1 and 2 Samuel

NIV Application Commentary, Old Testament #7

by Bill T. Arnold

Why do the books of Samuel pack such broad appeal? Taken together as a single narrative, they certainly offer something for everyone: kings and prophets, great battles and greater heroes, action and romance, loyalty and betrayal, the mundane and the miraculous. In Samuel, we meet Saul, David, Goliath, Jonathan, Bathsheba, the witch of Endor, and other unforgettable characters. And we encounter ourselves. For while the culture and conditions of Israel under its first kings is vastly different from our own, the basic issues of humans in relation to God, the Great King, have not changed. Sin, repentance, forgiveness, adversity, prayer, faith, and the promises of God—these continue to play out in our lives today. Exploring the links between the Bible and our own times, Bill T. Arnold shares perspectives on 1 and 2 Samuel that reveal ageless truths for our twenty-first-century lives. Most Bible commentaries take us on a one-way trip from our world to the world of the Bible. But they leave us there, assuming that we can somehow make the return journey on our own. They focus on the original meaning of the passage but don’t discuss its contemporary application. The information they offer is valuable—but the job is only half done! The NIV Application Commentary Series helps bring both halves of the interpretive task together. This unique, award-winning series shows readers how to bring an ancient message into our postmodern context. It explains not only what the Bible meant but also how it speaks powerfully today.

Genres: Reference, Theology, Nonfiction, Biblical Studies, Religion, Old Testament, Christian

1065 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2003

About the author

Bill T. Arnold (PhD, Hebrew Union College) is Paul S. Amos Professor of Old Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He is the author or editor of numerous books, including Encountering the Book of Genesis, Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books, A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax, and a commentary on 1 and 2 Samuel. He is also the coauthor (with Bryan E. Beyer) of Encountering the Old Testament.

Reviews

[Victoria Glaze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Offers in depth study of 1st and 2nd Samuel which clarifies some confusing, seemly contradictory stories in the Bible. Heavy emphasis on cross-reference scriptures, author's established themes, and draws attention to repeating words. Utilizes Hebrew translations to further clarify original author's intensions. I personally would have liked more ancient Israel cultural context, and less focus on repeating words.

[Ryan Rench · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always loved the layout of this series, with the exposition of the text and then the applications sections that follow. I used this for my 1 Samuel series so I did not finish the whole book, but it was my second favorite behind Dale Davis, the greatest commentator of all time. :)

[Bob Wolniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume had a solid balance of bringing to awareness critical exegetical issues and structure combined with practical application themes to draw out in my sermons. Extremely helpful.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on most of 1 Sam 1 - 2 Sam 10. Helpful, but I found myself using it less and less as the study progressed. It has very helpful observations about the storyline, but seems a bit selective in what it chooses to focus on - probably to save space.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Used only for 1 Samuel. Hit and miss - definitely not the best in this series (of the ones I have used). As often happens, the application was prone to go off into a completely different direction than where I was headed. I still find the structure of this series (Original Meaning, Bridging Contexts, and Contemporary Meaning) to be very helpful.