Who Wrote the Books of 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel?

Even though the title of the book is “Samuel,” Samuel was not the author. The human author is unknown. Evidence from Samuel implies that the account was written not long after Israel was divided into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah (cf. 1Kg 12; 1Sm 6:18, 9:9, 27:6).

Apparently the Holy Spirit led the author/narrator to consult sources such as the Book of Jashar (2Sm 1:18), and those described as “the acts of King David, from first to last . . . written in the chronicles of Samuel the seer, in the chronicles of Nathan the prophet and in the chronicles of Gad the seer” (cf. 1Ch. 29:29). Although the books are anonymous and therefore the human author of 1 and 2 Samuel is unknown, it is known that the divine author is the Lord.