The books of Samuel discuss the beginnings of the monarchy in Israel. It is a political and religious narrative, highlighting tensions between two major factions as the Israelite people transition from tribal confederation to organised nation. It centres on three characters in particular; Samuel, the last Judge; Saul, the first king; and David, a shepherd-become-warrior who ultimately replaces Saul and establishes a family dynasty. In particular, David is significant for understanding the way people understood the importance of Jesus later on.

Samuel, after whom the book is named, is a young boy who trains as a priest (Chapters 1-2). As he grows, not only does he become the High Priest, but also becomes a prophet (receiving messages for the people from God, (1 Sam 3:19-21) and then becomes the last Judge of the Israelites (1 Sam 7:15).

An short story in the early stages of 1 Samuel concerns the Ark (the sacred chest that holds relics from the time of Moses) which was believed to house the presence of God. In Chapters 4-7 it exchanges hands back and forth between the Israelites and the neighboring pagan Philistines.

In Chapter 8, Samuel is given the responsibility for appointing and consecrating Israel’s first king, after Israel demands one in order to be like the nations around them. Samuel is originally reluctant to appoint anyone, believing that a human king was a challenge to the sovereignty of God (1 Sam 8:6-7). However, God assures Samuel that he does not hold Samuel responsible for the Israelite’s attitude and tells him to go ahead and appoint one (1 Sam 8:22).

A process of selection follows, where 'lots' (like drawing straws or flipping a coin) are drawn to decide Israel’s king. The tribe of Benjamin (1 Sam 10:20) is selected, and then a particular family called the Matrites (1 Sam 10:21). Finally from that family is selected a man named Saul. Saul is a reluctant choice, and actually hides in the luggage when it becomes time for him to be proclaimed (1 Sam 10:22). However, he is ultimately appointed to the role and soon is tested in action against Israel’s enemies. Saul and his son Jonathan lead the Israelites into battle against the Ammonites and then the Philistines (1 Sam 11-13).

In the lead up to the battle against the Philistines, Saul waits for Samuel to arrive to give the people direction from God (1 Sam 13:8). Samuel is late to the meeting point, so Saul performs a sacrifice (which only priests were meant to do) seeking well-being from God to boost morale among the Israelite troops (1 Sam 13:9). When Samuel does finally arrive (1 Sam 13:10), he condemns Saul for disobeying the laws, and states that his family will ultimately be replaced as royals (1 Sam 13:13-15).

A similar condemnation follows a battle against the Amalekites in 1 Sam 15, where Saul is commanded to destroy every man, woman, child and animal belonging to that nation. Saul completes much of the destruction, but captures the king (presumably for ransom or as a trophy) and keeps the best animals to sacrifice. Samuel again declares that Saul’s disobedience will cost him, stating that he will be replaced ‘by a neighbour’ (1 Sam 15:28). The chapter closes by pointedly stating that “the LORD was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel” (1 Sam 15:35, NRSV).

The ‘neighbour’ who is to replace Saul is soon revealed to be a son of Jesse from Bethlehem, one of the towns belonging to the tribe of Judah (1 Sam 16:1). After a process of reviewing Jesse’s sons, Samuel identifies Jesse’s youngest son David as the future king. David is anointed with oil by Samuel (1 Sam 16:10-13).

David, however, soon finds himself drawn into the centre of Israelite politics. His musical ability as well as his defeat of the Philistine giant warrior Goliath gives David a place of prestige in Saul’s court (1 Sam 16:1 – 1 Sam 17:58). He then grows in stature, commanding Saul’s armies into victory after victory. (1 Sam 18:5-7). Additionally, David becomes close friends with Saul’s son Jonathan (1 Sam 18:1-4), and marries Saul’s daughter Michal (1 Sam 18:27). These actions combined with growing public admiration for David make Saul increasingly jealous (1 Sam 18:28-29). He attempts to kill David, although David escapes with the aid of Jonathan (1 Sam 19:1-20:42)

David lives as an outlaw from Saul for the remainder of 1 Samuel (1 Sam 21:1-31:13), although he is an outlaw with an army. The story tells us that numbers of people flock to David, increasing his numbers. David is tested against both Saul and against the Philistines, and each time David manages to avoid capture and defeat. On the other hand, Saul eventually meets his match in a battle against the Philistines, and is killed with Jonathan at the conclusion of 1 Samuel (1 Sam 31).

1 and 2 Samuel were initially the one text, probably divided into two when the book was first translated from Hebrew to Greek. It continues on from where Judges leaves off. Many scholars think that Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings are all part of a series of books that scholars call the Deuteronomistic History.

The book outlines the establishment of the monarchy, and much of it likely serves as an apologetic for the rise of David and the establishment of his house of his predecessor Saul. The book is important for justifying the ongoing rule of the “House of David”, which rules all the way to the end of the Kingdom of Judea, where the legal code of Deuteronomy is probably established under the rule of King Josiah. By the time the book of Samuel enters into its final form, the Israelites have been split by civil war. The northern half (10 tribes) becomes the Kingdom of Israel, with kingship following the leader most able to hold the throne. In the south, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin become the Kingdom of Judah. The king there is always an ancestor of David. Later Judah is taken into captivity in Babylon, and is then ruled by Persians, Greeks and Romans. David is the idealised king for this captive people, and his name becomes synonymous with a return to Judean independence. The hopeful expectation of a restored throne from the ‘House of David’ looms large for the remaining Jewish population—if only they can remain faithful to the laws of Deuteronomy.

With David such an important figure in both the story of the kings, and in Judah's national identity, justifying and explaining the rise of David over the kingdom’s founder Saul is important. The text goes to lengths to emphasise David’s covenantal superiority, while Saul’s decline is likewise explained in religious terms. In 1 Samuel, David—although not completely perfect—is nevertheless painted as an ideal king, which in turn heavily influences the way that David is interpreted by later audiences…a “man after God’s own heart” (see 1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22).

The stories surrounding the Ark of the Covenant were also probably important part of the religious formation of the Israelites, as they highlighted the plagues that could befall people if due respect was not shown to the sacred relics (1 Sam 4-6). These stories possibly served to justify the eventual building of a safe holding place for these relics, the Temple in Jerusalem, which would be built under the reign of Solomon and dominate Jewish religious life until the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.