Books of Samuel

Lore & Background

The book begins with Samuel's birth and Yahweh's call to him as a boy. It recounts the Ark of the Covenant's capture by the Philistines, its return, and Samuel's role as judge. The people demand a king, leading Samuel to anoint Saul from the tribe of Benjamin. Saul proves unworthy, and God's choice turns to David, who defeats Israel's enemies, purchases the threshing floor from Araunah (Ornan) as an altar site (the First Temple is later built by Solomon), and brings the Ark to Jerusalem.

Reader's Guide

The Books of Samuel are central to the Deuteronomistic history, explaining God's law for Israel under prophetic guidance. They establish the monarchy and the Davidic covenant, promising an everlasting dynasty. The narrative highlights themes of obedience, divine choice, and the consequences of disobedience. Modern scholarship dates the composition to c. The books are divided into two in the Septuagint and most Christian canons, with the Jerusalem Bible organizing them into five sections: Samuel, Samuel and Saul, Saul and David, David, and Supplementary Information.

Did You Know?

• According to Jewish tradition, the book was written by Samuel with additions by prophets Gad and Nathan.
• The only Nazirite identified in the Bible besides Samson is Samuel.
• The Philistines returned the Ark of the Covenant to Beth Shemesh after being afflicted with plagues.
• Saul's son Jonathan ate honey despite a royal decree not to eat until evening.

Position within the Prophetic Collection

The Books of Samuel occupy a place within the Nevi'im, the eight-book prophetic division that forms the middle section of the Jewish Tanakh. This three-part structure—Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim—comprises the twenty-four books recognized by Rabbinic Judaism. The text is written primarily in Biblical Hebrew, with select portions rendered in Aramaic. The popular scholarly position dates the canonization of the Prophets to roughly 200 BC, though this timeline is increasingly challenged by contemporary researchers. The broader canonization window is generally placed between 200 BC and 200 AD, with the Torah fixed earlier (around 400 BC) and the Writings later (perhaps 100 AD). Samuel, as a member of the prophetic division, would have been subject to this same extended period of consolidation, debate, and eventual acceptance among Jewish religious authorities.

Christian Canon and Denominational Variation

In Christian Bibles, the Books of Samuel appear within the Old Testament, the first major division of scripture. The minimum Old Testament encompasses the twenty-four books of the Hebrew Bible, yet these are subdivided differently across traditions: Protestant Bibles split them into thirty-nine books, while Catholic Bibles include forty-six by incorporating deuterocanonical works. The ordering of these books shifts between communities. The Council of Trent (1545–1563) formally established the seventy-three-book Catholic canon—forty-six Old Testament and twenty-seven New Testament. Before that council, regional gatherings such as Rome (382), Hippo (393), and the two Councils of Carthage (397 and 419) had already affirmed the scriptural collection. Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Assyrian churches maintain their own distinct lists, meaning Samuel's exact placement and surrounding context vary depending on which Christian community one consults.

The Fluidity of Canonization

The process by which the Books of Samuel became fixed within the Jewish scriptural collection was far less settled than later assumptions might suggest. Evidence points to a canonization window spanning from 200 BC to 200 AD, with the Prophets—Samuel's home division—traditionally dated to around 200 BC. However, this timeline, sometimes linked to a hypothetical Council of Jamnia, faces growing criticism from modern scholars. Marc Zvi Brettler has argued that Jewish scriptures outside the Torah and Prophets remained fluid, with various communities granting authority to different texts. Deuteronomy itself contains a prohibition against adding or removing, which some interpret as a restriction on future scribal editing. Meanwhile, 2 Maccabees describes Nehemiah gathering books about kings and prophets, and both Maccabean texts suggest Judas Maccabeus collected sacred writings around 167 BC—indicating that the assembly of prophetic texts like Samuel was an ongoing, contested process rather than a single definitive act.

Exclusion from the Samaritan Canon

The Samaritan community, whose distinct identity emerged following the Assyrian conquest of Samaria in 722 BC, represents a striking counterpoint to the broader biblical tradition. Samaritans regard only the Torah as inspired scripture and reject all other portions of the Bible—including the Nevi'im, where Samuel resides. They never expanded their canon by incorporating Samaritan compositions; while a Samaritan Book of Joshua exists and is held in high esteem, it is not treated as scripture. Their Pentateuch, written in the Samaritan alphabet, diverges from the Masoretic Text in both minor ways (genealogical ages) and major ones (locating Moses's receipt of the Ten Commandments on Mount Gerizim rather than Sinai). The Nablus community claims to possess the oldest surviving Torah copy, believed penned by Abisha, grandson of Aaron. For Samaritans, Samuel simply does not exist as sacred text—a position likely shared by the ancient Sadducees.