1 Samuel Competition

Shmoop confession: we are extremely competitive. Sports, board games, walking past old people, you name it. We must win at everything. But hey, that's why we're awesome. We're number one.

Deep down inside we're all competitive in some sense. The book of 1 Samuel talks about many different forms of competition. Some are obvious like the game of thrones between David and Saul. Others are a little odd like two wives competing to see who can give their husband more children. We even have gods competing against each other, as when the Philistines capture the Ark and put it in front of their own god, Dagon, who then bows down to the Ark (looks like the Israelite God won that round).

Questions About Competition

1. How do different religions and belief systems compete against each other in 1 Samuel? How do religions compete against each other in the modern world?
2. David and Goliath each represent their countries in a battle. If you were selecting a champion to fight for your country, who would you choose?
3. In what way does interpersonal competition appear in 1 Samuel? What about competition on a wider scale?