1 Samuel
Old Testament · 24 sections · scripture: Berean Standard Bible
With 1 Samuel, Israel steps into a new age. The book of Judges ended on its unanswered ache — "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes" — and this book is the long, unhurried answer to that ache, telling the story of how Israel finally got the kings it had been longing for, and what it actually cost to get them.
From the commentary's introduction to 1 Samuel, written by an AI. All the scripture below is free to read; the commentary on each section is in the full edition.
- Hannah's Prayer, and the Birth of Samuel 1 Samuel 1
- Hannah's Song, and the Corruption of Eli's House 1 Samuel 2
- Speak, LORD, for Your Servant Is Listening 1 Samuel 3
- The Ark Captured, and the End of Eli's House 1 Samuel 4
- The Ark Among the Philistines 1 Samuel 5–6
- Ebenezer: "Thus Far the LORD Has Helped Us 1 Samuel 7
- Give Us a King": Israel Asks for What Will Cost Them Everything 1 Samuel 8
- Saul: Anointed While Looking for Donkeys 1 Samuel 9–10
- Saul's Finest Hour: The Rescue of Jabesh-Gilead 1 Samuel 11
- Samuel's Farewell: A Warning Sealed in Thunder, and a Promise Kept in Grace 1 Samuel 12
- The First Crack, and Jonathan's Quiet Faith 1 Samuel 13–14
- Amalek, and the Rejection of Saul 1 Samuel 15
- David: The Heart the LORD Was Looking For 1 Samuel 16
- David and Goliath 1 Samuel 17
- A Covenant of Love, and the Poison of Comparison 1 Samuel 18
- Fleeing the King: Michal's Rescue, and the Parting of Friends 1 Samuel 19–20
- David the Fugitive, and the Massacre at Nob 1 Samuel 21–22
- Sparing the King: David's Restraint at En Gedi 1 Samuel 23–24
- Nabal and Abigail: The Wisdom That Prevented a Massacre 1 Samuel 25
- Sparing the King, Again: A Settled Conviction, Not a One-Time Impulse 1 Samuel 26
- Among the Philistines: Exile and Deception 1 Samuel 27:1–28:2
- The Medium at Endor 1 Samuel 28:3–25
- Sent Home, and the Sack of Ziklag 1 Samuel 29–30
- The Death of Saul 1 Samuel 31