"1 and 2 Samuel, like the two books of Kings, were originally a single book. The Septuagint translators considered these two larger books a complete history of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, and, after dividing them into four books, they named them the "Books of kingdoms" instead of the Hebrew titles "Samuel" and "Kings". Jerome followed the same divisions in his Latin Vulgate, but he changed the title to "Books of Kings". The various English Bibles have retained the Hebrew titles while following the Septuagint-Vulgate divisions. In some instances the four books are subtitled "The first, second, third, and fourth book of the Kings", as in the Vulgate". Harper

"First Samuel closes with the death of Israel's first king, Saul. Second Samuel records the history of king David's reign, including his making Jerusalem the political and religious centre of the nation; the establishing of the Davidic dynasty; David's great military victories; his shameful sin with Bathsheba; and his mistake in numbering the people. Second Samuel 7:4-14 records the important (and still partly unfulfilled) covenant God made with David and his posterity." Ryrie

The period covered by 1 Samuel approximately would be according to the N.I.V. Study Bible:

"1105 BC Birth of Samuel (1 Samuel 1:20 ) to the death of Saul 1010 BC".

"Though the two books of Samuel are named for the key figure of the early chapters, Samuel could not have written more than part of 1 Samuel since his death is recorded in chapter 25. That he did in fact write a book is attested to in 1 Samuel 10:25. 1 Chronicles 29:29 indicates that Nathan and Gad also wrote about the events recorded in Samuel". Ryrie

"In the case of 1 Samuel there is really no need to burden ourselves with a detailed analysis. Fix it well in the mind - and the memory will easily retain it - that 1 Samuel is the book of the TRANSITION FROM THE THEOCRACY TO THE MONARCHY, and the book of three remarkable men, Samuel the last of the judges, Saul, the first of the kings, and David, the greatest of the kings". Baxter

"Hebrew writing of history is not the mere pegging out of events on the line of time. Acts, not dates, are the stuff of which it is made. Not the time of the event, but the EVENT itself as the realisation of a wilful act, divine or human, alone has significance and must be assigned its proper place in the scale of true values.

The books of Samuel contain some of the finest historical writings in all literature. there is no party, class, or personal bias to distort the picture, no spotlight of the good or shading of the bad, no calculated juxtaposing of statements to blunt truth. Here is laid bare the universal frailty of human nature: here stands naked the sinner beneath the royal garment; here is revealed the hidden cause behind the visible effect; here truth suffers neither from the malignity of cunning foe nor the menace of ignorant friend. This history differs not only in degree, but also in kind, from all other history of ancient east". Biblical Expositor

Christ is our Prophet, Priest and King. Before Christ the perfect antitype appeared, Moses was the type of Christ the Prophet. Aaron was the type of Christ the Priest. David was the type of Christ the King. David contributed to the movement of history toward the one true King, the Lord Jesus Christ.