1 Samuel 1
1 Samuel 1
Hannah's silent prayer at Shiloh, her vow to give the son she does not yet have, and the birth of Samuel.
1 Samuel — chapter by chapter
All 31 chapters — from Hannah's prayer to the death of Saul on Mount Gilboa.
1 Samuel divides into three large arcs. Chapters 1–7 are about Samuel: his miraculous birth, his call as a boy, and his emergence as judge and prophet. Chapters 8–15 are about the demand for a king and the rise and fall of Saul. Chapters 16–31 are about David and Saul together: the secret anointing, the killing of Goliath, the friendship with Jonathan, Saul's paranoia and pursuit, and his death on Gilboa.
Samuel · ch 1–7
Hannah's prayer. The boy Samuel. The ark's capture. Samuel as judge.
1 Samuel 2
1 Samuel 2
Hannah's great reversal song, Eli's corrupt sons, and the first prophecy of doom on Eli's house.
1 Samuel 3
1 Samuel 3
The Lord calls Samuel by name three times in the night. Eli understands and teaches the boy how to answer.
1 Samuel 4
1 Samuel 4
Israel loses the ark to the Philistines. Eli's sons are killed. Eli himself falls dead at the news.
1 Samuel 5
1 Samuel 5
The captured ark topples Dagon's statue and brings tumours on every Philistine city that receives it.
1 Samuel 6
1 Samuel 6
The Philistines send the ark back to Israel on a cart driven by two nursing cows, with guilt offerings of golden tumours.
1 Samuel 7
1 Samuel 7
Samuel leads Israel in repentance at Mizpah. The Lord routs the attacking Philistines with thunder.
Saul · ch 8–15
The demand for a king. Saul anointed, tested, and rejected.
1 Samuel 8
1 Samuel 8
Israel demands a king like other nations. Samuel delivers the Lord's warning about what a king will cost.
1 Samuel 9
1 Samuel 9
Saul, tall and handsome, sent to find donkeys, meets Samuel, who has been expecting him for a day.
1 Samuel 10
1 Samuel 10
Samuel anoints Saul privately, gives signs confirmed the same day. At Mizpah, Saul is chosen by lot — hiding in the luggage.
1 Samuel 11
1 Samuel 11
Saul routs the Ammonites besieging Jabesh-gilead. The victory leads to a renewal of the kingship at Gilgal.
1 Samuel 12
1 Samuel 12
Samuel defends his record, reviews Israel's history, and calls down unseasonable thunder to confirm his authority.
1 Samuel 13
1 Samuel 13
Saul offers the sacrifice himself rather than wait for Samuel. Samuel pronounces the kingdom lost.
1 Samuel 14
1 Samuel 14
Jonathan and his armour-bearer attack a Philistine garrison alone. The victory is won, but Saul nearly kills Jonathan over a rash oath.
1 Samuel 15
1 Samuel 15
Saul spares the Amalekite king and the best livestock. Samuel pronounces the kingdom lost, hews Agag, and leaves.
David's rise · ch 16–31
The secret anointing. Goliath. Jonathan. The long pursuit. Saul's end.
1 Samuel 16
1 Samuel 16
Samuel anoints the youngest son of Jesse at Bethlehem. David then enters Saul's court as his harpist.
1 Samuel 17
1 Samuel 17
David kills the Philistine champion Goliath with a stone from his sling and enters the history of Israel.
1 Samuel 18
1 Samuel 18
Jonathan and David make a covenant. Saul begins to fear David after the women's victory song and twice throws a spear at him.
1 Samuel 19
1 Samuel 19
Saul orders David's death. Jonathan defends him; Michal saves him. Three sets of messengers fail; Saul prophesies naked.
1 Samuel 20
1 Samuel 20
Jonathan and David's farewell. Saul throws his spear at Jonathan; the arrow signal confirms David must flee forever.
1 Samuel 21
1 Samuel 21
David takes the consecrated bread and Goliath's sword from Nob's priest, then escapes Gath by pretending to be mad.
1 Samuel 22
1 Samuel 22
Doeg's report leads Saul to massacre the priests of Nob. Only Abiathar escapes and flees to David.
1 Samuel 23
1 Samuel 23
David rescues Keilah, evades Saul through the wilderness, and has his last meeting with Jonathan.
1 Samuel 24
1 Samuel 24
David cuts Saul's robe in the cave but refuses to kill the Lord's anointed. Saul acknowledges David will be king.
1 Samuel 25
1 Samuel 25
Nabal insults David; Abigail intercepts David's revenge with intelligence, provisions, and speech. Nabal dies; Abigail marries David.
1 Samuel 26
1 Samuel 26
David enters Saul's camp at night, takes his spear and water jar from beside him, and lets him live again.
1 Samuel 27
1 Samuel 27
David defects to the Philistines, receives Ziklag, and raids non-Israelite peoples while deceiving Achish about his targets.
1 Samuel 28
1 Samuel 28
On the eve of Gilboa, Saul visits a medium at Endor. The ghost of Samuel confirms he will die tomorrow.
1 Samuel 29
1 Samuel 29
The Philistine commanders refuse to take David into battle against Israel. Achish dismisses him reluctantly.
1 Samuel 30
1 Samuel 30
The Amalekites burn Ziklag and take everyone captive. David pursues, defeats them, and recovers every person and all the spoil.
1 Samuel 31
1 Samuel 31
Saul and Jonathan fall on Mount Gilboa. The men of Jabesh-gilead, whom Saul once saved, carry his body home for burial.