The passage I chose, 1 Samuel 1:28, tells the story of Samuel's birth and begins with a story about Samuel's mother, Hannah, who prays for a child during the family's annual pilgrimage to worship in Shiloh. Eli, the priest of Shiloh, hears her prayer and tells Hannah that her prayer will be answered. Hannah promises the Lord that if she gets a child, she will return him to the Lord and her life will be devoted to the Lord's work. The birth of Samuel was the first step in God's plan to deliver Israel from their Philistine enemies. Samuel evolves as an important character in the story of the Israelites' move from judge-led leadership to the establishment of a kingship.1 Samuel is presented in the form of a narrative account of Samuel's life and contributions. As with most biblical texts, scholars have attempted to determine the author, the date of writing, the purpose of the text, and the historical and chronological order of events. The author is unknown. Some scholars believe Zabud, son of the prophet Nathan, priest and "personal advisor"; to King Solomon, wrote the text shortly after Solomon's death. Others believe that Samuel himself wrote the text, while some scholars believe that the priest Ahimaaz was the author. Most agree that the composition and editing took place in several stages over a considerable period of time. Scholars also believe that the text of 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel were originally a single manuscript. These scholars believe that the book of Samuel was written as part of a complete sequence beginning with Joshua and ending with Kings. Others believe that two literary sources lie behind Samuel's current form. Although differences have been noted, such as the story of David and Goliath being much shorter in the Septuagint, these scholars have still not determined the author, era of writing, or purpose of the text. I noted some minor textual differences in my research, but the main theme and message remained the same in all the sources I checked. The priestly families of this era were politically influential. The most important leader of the time for the Ephramites, the tribe of Samuel's parents, was Eli. Entire families made pilgrimages once a year to shrines, like Shiloh, to worship...... middle of paper... this child and dedicate their lives to the work of the Lord. When we receive God's grace, we must return it through proper worship and giving it to God through our service. Samuel was an important figure who guided people through his prophecies and his relationship with God. He is also a man who later selects, anoints and gives the people of Israel their first king. Just as Hannah received God's grace through the birth of Samuel, Israel's future through the king's leadership is a gift from God. Samuel is a key character, but God is the divine ruler. Bibliography Metzger, Bruce and Murphy, Roland, ed. The New Interpreters' Bible. Vol. 2 of 12 Flights. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994. Wenham, GJ, Moyter, JA, Carson, DA and France, RT, eds. New biblical commentary. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1998. Kohlenberger, III, John R. and Barker, Kenneth L., eds. Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary: An abridgement of the Expositor's Bible Commentary. Chicago: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994. Tullock, John H. The History of the Old Testament. (5th edition) New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1999. Barker, Kenneth L., ed. NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Editions, 1995.