Dr. Ralph Klein interprets 1 Samuel in its literary context as part of the Deuteronomistic History, the epic account of Israel's history from the settlement in the land (Joshua and Judges) through the rise of kingship (1 & 2 Samuel) to the history of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah to their end in exile. He expounds the stories about Samuel, Saul and David within the context of this exilic composition that recounts the high and low points of Israel's history in the land.

Now, in a new supplement to the introduction, Dr. Klein interacts with recent studies of the history reflected in 1 Samuel, and of the history of both the text and composition of 1 Samuel itself. He also adds extensive reviews of the literary studies that have marked scholarship on Samuel in the last twenty-five years. Klein evaluates the contributions of narratology and feminism to understanding the stories of 1 Samuel, especially the characterization of Saul and David.

The result is a fresh assessment of the book's contribution to biblical theology, especially in its focus on David as the man after God's own heart.