The passage I selected, 1 Samuel 1:28, tells the story of Samuel's birth and begins with the story of Samuel's mother, Hannah, praying for a child during the family's annual pilgrimage to worship at Shiloh. Eli, the priest of Shiloh, hears her prayer and tells Hannah that her prayer will be answered. Anna promises the Lord that if she is granted a son, she will return him to the Lord and her life will be dedicated to the work of the Lord. Samuel's birth was the first step in God's plan to deliver Israel from their Philistine enemies. Samuel becomes an important figure in telling the story of the Israelites' transition from the leadership of judges to the establishment of a kingdom.1 Samuel is presented in the form of a narrative account of Samuel's life and contributions. Like most of the Bible, 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 that Zabud, son of the prophet Nathan, was a 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 author was the priest Ahimaaz. Most agree that the composition and editing occurred in stages over a considerable period of time. Scholars also believe that the texts of 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel were originally a manuscript. These scholars believe that the book of Samuel was written as part of an entire sequence beginning with Joshua and ending with the Kings. Others believe that there are two literary sources behind the current form of Samuel. Although differences have been noted, such as the story of David and Goliath being much shorter in the Septuagint, these scholars have not yet determined the author, the time it was written, or the purpose of the text. I noticed 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 time were politically influential. The most important leader of the time for the Ephramites, the tribe of Samuel's parents, was Eli. Entire families made a pilgrimage once a year to shrines, such as Shiloh, to worship... middle of paper... this child and dedicate his life to the work of the Lord. When we receive God's grace, we must return it through proper worship and giving to God through our service. Samuel was an important figure who guided people through his prophecies and his relationship with God. He is also the man who then chooses, anoints and gives the people of Israel their first King. Just as Anna received God's grace through the birth of Samuel, the future of Israel through the leadership of the king is a gift from God. Samuel is a key figure, but God is the divine ruler. Bibliography Metzger, Bruce and Murphy, Roland, eds. The new interpreters of the Bible.Vol. 2 of 12 vols. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994. Wenham, G.J., Moyter, J.A., Carson, D.A., & France, R.T., eds. New biblical commentary. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1998. Kohlenberger, III, John R. and Barker, Kenneth L., eds. Zondervan NIV Biblical Commentary: An abridgement of the expositors' biblical commentary. Chicago: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994.Tullock, John H. The Story of the Old Testament. (5th edition) New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1999.Barker, Kenneth L., ed. NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing, 1995.