2 Samuel Summary: Rise, Ruin, and Redemption in the Life of David. If 1 Samuel is about Israel's demand for a king, then 2 Samuel is about God’s idea of a king—and what happens when even that king falls. 2 Samuel picks up where 1 Samuel left off—with Saul’s death and David's rise to kingship. It covers approximately 40 years, charting David's reign over Judah and then over all Israel.