The internal evidence dates these books sometime between 930 and 722 BC:
The text states that Ziklag “belonged to the kings of Judah to this day” (1 Sam. 27:6). This implies that the nation of Israel was divided at the time of the writing.
The text doesn’t mention the death of David, but it is strongly implied by the end of the book, because it contains David’s “last words” (2 Sam. 23:1).
The text doesn’t mention the fall of Samaria, which would date the book sometime before 722 BC.[]
Consequently, Archer[] and Youngblood[] date 1 and 2 Samuel sometime between 930 and 722 BC. David Tsumura dates the book “no later than the late 10th century BC.”[]
Gleason Archer Jr., A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 3rd. ed. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1994), 313.
Gleason Archer Jr., A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 3rd. ed. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1994), 313.
Ronald F. Youngblood, “1, 2 Samuel,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 554.
Tsumura holds that multiple historical accounts were pieced together by an author at this time. David Tsumura, The First Book of Samuel, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2007), 11.
James is an elder at Dwell Community Church, where he teaches classes in theology, apologetics, and weekly Bible studies.
