[3][4] This chapter records the request from the elders of Israel to Samuel for a king, part of a section comprising 1 Samuel 7–15 which records the rise of the monarchy in Israel and the account of the first years of King Saul.

[6] Fragments containing parts of this chapter in Hebrew were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls including 4Q51 (4QSama; 100–50 BCE) with extant verses 7, 9–14, 16–20.

[7][8][9][10] Extant ancient manuscripts of a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint (originally was made in the last few centuries BCE) include Codex Vaticanus (B;

In the case of Samuel, the corruption of his sons led to the elders of Israel requesting for a king.

[16] The elders of Israel point to the corrupt ways of Samuel's sons and Samuel's old age as reasons to have a king like all 'other nations' (verse 5), contrary to God's declaration that Israel is 'above all the nations' (Deuteronomy 26:19) because they have YHWH as their king.