settle: By what power the figure came: the text reports what the woman saw and what the figure said, and says that Saul knew it was Samuel (28:14).
The argument in full
The real Samuel, brought up by God. The woman cries out when she sees him (28:12), as though something happened that she could not produce, and his word that Saul and his sons will be with him tomorrow comes true (28:19). Sirach 46:20 already has Samuel prophesying after his death.
A demon in Samuel's likeness. A forbidden rite cannot command a prophet of God.
How tall was Goliath?
David and Goliath, argued in full→- Six cubits and a span, about nine feet six inches. Held by Albert Barnes in his Notes on the Old Testament, who follows the Masoretic Text at 17:4.
- Four cubits and a span, about six feet nine inches. Held by Josephus in his Antiquities of the Jews, with the Septuagint and the Qumran scroll 4QSam-a.
What the evidence does not settle: Which reading is older; in Samuel the Qumran scroll often agrees with the Greek against the Hebrew.
The argument in full
Six cubits and a span, about nine feet six inches. The King James, the American Standard and the Berean Standard Bible print this figure.
Did Saul know David before the valley of Elah?
- Saul asks about David's family. Held by Gleason Archer, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties (1982), and by John Gill in his Exposition of the Old Testament.
- Time and Saul's distress separate the two scenes. Held by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown in their Commentary Critical and Explanatory.
- Two accounts, joined in the Hebrew and not in the Greek. Held by Dominique Barthélemy, David Gooding, Johan Lust and Emanuel Tov, The Story of David and Goliath (1986).
What the evidence does not settle: Why Saul asks whose son David is at 17:55 after David became his armor-bearer at 16:21; the Greek and Hebrew texts differ in exactly these verses.
The argument in full
Saul asks about David's family. Saul had promised to exempt the victor's father's house in Israel (17:25), so the question he needs answered is whose son David is (17:55 and 58).
Time and Saul's distress separate the two scenes. David goes back and forth from Saul to tend his father's sheep (17:15), and the growth of his beard and the other changes of a grown youth kept the king from knowing his former harpist.
Two accounts, joined in the Hebrew and not in the Greek. Codex Vaticanus lacks 17:12 to 31 and 17:55 to 18:5, the verses where the question arises.
How old was Saul when he began to reign, and how long did he reign?
- The numerals of 13:1 are damaged. Held by Albert Barnes in his Notes on the Old Testament.
- Innocent as a child of a year. Held by Bede in his Commentary on Samuel, who reads the first year as one in which Saul stayed humble.
What the evidence does not settle: The original numbers of 13:1; the verse is damaged in the Hebrew, and English Bibles print different figures.
The argument in full
The numerals of 13:1 are damaged. The Hebrew reads a year old and two years, and the Septuagint omits the verse. The reading suggests about thirty at his accession and some thirty-two years, which with Ish-bosheth's years makes the forty Paul gives Saul's house (Acts 13:21).
Innocent as a child of a year. The Hebrew says Saul was the son of one year, a phrase that elsewhere gives a person's age, and the Aramaic paraphrase reads it as a child of a year, without fault.
Who killed Goliath, David or Elhanan?
- Elhanan killed Goliath's brother, and Samuel's verse was miscopied. Held by Benjamin Kennicott in his First Dissertation on the Hebrew Text.
- Elhanan is David, who killed Lahmi the same day. Held by the Aramaic paraphrase of Chronicles, as quoted by Adam Clarke in his Commentary on the Bible.
What the evidence does not settle: Which wording is original; 1 Samuel 17 credits David, and the later verse in Samuel differs from Chronicles by a few letters.
The argument in full
Elhanan killed Goliath's brother, and Samuel's verse was miscopied. 1 Chronicles 20:5 names the one Elhanan killed as Lahmi, the brother of Goliath. The Hebrew letters of the Bethlehemite in Samuel and of Lahmi the brother of in Chronicles stand close, and the Berean Standard Bible reads 2 Samuel 21:19 as the brother of Goliath.
Elhanan is David, who killed Lahmi the same day. The paraphrase names David, the son of Jesse, as the one who killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath, on the day he killed Goliath.
Was Ahimelech or Abiathar high priest at Nob?
- Mark names Abiathar by the office he held later. Held by John Wesley in his Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament.
- Both were at Nob, and Mark names the greater. Held by Bede, as Thomas Aquinas gathers him in the Catena Aurea on Mark 2:26.
What the evidence does not settle: Why Mark 2:26 names Abiathar where 1 Samuel 21:1 names Ahimelech; both readings rest on how Mark's phrase is taken.
The argument in full
Mark names Abiathar by the office he held later. Ahimelech was priest on the day (21:1), and his son Abiathar escaped to David (22:20) and was afterward high priest, so the phrase means in the time of Abiathar.
Both were at Nob, and Mark names the greater. Father and son were both there when David came for bread, and Abiathar, who became high priest under David, was the more worthy to be named.
How can the command against Amalek be just?
The Canaanite conquest, argued in full→- A judgment by the Lord of life for a named crime. Held by John Wesley in his Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament, who says it was not unjust because God is the supreme Lord of life.
- A figure of the war against sin. Held by Gregory the Great in his Commentary on 1 Kings, who reads Amalek as the vice of lust.
What the evidence does not settle: How a command that names children and infants (15:3) fits the character of God the rest of Scripture shows.
The argument in full
A judgment by the Lord of life for a named crime. The LORD cites Amalek's ambush of Israel on the way up from Egypt (15:2; Exodus 17:14 to 16; Deuteronomy 25:17 to 18), and the war was not for plunder: the spoil was to be destroyed with the people.
A figure of the war against sin. The command becomes the soul's warfare against sin, which must be put to death and not spared.
The pages 1 Samuel opens on
Studies97
Show the next 6 titles
- David and Goliath
- David and Jonathan
- Saul at Endor
- David, a Type of Christ
- The Davidic Covenant
- The Canaanite Conquest
Show the next 6 titles
- Abigail
- Amalek and the Standing War
- The Historical Books
- David
- David's Life in the Psalms: the thirteen historical titles
- Obedience
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- Samuel
- Saul
- The Shepherd's Life: Psalm 23
- Names of God
- The Glory Departed: Ezekiel 8-11
- The Kings of Israel & Judah
Show the next 6 titles
- Genealogies of Christ
- Power Made Perfect in Weakness: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
- Messianic Psalms
- Jephthah's vow
- Shiloh
- The Nazirite Vow
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- The Sons of Korah
- The Three Pilgrim Feasts
- Type-Scenes: the Stories Scripture Tells Twice
- Vows in Israel
- The High-Priestly Line
- The Canticles: the Four Songs of Luke 1-2
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- The Horn
- Hearing God
- The Words Shama and Hypakoe
- Shiloh and the Scepter: Genesis 49:10
- The Glory That Filled the House
- The Mercy Seat
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- The Philistines
- The Hardening of the Heart
- The Stone
- Money, Law and Power
- The King
- The Rise of the Monarchy and the Law of the King
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- The Tithe
- Purim, the Feast of Esther
- Rachel and Leah
- Rachel's Tomb on the Bethlehem Road
- The seventy elders and the Spirit given to them
- Gilgal
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- Jabesh-gilead
- Moab and Ammon
- The Jewish Day and the Watches of the Night
- No king in Israel: the refrain that closes Judges
- The early and the latter rain
- Weights, Measures, and Money in Scripture
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- Judas Maccabeus, the Hammer
- The blood rule after the cross
- The Urim and Thummim and Inquiring of the LORD
- To Act Justly, to Love Mercy, and to Walk Humbly
- Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice
- The devoted thing (herem)
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- The forbidden arts
- The Tassels and the Blue Cord
- The teraphim
- When God relents, and the gracious and compassionate formula
- Bethlehem
- The Firstborn
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- The Ruler from Bethlehem
- The Spirit in the Old Testament
- Truth-Telling and the Hard Cases of Deception
- Jebusite Jerusalem before David
- The Nephilim and the Giants
- Paul's Thorn
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People and groups11
Places11
Words6
Sources for this page
The painting in the band is Anointing of David by Samuel, Félix-Joseph Barrias, 1842, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la ville de Paris. Public domain. The movements, the chapter entries, the figures and the Context are read off the text of 1 Samuel. The works behind the readings under Where do readers disagree are the Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 14b to 15a; Martin Noth, Überlieferungsgeschichtliche Studien (1943); P. Kyle McCarter Jr., I Samuel, Anchor Bible (1980); Origen, Homily on 1 Kingdoms 28; Tertullian, On the Soul 57; Eustathius of Antioch, De engastrimytho contra Origenem; Jerome, Homilies on the Psalms 9; Gregory the Great, Commentary on 1 Kings; Bede, Commentary on Samuel, and his words on Mark 2:26 in Thomas Aquinas, Catena Aurea; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748 to 1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755) and upon the Old Testament (1765); Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible (1832); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832 to 1869); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel (1864); Benjamin Kennicott, First Dissertation on the Hebrew Text; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871); Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 6.9.1; Gleason Archer, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties (1982); and Dominique Barthélemy, David Gooding, Johan Lust and Emanuel Tov, The Story of David and Goliath (1986). Every verse quoted on this page is the Berean Standard Bible, read from the store.