2 Samuel
The story of Israel's first kings and the prophet who anointed them.
AI-generated artistic depiction (no historical imagery exists)
The Book of Samuel (Hebrew: ספר שמואל, romanized: Sefer Shmuel) is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Samuel in most modern translations, 1-2 Kings in the Vulgate) in the Old Testament. The book is part of the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings) that constitute a theological history of the Israelites and that aim to explain God's law for Israel under the guidance of the prophets.
- Opening event
- After Saul's death, David returns from defeating the Amalekites and stays in Ziklag (2 Samuel 1:1).
- David's sons in Hebron
- Amnon is David's firstborn in Hebron (2 Samuel 3:2).
- David's house built
- Hiram of Tyre sends materials and workers to build David a house (2 Samuel 5:11).
- David's sin with Bathsheba
- David sends for Bathsheba and lies with her (2 Samuel 11:4).
- Absalom's rebellion
- Absalom steals the hearts of Israel (2 Samuel 15:6) and David flees Jerusalem (2 Samuel 15:30).
- David's lament for Absalom
- David cries, 'O my son Absalom, my son, my son!' (2 Samuel 19:4).
Lore & Background
According to Jewish tradition, the book was written by Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, who together are three prophets who had appeared within 1 Chronicles in its account of David's reign. Modern scholarly thinking posits that the entire Deuteronomistic history was composed c. 630–540 BCE by combining a number of independent texts of various ages. The book begins with Samuel's birth and Yahweh's call to him as a boy. The story of the Ark of the Covenant follows. It tells of Israel's oppression by the Philistines, which brought about Samuel's anointing of Saul as Israel's first king. But Saul proved unworthy, and God's choice turned to David, who defeated Israel's enemies, purchased the threshing floor where his son Solomon would build the First Temple, and brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. Yahweh then promised David and his successors an everlasting dynasty.
Reader's Guide
The Jerusalem Bible divides the two Books of Samuel into five sections: 1 Samuel 1:1–7:17 (Samuel), 1 Samuel 8:1–15:35 (Samuel and Saul), 1 Samuel 16:1–2 Samuel 1:27 (Saul and David), 2 Samuel 2:1–20:26 (David), and 2 Samuel 21:1–24:25 (Supplementary Information). The narrative of 1 Samuel covers Samuel's birth and childhood, the Ark in Philistine hands, the institution of the monarchy under Saul, and the beginning of Saul's reign, including his disobedience and the anointing of David.
Did You Know?
- Samuel is the only Nazirite besides Samson identified in the Bible.
- The Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines at the Battle of Aphek.
- Saul's son Jonathan launched a secret attack by climbing a pass into the Philistine camp.
- Samuel killed Agag, the Amalekite ruler, after Saul spared him.
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