1 Samuel Introduction

Perhaps the most serious question raised by recent skeptics regarding 1 and 2 Samuel relates to the historical trustworthiness of the narratives contained in these books. Some scholars dismiss the accounts as fanciful tales with no more historical value than the legends of King Arthur. This highly negative view of the historical reliability of these books is unjustified, however.

Though it is impossible to “prove” many of the details found in 1 and 2 Samuel (e.g., the exact words spoken in conversations, the daily whereabouts and activities of the participants in the narratives, the outcome of a minor military skirmish), it is possible to provide scientific confirmation of the general claims of the biblical texts. Archaeological investigation has confirmed, for example, that Philistines lived in the regions and at the times when the books of Samuel indicated they did. It has also proven that the family line of David (lit the “house of David”) served as kings over Israel; evidence for this is found in the form of two inscriptions coming from the ninth century BC, the Tell Dan inscription and the Mesha Stele. The existence of a strong centralized government that developed following a period of destruction has been confirmed in such cities as Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer; this agrees well with the Bible’s claims regarding the Israelite conquest of Canaan and the development of a national government during the kingship period.

The books of Samuel are especially valuable for Christians because they lay the foundation for the all-important doctrine of the Messiah, the ultimate descendant of David who would sit on an everlasting throne ruling over God’s people and bring deliverance and justice. The promises God made to David in 2 Samuel 7 created hopes and expectations that the New Testament writers understood to have been fulfilled by Jesus. The Lord promised David that he would establish the kingdom of one of David’s descendants (2Sm 7:12); in the New Testament Jesus was identified as that descendant of David (Mt 1:20; 21:9) who brought the kingdom of God to humanity (Mt 12:28; Lk 11:20). God said David’s descendant would build a house for God’s name (2Sm 7:13); the New Testament writers portrayed Jesus as one who built the ultimate temple of God in three days (Mt 26:61; Jn 2:19). God promised David that one of his descendants would have a throne that would last forever (2Sm 7:13); the New Testament declares that Jesus had just that (Heb 1:8). God said that one of David’s descendants “will be my son” (2Sm 7:14); Jesus came as the ultimate Son of God (Mt 16:16; Mk 1:1; Lk 1:35).