WHO WROTE:  WHO WROTE:  The authors of the Books of Samuel were most probably Samuel? (First only “if”; not Second), Gad, David (see Second Samuel, Chapter One),and Nathan (1Ch. 29:29).  Samuel could have penned the first twenty-four Chapters of the First Book (in that he died in First Samuel 25:1; while Gad, the companion of David (1Sa 22:5), continued the history thus commenced; and Nathan completed it, probably arranging the whole in the form in which we now have it.

 

Samuel’s death, as recorded in First Samuel 25:1, proves he did not write it all.  The “Talmud” (500 A.D.) is the earliest authority that ascribes the Book[s] to Samuel (“Baba Bathra,” 14:2).  However, Nehemiah is said in, “2Ma. 2:13,” to have “gathered together the acts in the kings and the prophets.”

 

However, according to Second Samuel 8:16, Jehoshaphat (not the king) was the “recorder,” or better, the chronicler of all events.  This could mean that he wrote some of this Book, or that the others mentioned above referred to his works when writing their portions of this Book.

​

 

WHAT TIME PERIOD IS COVERED:  The Chronology of this comprises a period of perhaps fifty years; with exception of the last four Chapters, which seem to have frequent gaps, which chronologically cannot be placed in order.

 

 

WHEN WRITTEN:  B.C. 1010 - ?

 

 

INTRODUCTION:  See my First Samuel Introduction.  According to Second Samuel 23:2, King David declares that God “spoke” through him.  Jesus affirms that statement in Luke 24:44, in regard to the prophecies in the Book of Psalmsconcerning the Messiah.