AUTHOR: Both First and Second Samuel are of unknown authorship. According to rabbinic tradition, both books were written by Samuel himself [ 1 Samuel 10:25 ], Jewish tradition suggests that Samuel was the author of chapters 1 to 24. Other possible participants in 1 and 2 Samuel are the prophets and seers Nathan and Gad [ 1Ch 29:29].

ORIGIN OF THE NAME: The book is named after the prophet Samuel, which comes from the Hebrew "Shemu'el", which literally means "his name is God".

THEMATIC: The Book of Samuel is transitional. It is the record of Israel's passage from rule by judges to rule by kings and from theocratic rule to human rule. The book recounts the establishment of the monarchy and tells the story of lives directly related to the kingdom. Samuel emerges as the last judge and anoints the first two kings, Saul and David. The narrative spans a period of about 115 years, roughly between 1171 B.C. to 1056 BC, beginning with the birth of Samuel and ending with the death of Saul.

COMPILATION: Originally, the books of 1 and 2 Samuel were one book. The Septuagint translators separated them, and this separation is maintained to the present day. Some historians believe it was compiled in the 8th century BC, based on the writings of Samuel, Nathan, and Gad. 1 Samuel consists of 31 chapters and 810 verses.