First Baptist Church, Wycombe, PA

How Are 1 & 2 Samuel Structured?

There is a lot that is unknown about the books of 1 & 2 Samuel. They are not signed, so we do not know the author, nor is it clear when exactly they were written. They were probably combined together into one book, and they come after the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh.

What is clear about the books is their vivid depiction of the major figures during Israel's transition from a tribal federation to a kingdom. Though kingship had been a part of God's plan for His people since the days of Abraham, the establishing of dynastic rulers was not an easy one for God's people. Kings demanded a great deal, and could sometimes be a force for great evil, as shown by Saul and by David after his fall with Bathsheba.

Though the beginning and end of 1 & 2 Samuel feel bleak, they point forward to an anointed one, the Messiah who would come through David's line and rule God's people with perfect righteousness - Jesus Christ.

The two books of Samuel begin with a prayer and then a song, and then end with a song and then a prayer. Taking that as our clue, we can see a chiastic structure emerge across the two books (see below), with the shocking death of Saul as the narrative focal point.