Writers: Samuel, Gad, Nathan

It appears that Samuel wrote the first 24 chapters of the book. Then, at his death, Gad and Nathan took up the writing, completing the last few years of the record down to Saul’s death. This is indicated by 1 Chronicles 29:29, which reads: “As for the affairs of David the king, the first ones and the last, there they are written among the words of Samuel the seer and among the words of Nathan the prophet and among the words of Gad the visionary.” Unlike Kings and Chronicles, the books of Samuel make practically no reference to earlier records, and thus David’s contemporaries Samuel, Gad, and Nathan are confirmed as the writers. All three of these men held positions of trust as prophets of Jehovah and were opposed to the idolatry that had sapped the strength of the nation.