Elkanah and his wives, Peninnah (who has children) and Hannah (who does not), go yearly to worship at Shiloh, where the tent of meeting stands. Though Elkanah favors Hannah, she is deeply grieved by her barrenness. One year she prays with anguish, vowing that if God gives her a son, she will dedicate him to lifelong service. In time, Hannah gives birth to Samuel. When he is weaned, she brings him with a generous offering to the tent of meeting and entrusts him to the Lord.
The story begins not in a palace, but in the quiet desperation of a woman’s prayer. God’s kingdom advances through ordinary lives. Hannah’s humility and faith become a pattern for God’s work—and the origin of Israel’s prophet, Samuel. Hannah is the first in Scripture to call on “the Lord of hosts,” a title evoking God’s rule over heavenly armies—an appropriate introduction to a book about national leadership.
20: And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”
In response to God’s gift of Samuel, Hannah offers a song of praise celebrating God’s sovereignty and His pattern of reversing fortunes—raising the lowly, humbling the proud, and giving children to the barren. Her prayer echoes forward to Mary’s Magnificat in Luke 1. God blesses her with five more children. Meanwhile, Samuel grows in the Lord’s presence. In contrast, Eli’s sons dishonor the sacrifices and disregard their father’s rebuke. A prophet declares to Eli that because he honored his sons above God, the priesthood will be taken from his family and his house will be brought low.
Hannah’s song sets the tone for 1–2 Samuel: God raises up the humble and opposes the proud. Her prayer anticipates the kingdom’s values. Samuel’s growth (v26) parallels Jesus in Luke 2:52 and highlights the contrast between faithful and corrupt leaders.
26: Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.
God calls Samuel during a time when “the word of the Lord was rare.” Not recognizing the voice, Samuel runs to Eli three times before Eli realizes it is God and tells him how to respond. When Samuel replies, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears,” God gives him his first prophecy: confirming the judgment against Eli’s house. Samuel tells Eli, who submits to God’s word. Samuel grows not just in stature but in prophetic authority, and all Israel begins to recognize him as a prophet.
God’s call on Samuel echoes the double-name pattern used with Abraham, Jacob, and Moses—marking him as a chosen servant in the story of God’s people. This chapter marks the transition from Eli’s fading leadership to Samuel’s rising role. “From Dan to Beersheba” signals that the entire nation is awakening to hear God’s voice again through His prophet.
19: And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
While Samuel is growing up, Israel suffers a defeat by the Philistines. Seeking victory, the elders bring the ark of the covenant from Shiloh, hoping to harness God’s power. Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, accompany it. Though the Philistines are terrified, having heard of God’s acts in Egypt, they rally and rout Israel, killing 30,000 men and capturing the ark. Eli’s sons are killed as prophesied. When a messenger reports the defeat, Eli falls over and dies. His pregnant daughter-in-law, hearing of the ark’s capture and her husband’s death, gives birth and names her son Ichabod (“The glory has departed”) before dying herself.
This chapter marks the beginning of the ark’s exile and the end of Eli’s house. It warns that God’s power cannot be wielded like a charm. True deliverance comes through obedience, not manipulation.
11: And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
After defeating Israel, the Philistines place the captured ark in the temple of their god Dagon, assuming their god is superior. But on two successive mornings, the statue of Dagon is found fallen—first face down before the ark, then shattered. Meanwhile, God afflicts the people of Ashdod with tumors and terror. They send the ark to Gath, and then to Ekron, but each city suffers the same fate. The Philistines, overwhelmed and terrified, realize they must send the ark back to Israel.
Like Israel, the Philistines treat the ark as a token of divine power, subject to manipulation or conquest. But God shows He is not captured or defeated. He topples Dagon, strikes the cities with disease, and makes clear that His hand, not military power, determines victory. Even in exile, the Lord reigns—and His holiness demands reverence.
6: The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory.
To determine whether their afflictions came from Israel’s God, the Philistines prepare a guilt offering: five golden tumors and five golden mice, placed in a cart with the ark. They hitch two milk cows—untrained and recently calved—to pull it. If the cows go to Israel, they will know it was divine. The cows head straight to Beth-shemesh, a Levitical town, where the people rejoice and offer sacrifices. But when some look into the ark, the Lord strikes them down. The survivors send the ark on to Kiriath-jearim.
The Philistines fear God and give Him glory; Israelites who should know better treat Him casually and suffer judgment. Proximity to the ark offers no protection without reverence. This chapter affirms that God’s holiness must be honored—by all nations. The ark remains in Kiriath-jearim until David brings it to Jerusalem.
5: So you must make images of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you and your gods and your land.
The ark rests at Kiriath-jearim in the house of Abinadab, while Israel laments and turns back to the Lord. Samuel calls the people to repentance and the removal of foreign gods. At Mizpah, they gather for fasting and worship, but the Philistines attack. Samuel offers a sacrifice and prays, and the Lord thunders against the Philistines, throwing them into confusion. Israel routs them and regains lost territory. Samuel sets up a stone and names it Ebenezer: “Till now the Lord has helped us.” The Philistines no longer invade during Samuel’s lifetime. The chapter ends with a summary of Samuel’s judgeship: he travels a yearly circuit judging Israel, and he continues faithful service all his life.
This chapter picks up from chapter 4 where we left Samuel to grow from boy to man. It shows Samuel as both prophet and judge—calling Israel to repentance, interceding through sacrifice, and leading them in faith. God honors humble obedience with peace. Worship and trust—not superstition—bring victory.
15: Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
When Samuel grows old, he appoints his sons as judges—but like Eli’s sons, they are corrupt. The elders of Israel demand a king “like all the nations.” Samuel is grieved, but God tells him to grant their request, for they have not rejected Samuel, but God as their king. Samuel warns the people about what a king will require: conscripted labor, loss of property, taxation, and potential corruption. But the people insist—they want centralized leadership and a standing army to lead them into battle. So God allows Samuel to prepare for the appointment of a king.
Though Deuteronomy 17 anticipates kingship, Israel’s demand stems from distrust in God’s rule and a desire to be like the nations. They are clear about what they want in a king: status in the international community, central governance, and military leadership. Still, God will use even this flawed request to shape His redemptive plan, eventually raising up David, a king after His own heart.
19: But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us.”
Saul, a tall and handsome young man from the tribe of Benjamin, is sent by his father to search for lost donkeys. Unable to find them, he agrees to his servant’s suggestion to consult the local man of God—Samuel. God tells Samuel in advance that He is sending Israel’s future king. When Samuel sees Saul, God confirms him as the one chosen to “restrain” His people. Samuel honors Saul at a sacrifice and gives him the choice portion. The next morning, Samuel sends Saul’s servant ahead so he can privately deliver God’s word to Saul.
Saul’s search for donkeys leads him to kingship—another reminder that God works through ordinary life. Saul’s humility—calling himself least among the least—aligns with Jesus’ later teaching that the humble will be exalted. Samuel’s symbolic feeding of Saul reflects the holiness of the kingship about to be revealed.
17: When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.”
Samuel anoints Saul privately, revealing that God has chosen him as king. To confirm this, Samuel gives Saul three signs: the donkeys have been found, men will offer him bread on the way to Bethel, and he will meet prophets and be filled with the Spirit of God. All these come to pass. When Saul meets the prophets, the Spirit rushes upon him, and he prophesies. Later, Samuel gathers Israel at Mizpah and casts lots by tribe and clan until Saul is chosen: public confirmation of God’s hidden choice. The people shout, “Long live the king!”
God confirms His promises through small fulfillments that build trust. Saul’s transformation and prophetic speech mark a high point in his calling, though we know the Spirit will later depart. For now, God is with him. The casting of lots underscores that kingship is God’s choice, not Samuel’s or the people’s.
24: And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
Nahash the Ammonite besieges Jabesh-gilead and offers a cruel treaty: peace in exchange for gouging out their right eyes. The elders of Jabesh ask for time, and messengers reach Saul. When he hears, the Spirit of God rushes upon him. He slaughters his oxen and sends pieces throughout Israel, warning that any who fail to join him will be treated the same. Fear falls on the people, and a united army gathers. Saul decisively defeats the Ammonites. After the victory, the people go to Gilgal and make Saul king before the Lord.
This chapter shows Saul at his best—empowered by the Spirit, wise in strategy, and humble in victory. His leadership fulfills the people’s request for a king who would “fight their battles” (1 Sam 8:20). Gilgal becomes the site of his formal, covenantal coronation. God, though rejected, still works through Saul to protect and unify His people.
15: So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
Samuel gathers Israel to confirm his integrity as judge and prophet—no one can accuse him of injustice. He reminds them that though they now have a king, they are still accountable to God. He recounts Israel’s past rebellions—slavery in Egypt, oppression by Sisera and the Philistines—and warns that future disobedience will bring similar judgment. To confirm his words, he calls down a thunderstorm during wheat harvest, a season when rain is rare. The people fear the Lord and ask for Samuel’s prayers.
Samuel’s speech reframes kingship: the king is not above the covenant. God remains Israel’s true ruler, and obedience is still required. The miraculous storm confirms Samuel’s authority and the seriousness of Israel’s guilt. Though stepping back from public leadership, Samuel promises to continue interceding and instructing Israel.
25: “But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”
Saul’s son Jonathan attacks a Philistine outpost, provoking retaliation. Saul gathers troops at Gilgal, but as the Philistine army assembles and his own forces begin to scatter, he grows fearful. Though Samuel had told him to wait, Saul offers the burnt offering himself. Just as he finishes, Samuel arrives. Samuel rebukes Saul: he has disobeyed God’s command, and as a result, his kingdom will not endure. God has already sought out another—a man after His own heart.
Saul’s failure is not merely impatience but disobedience rooted in fear. He prioritizes ritual over trust, believing that offering a sacrifice can substitute for obeying God’s word. This event marks the beginning of his rejection as king and introduces the coming of David. God desires a leader who listens and obeys, not one who grasps at control.
14: “But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
Jonathan and his armor-bearer sneak away from the army to attack a Philistine outpost. Trusting in the Lord, Jonathan climbs up and they strike down twenty men, triggering panic throughout the Philistine camp. Saul notices the commotion and joins the battle with his troops. Israel wins a great victory, but Saul complicates it by placing the army under a rash oath not to eat until evening. Jonathan, unaware, eats honey and is later nearly executed by his father until the people intervene and rescue him. The chapter ends with a summary of Saul’s military campaigns and his family.
Jonathan’s bold faith contrasts with Saul’s disobedience. Saul’s oath, though intended to honor God, results in sin (the hungry people eat meat with blood) and nearly costs Jonathan his life. Israel’s victory came through trust in God, not through fear-driven commands. The chapter highlights the tension between godly initiative and flawed authority.
6: Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.”
Through Samuel, God commands Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites and all they possess, in judgment for opposing Israel during the Exodus. After warning the Kenites to leave, Saul attacks—but disobediently spares King Agag and the best of the livestock. When Samuel confronts him, Saul falsely claims the animals were kept for sacrifice. Samuel declares that God has rejected Saul as king for not obeying His voice. Then Samuel personally executes Agag and departs, grieving.
- Saul again prioritizes ritual over obedience, trying to justify partial disobedience as worship. But “to obey is better than sacrifice” becomes the central prophetic word of the chapter—and of Saul’s failure. God’s “regret” reflects deep sorrow, not divine error (see also Genesis 6:6). Samuel, though grieving, remains faithful: he finishes what Saul would not and never sees him again.
22: And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”
- God sends Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint the next king from among Jesse’s sons. To avoid Saul’s suspicion, Samuel arrives under the pretense of offering a sacrifice. He assumes Jesse’s firstborn, Eliab, is God’s choice—tall and impressive like Saul—but God says He looks on the heart, not appearance. One by one, Jesse’s sons pass by until the youngest, David, is brought in from tending sheep. God chooses him, and Samuel anoints him. The Spirit of the Lord rushes upon David and departs from Saul, who is tormented by a harmful spirit. At the court’s suggestion, David is brought to play music for Saul, calming him.
- God raises up the humble and unexpected, continuing His pattern of choosing second sons and overlooked servants. David’s heart, not his stature, qualifies him. Though Saul still rules, God’s Spirit now rests on David—setting in motion a decisive shift in Israel’s future.
7: But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
- The Philistines challenge Israel at the Valley of Elah, where their champion Goliath taunts Israel daily. Saul and his army cower in fear. David, still a youth, arrives to bring food to his brothers and hears Goliath’s challenge. Outraged that no one has answered, he volunteers to fight—not with armor or sword, but with faith in the Lord. He defeats Goliath with a single stone from his sling, then beheads him with Goliath’s own sword. The Philistines flee, and Israel routs them.
- Saul was chosen to lead Israel in battle, yet he trembles with the rest. David, though young and unimpressive, sees what others miss: Goliath defies the living God. His courage comes not from strength but from trust. This moment marks David’s rise and Saul’s decline. “The battle is the Lord’s” becomes both David’s battle cry and his theology.
47: “…and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”
After David’s victory over Goliath, Saul’s son Jonathan forms a covenant with him, loving him as his own soul. David rises quickly in Saul’s court, and his military success wins the people’s praise. Saul becomes jealous and tries to kill him with a spear. Fearing David, Saul sends him on dangerous missions, hoping he’ll die in battle. He offers David his daughter Merab but gives her to another. When his daughter Michal falls in love with David, Saul demands 100 Philistine foreskins as a bride-price, hoping David will be killed. But David returns with 200, and his fame continues to grow.
David’s rise under God’s favor parallels Saul’s decline without it. Jonathan submits to God’s plan; Saul fights against it. Ironically, Saul’s tactic—using battle to eliminate a rival—foreshadows David’s own future sin with Uriah. Even a man after God’s heart is not immune to temptation.
30: Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.
Saul escalates his attempts to kill David. First, he orders Jonathan to strike him down, but Jonathan warns David and persuades Saul to relent. After another of David’s military victories, Saul again tries to pin him to the wall with a spear. When that fails, he sends assassins to David’s house, but Michal helps her husband escape and deceives her father. David flees to Samuel at Ramah. When Saul sends messengers—and eventually comes himself—each is overtaken by the Spirit of God and begins to prophesy, unable to harm David.
Saul’s rejection by God deepens as he turns even his family into protectors of David. The king of Israel is shown to be powerless before God’s word and Spirit. His final attempt to arrest David ends in helplessness and humiliation, showing that no earthly authority can overrule God’s anointed.
10: And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
David flees from Naioth and asks Jonathan to confirm whether Saul truly intends to kill him. They devise a test: David will miss the royal feast, and Jonathan will observe Saul’s reaction. When David’s absence angers Saul, Saul throws a spear at Jonathan and demands David’s death, revealing his fear that Jonathan’s kingdom will not stand while David lives. Jonathan warns David using a secret signal involving arrows. The two friends meet, weep, and part in sorrow.
Saul’s descent into rage reaches its peak as he tries to kill his own son. His true motive is exposed: he sees David as a threat to his dynasty. But Jonathan chooses covenant loyalty to David over royal ambition. The farewell between them highlights a deep, godly friendship rooted in shared faith, even in the face of loss.
31: “For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.”
David flees to Nob, where he meets the priest Ahimelech. Lying that he is on a mission from the king, David convinces Ahimelech to give him and his men the holy bread, which is normally reserved for the priests, and Goliath’s sword, since he didn’t bring one with him. David continues fleeing to Gath, where he tries to enter anonymous service to its king, Achish, but he is recognized, so he feigns madness to save his life.
Jesus later refers to this story to illustrate that mercy outweighs ritual when Ahimelech gives the bread to David and his men in need. Though David’s lie is not directly condemned, it sets in motion tragic consequences, including the slaughter of the priests. The brief appearance of Doeg foreshadows that betrayal. David’s desperation—armed only with a borrowed sword and feigned madness—shows the vulnerability of God’s chosen servant.
6: So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the Lord, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away.
David continues fleeing from Saul. At Adullam, his family and about 400 discontented men gather around him. He asks the king of Moab to shelter his parents, then moves to the forest of Hereth when the prophet Gad warns him to keep moving. Meanwhile, Saul, consumed by paranoia, accuses his servants of conspiracy. Doeg the Edomite tells Saul what happened at Nob. Saul summons Ahimelech the priest and accuses him of aiding David. When the king’s men refuse to kill the priests, Doeg carries out the slaughter—eighty-five priests and the entire town of Nob, including women, children, and livestock. Only Abiathar escapes and joins David, who promises him protection.
David begins to gather loyal supporters, including a surviving priest. Saul, isolated and enraged, turns to violence even his own men resist. Doeg’s massacre fulfills God’s earlier judgment on Eli’s house and marks Saul’s moral collapse.
17: And the king said to the guard who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the Lord.
David hears of a Philistine raid on Keilah and, after inquiring of God, attacks and defeats them—even though his men fear Saul’s retaliation. When Saul brings the army to trap David, David escapes. He flees to the wilderness of Ziph, where Jonathan visits and renews their covenant—affirming David’s future kingship. The Ziphites betray David’s location to Saul, initiating a cat-and-mouse chase through the wilderness. Each time, God delivers David. Saul is finally forced to turn back when the Philistines attack elsewhere.
David, though a fugitive, defends Israel—fulfilling the king’s true role. Saul, by contrast, uses national resources to pursue personal vengeance. Jonathan again shows faith in God’s plan by supporting David over his own inheritance. The Ziphite betrayal begins a recurring theme of divided loyalties in Israel’s wilderness. Even in exile, David acts like the king Israel needs.
5: And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
Saul resumes chasing David and unknowingly enters the very cave where David and his men are hiding. David’s men urge him to kill Saul, seeing it as divine opportunity, but David refuses to harm the Lord’s anointed. Instead, he cuts off the corner of Saul’s robe. After Saul leaves, David reveals what he has done, showing he means no harm. Saul is shaken, acknowledges David’s righteousness, and asks him to spare his descendants. David swears an oath, and Saul departs.
David’s refusal to seize the throne by violence shows deep trust in God’s timing. The torn robe recalls Samuel’s earlier prophecy that the kingdom would be torn from Saul. Though Saul appears repentant, David returns to the stronghold, wisely discerning that Saul’s heart remains unstable. True kingship comes not by force but by faithfulness.
10: “Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against my Lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’”
Samuel dies and is buried at Ramah, leaving David without his prophetic guide. While moving through Carmel, David requests provisions from Nabal, a wealthy man whose shepherds David’s men had previously protected. Nabal rudely refuses, living up to his name, which means “fool.” In anger, David prepares to attack. Nabal’s wife Abigail intervenes, bringing generous provisions and humbly pleading with David not to shed blood in vengeance. David blesses her wisdom, recognizing she has kept him from guilt. Soon after, Nabal suffers a stroke and dies. David marries Abigail, gaining her wealth and reputation, and also marries Ahinoam. Meanwhile, Saul gives David’s wife Michal to another man.
This chapter contrasts folly and wisdom. Abigail’s righteous speech restrains David and models godly discretion. David learns that kingship requires patience and justice, while God Himself avenges wrongdoing.
33: “Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand!”
The Ziphites again reveal David’s location, and Saul pursues him with his army. At night, David and Abishai slip into Saul’s camp, where the king sleeps with his spear beside him. Abishai urges David to kill Saul, but David restrains him: he will not strike the Lord’s anointed. Instead, they take Saul’s spear and water jar. From a distance, David rebukes Abner for failing to guard the king and shows Saul that he spared his life. He pleads with Saul to stop the pursuit and curses those who have stirred the king against him.
This scene mirrors the cave episode, reinforcing David’s restraint and Saul’s instability. David compares himself to a hunted partridge, the “calling bird,” punning on Abner’s earlier question, “Who is calling the king?” Once more Saul appears repentant, but David does not trust him.
23: “The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the Lord gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed.”
Weary of fleeing Saul and concerned for his men and their families, David leads them into Philistine territory, seeking refuge with King Achish of Gath. To avoid suspicion, he asks for a town away from the royal court, and Achish grants him Ziklag. From there, David raids Israel’s enemies—the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites—but leaves no survivors, lest word reach Achish. To the king, he claims he has been raiding Israelite settlements. Achish believes him, convinced David has made himself hateful to his own people. David remains in Philistine territory for sixteen months.
David shows leadership in protecting his people, even as an anointed king living in exile. His strategy of deception advances Israel’s cause while gaining Achish’s trust. Yet his methods are morally complex, foreshadowing both his cunning as a leader and the flaws that will shadow his reign.
12: And Achish trusted David, thinking, “He has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel; therefore he shall always be my servant.”
As the Philistines prepare a massive assault, Achish insists David must fight with him, setting up a test of David’s loyalty. Meanwhile, Saul is terrified at the sight of the Philistine army. He seeks the Lord, but God does not answer—neither by dreams, prophets, nor the Urim. In desperation, Saul disguises himself and consults a medium at Endor, despite having previously expelled such practices from Israel. To her shock, Samuel appears. He rebukes Saul, declaring that the Lord has turned away, and foretells that Saul and his sons will die the next day and Israel’s army will fall. Collapsing in fear and weakened from fasting, Saul reluctantly accepts food before returning to battle.
David is caught between Philistia and Israel, while Saul, utterly abandoned by God, seeks forbidden help. Samuel’s final prophecy seals Saul’s fate: his kingship is finished, and Israel’s defeat is certain.
19: “Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.”
As the Philistines muster for war against Israel, their commanders notice David and his men in Achish’s army. Fearing David will turn on them in battle to regain Saul’s favor, they demand his dismissal. Achish protests David’s loyalty but relents, telling David he must return home. David defends his faithfulness, but Achish insists. David and his men leave, spared from fighting against Israel.
God’s providence is clear: the Philistines’ distrust delivers David from an impossible test of loyalty. Had he fought against Israel, his kingship would have been tainted by bloodguilt. Instead, God preserves him, working even through Israel’s enemies to preserve His anointed, while Saul marches toward his prophesied defeat. The contrast between David being saved and Saul being doomed highlights God’s hand directing Israel’s future.
6: Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and in with me in the campaign. For I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the Lords do not approve of you.”
Returning from the Philistine muster, David finds Ziklag burned and his men’s families carried off by Amalekite raiders. After deep mourning, David turns to the Lord through the priest Abiathar, and God promises victory. With four hundred men—two hundred too weary to continue—David pursues. Along the way, they rescue an abandoned Egyptian slave, who leads them to the Amalekite camp. David’s men defeat them and recover everything: families, flocks, and spoil. David decrees that those who stayed behind guarding supplies will share equally in the plunder. He also sends gifts from the spoil to elders of Judah who had sheltered him.
David fulfills the kingly duty to “fight our battles” (1 Sam 8:20), even for Ziklag in Philistia. Unlike Saul, he inquires of the Lord and is answered. Where Saul failed against the Amalekites, David succeeds. His justice in dividing spoils and gratitude toward Judah reveal true kingly character.
19: Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all.
The Philistines rout Israel at Mount Gilboa. Saul’s sons fall in battle, and Saul, mortally wounded by archers, takes his own life. His armor-bearer does likewise. The Philistines strip the dead, place Saul’s armor in the temple of the Ashtaroth, and fasten the bodies of Saul and his sons to the wall of Beth-shan for public shame. The men of Jabesh-gilead, whom Saul had rescued early in his reign, march overnight, recover the bodies, burn them to prevent further dishonor, and bury the bones under a tamarisk tree.
- Saul’s death fulfills Samuel’s prophecy: Israel is defeated, and its king falls. His body is desecrated by Israel’s enemies, yet honored at last by those he once saved. The contrast is striking—Saul’s reign ends in shame, while David, preserved through trial, now stands ready. 1 Samuel closes with defeat, awaiting renewal under God’s chosen king.
6: Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together.
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