Answer
The book of 2 Samuel is the sequel to the first book of Samuel in modern Bibles. In the Tanakh, the two books were considered one volume. The first book of Samuel begins with the childhood of Samuel, who became a key figure in Israel and guided the transition into monarchy. It also recounts the coronation of Saul, his downfall, the choice of David, and subsequent events that culminate with the death of Saul. Second Samuel picks up the history from there, chronicling David’s 40-year rule with its ups and downs. David’s story serves as inspiration and a testament of redemption and restoration, foreshadowing the coming reign of the Perfect King, Jesus.
The prophet Samuel is credited with writing most, if not all of 1 Samuel. But Samuel died during the time period covered by 2 Samuel. For this reason, 2 Samuel is often attributed to the prophets Nathan and Gad. It’s quite possible, too, that the writings of all three prophets—Samuel, Nathan, and Gad—served as sources for 2 Samuel. Numerous clues suggest 2 Samuel was written during the period of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah (see 2 Samuel 5:5; 11:11; 12:8; 19:42–43; 24:1) after the reign of King Solomon. Thus, it is difficult to attribute the text directly to Samuel, Gad, and Nathan, but their work certainly contributed to the finished book.
In medieval times, the Jewish commentator Isaac Abarbanel proposed Ezra or Jeremiah as a later editor of the text. Whoever did the compiling and editing of the book of Samuel, they were guided by God’s Holy Spirit through the process (see 2 Peter 1:21).
Absolute certainty about the authorship of 2 Samuel eludes us, but the plausible conclusion is that 2 Samuel was compiled from source material provided by the prophets Samuel, Nathan, and Gad. Regardless of the names of the historians who contributed to 2 Samuel, we can be grateful to have the text preserved and passed down to us for our learning and edification.
