The first five chapters of 1 Samuel in the King James Bible introduce the critical transition from the time of the judges to the era of kings in Israel. These chapters focus on the birth and early life of Samuel, one of Israel’s greatest prophets, and the decline of the priestly house of Eli, whose sons bring ruin to the spiritual leadership of the nation. The narrative is rich with themes of divine intervention, prayer, judgment, and the beginning of a new leadership under Samuel.
1 Samuel 1: The Birth of Samuel
The story begins with Elkanah, a man from the tribe of Ephraim, who has two wives: Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah has children, but Hannah is barren, causing her deep grief. Every year, Elkanah and his family go to the tabernacle in Shiloh to offer sacrifices to the Lord. During these trips, Peninnah provokes Hannah because of her barrenness, adding to her distress.
Hannah, in her anguish, prays earnestly to God, promising that if He gives her a son, she will dedicate the child to the Lord’s service for his entire life. As she prays silently, Eli, the high priest, initially mistakes her for being drunk but realizes his error when she explains her sorrow. Eli blesses her and prays that God will grant her request.
God hears Hannah’s prayer, and she conceives and gives birth to a son, naming him Samuel, meaning “asked of God.” True to her vow, Hannah brings Samuel to the tabernacle once he is weaned and dedicates him to the Lord’s service under Eli.
1 Samuel 2: Hannah’s Prayer and the Sin of Eli’s Sons
Chapter 2 begins with Hannah’s beautiful prayer of thanksgiving, where she exalts the Lord for His power and faithfulness. She praises God for humbling the proud and lifting the lowly, foreshadowing how He will continue to intervene in Israel’s future.
As Samuel grows up in the service of the Lord, the narrative shifts to the corrupt practices of Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who are priests. These two sons are described as “sons of Belial” (1 Samuel 2:12, KJV), meaning they were worthless and wicked. They abused their position by taking the best portions of sacrifices for themselves and engaging in immoral behavior with women at the tabernacle.
Eli hears about his sons’ actions and rebukes them, but they do not heed his warnings. As a result, a man of God delivers a prophecy to Eli, declaring that his family will be cut off from the priesthood due to the sins of his sons, and that a faithful priest will be raised up in their place.
1 Samuel 3: The Call of Samuel
In chapter 3, young Samuel is serving the Lord under Eli’s supervision. The chapter begins with a description of the spiritual state of Israel at the time: “the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision” (1 Samuel 3:1, KJV), indicating that divine revelation was rare.
One night, as Samuel lies down in the tabernacle, he hears a voice calling his name. Thinking it is Eli, Samuel runs to him, but Eli tells him he did not call. This happens two more times before Eli realizes that it is the Lord calling Samuel. He instructs Samuel to respond by saying, “Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth” (1 Samuel 3:9, KJV).
When the Lord calls again, Samuel answers as instructed. God reveals to Samuel a message of judgment against the house of Eli because of the sins of Hophni and Phinehas. The next morning, Eli asks Samuel what the Lord said, and despite his fear, Samuel faithfully recounts the entire message. Eli accepts the judgment, saying, “It is the Lord: let Him do what seemeth Him good” (1 Samuel 3:18, KJV).
Samuel grows, and the Lord is with him, establishing him as a prophet. “And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord” (1 Samuel 3:20, KJV).
1 Samuel 4: The Ark of the Covenant is Captured
Chapter 4 shifts the focus from Samuel to Israel’s conflict with the Philistines, a persistent enemy. Israel goes to battle against the Philistines but is defeated, losing about 4,000 men. The elders of Israel, thinking they need God’s presence to win, decide to bring the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh to the battlefield. Hophni and Phinehas, Eli’s corrupt sons, accompany the Ark.
When the Ark arrives in the Israelite camp, the people shout for joy, but the Philistines, though initially afraid, resolve to fight harder. In the ensuing battle, Israel suffers a crushing defeat. 30,000 Israelites die, including Hophni and Phinehas, and worst of all, the Ark of the Covenant is captured by the Philistines.
A messenger runs to Shiloh to report the news. When Eli, now 98 years old, hears of the Ark’s capture and the death of his sons, he falls backward off his chair, breaks his neck, and dies. Eli’s daughter-in-law, Phinehas’s wife, goes into labor upon hearing the news and dies after giving birth. She names her son Ichabod, meaning “the glory is departed from Israel”, for the Ark had been taken.
1 Samuel 5: The Ark Brings Judgment to the Philistines
In chapter 5, the Philistines bring the captured Ark to the city of Ashdod and place it in the temple of their god Dagon. The next morning, the statue of Dagon is found fallen on its face before the Ark. The people set it back up, but the following day, the statue is not only fallen again, but its head and hands are cut off, leaving only the stump.
The presence of the Ark brings disaster upon the Philistines. The Lord afflicts the people of Ashdod and its surrounding areas with tumors, and they realize that the Ark must be returned. The Ark is moved from city to city, but everywhere it goes, the people suffer from the same plague. Eventually, the Philistines grow desperate to rid themselves of the Ark and decide to send it back to Israel.
Conclusion: God’s Sovereignty and Samuel’s Rise
The first five chapters of 1 Samuel set the stage for Samuel’s rise as a prophet and leader in Israel and the decline of the corrupt priesthood under Eli’s sons. Through Hannah’s prayer, Samuel’s calling, and the judgment on Eli’s family, the narrative emphasizes God’s sovereignty and justice. Even in Israel’s darkest moments—when the Ark is captured and the priesthood is corrupted—God is still at work, preparing Samuel to lead His people toward a new era of spiritual renewal and, eventually, kingship under David.
These early chapters serve as a reminder that God’s plans are often set in motion during times of hardship, and His judgment, though delayed, is sure.