| Introduction to the Books of Samuel | 1 |
| 1 | Samuel | |
| Hannah at Shiloh (1:1-18) | 7 |
| Samuel's Birth (1:19-28) | 10 |
| The Song of Hannah (2:1-10) | 13 |
| Eli's Sons (2:11-26) | 16 |
| A Prophetic Message (2:27-36) | 19 |
| Samuel becomes a Prophet (3:1-4:1(a)) | 21 |
| A Disastrous Defeat (4:1(b)-11) | 24 |
| After the Battle (4:12-22) | 26 |
| The Ark and its Effects (5:1-12) | 29 |
| The Philistines' Submission (6:1-9) | 32 |
| The Ark comes Home (6:10-7:2) | 34 |
| Samuel in Charge (7:3-17) | 37 |
| The Demand for a King (8:1-5) | 39 |
| The Implications of a Monarchy (8:6-22) | 41 |
| Saul comes on the Scene (9:1-14) | 44 |
| Prophet and King (9:15-27) | 46 |
| The Anointing of Saul (10:1-16) | 48 |
| The People meet their King (10:17-27) | 51 |
| Saul's First Victory (11:1-15) | 53 |
| A Reminder of Past Events (12:1-11) | 56 |
| Facing the Future (12:12-25) | 59 |
| Philistine Supremacy (13:1-7,15(b)-23) | 61 |
| Who ruled Israel? (13:8-15(a)) | 64 |
| Victory for Israel (14:1-23) | 66 |
| Saul is Overruled (14:24-46) | 70 |
| Saul's Achievements (14:47-52) | 73 |
| Saul and the Amalekites (15:1-16) | 74 |
| Disobedience and Rejection (15:17-35) | 78 |
| The Secret Anointing of David (16:1-13) | 81 |
| David and Saul meet (16:14-23) | 83 |
| Goliath's Challenge ... (17:1-11) | 86 |
| ... and David's Response (17:12-40) | 87 |
| David's Victory (17:41-58) | 91 |
| Success and Envy (18:1-16) | 94 |
| David's Exploits (18:17-30) | 96 |
| Saul's Hostility (19:1-17) | 99 |
| David's First Escape from the Court (19:18-24) | 101 |
| David and Jonathan (20:1-23) | 103 |
| The Test of Friendship (20:24-42) | 106 |
| David at Nob (21:1-10) | 109 |
| David at Gath (21:11-15) | 112 |
| David's Supporters (22:1-10) | 114 |
| The Massacre of the Priests (22:11-23) | 117 |
| David and Keilah (23:1-14) | 119 |
| A Narrow Escape for David (23:15-29) | 122 |
| A Narrow Escape for Saul (24:1-22) | 125 |
| David's Anger with Nabal (25:1-22) | 128 |
| Abigail's Wisdom and its Results (25:23-44) | 131 |
| Saul's Second Escape (26:1-25) | 134 |
| David in Exile (27:1-28:2) | 138 |
| The Extent of Saul's Difficulties (28:3-7) | 141 |
| The Voice of Samuel (28:8-25) | 143 |
| David's Dismissal (29:1-11) | 146 |
| David and the Amalekites (30:1-31) | 149 |
| The Battle of Gilboa (31:1-13) | 153 |
| 2 | Samuel | |
| The News reaches David (1:1-16) | 156 |
| David's Elegy (1:17-27) | 158 |
| Rival Kings (2:1-11) | 161 |
| Civil War (2:12-3:1) | 164 |
| Ish-bosheth's Failure (3:2-19) | 167 |
| The Death of Abner (3:20-39) | 170 |
| The Death of Ish-bosheth (4:1-12) | 173 |
| The Capture of Jerusalem (5:1-16) | 177 |
| Victory over the Philistines (5:17-25) | 179 |
| The Ark comes to Jerusalem (6:1-23) | 182 |
| Nathan's Prophecy (7:1-17) | 186 |
| David's Prayer (7:18-29) | 190 |
| Power and Success (8:1-18) | 192 |
| David and Mephibosheth (9:1-13) | 196 |
| The Defeat of Ammon (10:1-19) | 199 |
| Adultery and Murder (11:1-27) | 203 |
| Nathan's Parable (12:1-15(a)) | 207 |
| The Birth of Solomon (12:15(b)-31) | 210 |
| The Rape of Tamar (13:1-19) | 213 |
| Absalom's Revenge (13:20-39) | 216 |
| Joab's Intervention (14:1-20) | 220 |
| Absalom's Return (14:21-33) | 224 |
| Absalom's Revolt (15:1-16) | 226 |
| David's Friends (15:17-37) | 229 |
| David's Enemies (16:1-23) | 232 |
| Opposing Counsels (17:1-14) | 236 |
| David's Advantages (17:15-29) | 239 |
| The Death of Absalom (18:1-33) | 242 |
| Reuniting the Nation (19:1-15) | 246 |
| Dealings with the Tribe of Benjamin (19:16-40) | 249 |
| Sheba's Revolt (19:41-20:10(a)) | 252 |
| The End of the Revolt (20:10(b)-26) | 255 |
| The Fate of Saul's Family (21:1-14) | 257 |
| David and his Soldiers (21:15-22; 23:8-39) | 260 |
| A Royal Psalm: God's Salvation (22:1-20) | 264 |
| A Royal Psalm: God's Faithfulness (22:21-51) | 267 |
| David's Legacy (23:1-7) | 270 |
| David's Census (24:1-17) | 272 |
| An Altar to the Lord (24:18-25) | 275 |
| Further Reading | 278 |
| Map 1 | 280 |
| Map 2 | 281 |
