Who wrote the book of 2 Samuel? Who was the author of 2 Samuel?
Answered from the commentary of Arend Remmers, Arno Clemens Gaebelein and Walter Scott
The authorship of 2 Samuel is not named in the book; Jewish tradition attributes it to the prophets Gad and Nathan. First Chronicles 29:29 points to records of David’s acts written by Samuel the seer, Nathan the prophet, and Gad the seer. The remaining chapters of 1 Samuel and all of 2 Samuel were probably written by Gad and Nathan.
Verses: 2 Samuel 1:1, 2 Samuel 1:17, 2 Samuel 2:1, 2 Samuel 5:1, 2 Samuel 7:1, 2 Samuel 11:1, 2 Samuel 12:1, 2 Samuel 13:1, 2 Samuel 15:1, 2 Samuel 18:1, 2 Samuel 20:1, 2 Samuel 21:1, 2 Samuel 22:1, 2 Samuel 23:1, 2 Samuel 24:1
The above is AI generated summary based on the writers below.
What the commentators say
The passages the answer is drawn from, the most direct first, with the words that bear on the question marked.
Originally the two books of Samuel formed o n e historical book. It was the translators of the Septuagint (Greek translation of the OT at about 200 BC) who separated the book into two parts. Henceforward the first book ended with Saul's death and the second book started with David's reign. From the Septuagint this separation into two books was taken over into the Vulgate (Latin translation of the whole Bible in the 4th century AC) and finally since Daniel Bomberg (1517) also into the printed editions of the Hebrew Bible. In the Septuagint as well as the Vulgate the books of Samuel are considered as part of the books of the Kings. This title is not altogether unsuitable for in the books of Samuel the kingdoms of Saul and David are described and in the books of Kings the reigns of Israel's and Judah's monarchs. And yet the original Hebrew title Samuel is more appropriate for both books describe the life of Samuel the prophet as well as the lives of the two kings who were anointed by him.
Having said all this, nothing has been said so far as to the author of the books. None of the books mentions any author. According to Jewish tradition in the Talmud Samuel was author of chapters 1-24 of the first book (which are the records of his time). Gad and Nathan the prophets are considered to be the authors of chapters 25-31 and the whole of the second book of Samuel. First Chronicles 29:29 gives us a hint thereto: "Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer." The mentioning of the fact that Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah "to this day" (1 Samuel 27:6) is considered by some as an indication that the book has been written after the division of the kingdom under Rehoboam.
The first book of Samuel covers a time of about 90 years starting at Samuel's birth around 1100 BC unto the death of Saul around the year 1010 BC. The second book of Samuel describes the reign of David (around 1010 to 970 BC).
The books bear the name of Samuel. This, however, does not mean that Samuel is the author of these books. That would be impossible, inasmuch as the greater part of them contains events which transpired after the death of Samuel. The only hint in Scripture about the authorship of these two books is found in 1 Chronicles 29:29: "Now the acts of David the King, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the Seer, and in the book of Nathan the Prophet, and in the book of Gad the Seer." Ancient tradition among the Jews assigns to Samuel the authorship of the first twenty-four chapters of the first book of Samuel. These chapters contain what may be termed the life of Samuel up to the time of his death. The twenty-fifth chapter begins with the record of his death. It is reasonable that Samuel wrote these opening chapters of the first book which bears his name. That Samuel did write is fully established by chapter 10:25: "Then Samuel told the people the manner of the Kingdom, and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the LORD." The same Jewish tradition credits Nathan the Prophet and Gad the Seer with having written the remainder of the two books. The passage in the first book of Chronicles seems to support this view. Evidently Samuel began to write these books, which, for this reason, were called by his name. Modern criticism rejects this view and claims that the books of Samuel could not be the work of men who lived during the reign of Saul and David. We do not give their speculative theories and conflicting opinions, which are of no value whatever in the spiritual study of the text. The best scholars believe that these books belong to a very early period, and that the critical view of a compilation of certain documents and fragments, immediately before the exile, cannot be sustained. "The minute sketches and vivid touches with which these books abound prove that their author speaks what he knows and testifies what he has seen" (John Eadie). Some of the more important objections higher criticism has raised against the early date of the books of Samuel and the alleged discrepancies we shall point out and answer in our annotations.
Books of Samuel
1 Samuel This book covers a period of about one hundred years, from the birth of Samuel to the death of Saul. The first twenty-four chapters only were written by the prophet (compare 1 Chron. 29:29 with 1 Sam. 25:1); the remaining chapters, with the whole of the second book, were probably written by the prophets Gad and Nathan. This is also according to ancient Jewish tradition preserved in the Talmud. Samuel was the first of the regular prophetic order (Acts 3:21).
We have already noticed elsewhere that Chronicles informs us of the prophetic origin of the books of Samuel and Kings.
We have already noticed elsewhere that Chronicles informs us of the prophetic origin of the books of Samuel and Kings.
Samuel, Gad, and Nathan, 1 Chron. 29:29.
Gad and Nathan, 1 Chron. 29:29.
The Division of Second Samuel
Verses
- 2 Samuel 1:1And it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, that David abode two days in Ziklag.
- 2 Samuel 1:17And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son;
- 2 Samuel 2:1And it came to pass after this that David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah? And Jehovah said to him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.
- 2 Samuel 5:1Then came all the tribes of Israel to David to Hebron, and spoke, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.
- 2 Samuel 7:1And it came to pass when the king dwelt in his house, and Jehovah had given him rest round about from all his enemies,
- 2 Samuel 11:1And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go forth, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they laid waste the [land of the] children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David abode at Jerusalem.
- 2 Samuel 12:1And Jehovah sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
- 2 Samuel 13:1And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David having a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar, Amnon the son of David loved her.