1 Samuel

3 6.8

The first book of the Bible that tells stories about Saul and David and the beginning of kings for Israel

proper noun

: 1 Samuel

The story of David and Goliath is found in 1 Samuel.

Examples

The events of 1 Samuel illustrate the rise of Israel's monarchy through the stories of Saul and David.
Many biblical scholars study 1 Samuel to understand the origins of the Israelite monarchy.
Our church group is reading through 1 Samuel this month.
In 1 Samuel, we learn about the anointing of Saul as king.
The story of David and Goliath is found in 1 Samuel.
In 1 Samuel 16:7, it is written, "man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
When reading 1 Samuel, one can see how the challenging relationship between Saul and David unfolds.

Synonyms

I Samuel

vs1 Samuel

Literature

1 8.2

The first book of the Old Testament that tells the stories of Saul and David

adds the rise of Israel's monarchy as part of its account

Surface Forms

1 Samuel main

Morphology

one + Samuel

The form combines the numeral '1' (i.e. 'first') with the proper name 'Samuel', so a learner who knows the words can infer it refers to 'First Samuel' or 'Samuel I' rather than a literal phrase. However, they cannot derive the specific propositional content — that it is the first of two Old Testament books about Saul and David — nor automatically recognise it as a canonical book title without cultural/religious knowledge, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

1 Samuel is named for the prophet Samuel, who appears in many of the book's stories about Saul and David. The 1 simply shows it is the first of two books about these events, so 1 Samuel means the 'first' book connected to Samuel and the start of Israel's kings.