Text -- 1 Samuel 8:1-22 (NET)

Israel Seeks a King

8:1 In his old age Samuel appointed his sons as judges over Israel. 8:2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second son was Abijah. They were judges in Beer Sheba. 8:3 But his sons did not follow his ways. Instead, they made money dishonestly, accepted bribes, and perverted justice. 8:4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and approached Samuel at Ramah. 8:5 They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons don’t follow your ways. So now appoint over us a king to lead us, just like all the other nations have.” 8:6 But this request displeased Samuel, for they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. 8:7 The Lord said to Samuel, “Do everything the people request of you. For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king. 8:8 Just as they have done from the day that I brought them up from Egypt until this very day, they have rejected me and have served other gods. This is what they are also doing to you. 8:9 So now do as they say. But seriously warn them and make them aware of the policies of the king who will rule over them.” 8:10 So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 8:11 He said, “Here are the policies of the king who will rule over you: He will conscript your sons and put them in his chariot forces and in his cavalry; they will run in front of his chariot. 8:12 He will appoint for himself leaders of thousands and leaders of fifties, as well as those who plow his ground, reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war and his chariot equipment. 8:13 He will take your daughters to be ointment makers, cooks, and bakers. 8:14 He will take your best fields and vineyards and give them to his own servants. 8:15 He will demand a tenth of your seed and of the produce of your vineyards and give it to his administrators and his servants. 8:16 He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best cattle and your donkeys, and assign them for his own use. 8:17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will be his servants. 8:18 In that day you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord won’t answer you in that day.” 8:19 But the people refused to heed Samuel’s warning. Instead they said, “No! There will be a king over us! 8:20 We will be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us and lead us and fight our battles.” 8:21 So Samuel listened to everything the people said and then reported it to the Lord. 8:22 The Lord said to Samuel, “Do as they say and install a king over them.” Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Each of you go back to his own city.”

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Wesley: 1Sa 8:1

And so unfit for his former travels and labours. He is not supposed to have been now above sixty years of age. But he had spent his strength and spirits in the fatigue of public business: and now if he thinks to shake himself as at other times, he finds he is mistaken: age has cut his hair. They that are in the prime of their years, ought to be busy in doing the work of life: for as they go into years, they will find themselves less disposed to it, and less capable of it.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:1

Not supreme judges, for such there was to be but one, and that of God's chusing; and Samuel still kept that office in his own hands, 1Sa 7:15, but his deputies, to go about and determine matters, but with reservation of a right of appeals to himself. He had doubtless instructed them in a singular manner, and fitted them for the highest employments; and he hoped that the example he had sent them, and the authority he still had over them, would oblige them to diligence and faithfulness in their trust.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:2

sheba - In the southern border of the land of Canaan, which were very remote from his house at Ramah; where, and in the neighbouring places Samuel himself still executing the office of judge.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:3

Opportunity and temptation discovered that corruption in them which 'till now was hid from their father. It has often been the grief of holy men, that their children did not tread in their steps. So far from it, that the sons of eminently good men, have been often eminently wicked.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:5

Their desires exceed their reasons, which extended no farther than to the removal of Samuel's sons from their places, and the procuring some other just: and prudent assistance to Samuel's age. Nor was the grant of their desire a remedy for their disease, but rather an aggravation of it. For the sons of their king were likely to he as corrupt as Samuel's sons and, if they were, would not be so easily removed.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:5

That is, as most of the nations about us have. But there was not the like reason; because God had separated them from all other nations, and cautioned them against the imitation of their examples, and had taken them into his own immediate care and government; which privilege other nations had not.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:6

Because God was hereby dishonoured by that distrust of him, and that ambition, and itch after changes, which were the manifest causes of this desire; and because of that great misery, which he foresaw the people would hereby bring upon themselves.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:6

For the pardon of their sin, and direction and help from God in this great affair.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:7

God grants their desire in anger, and for their punishment.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:7

This injury and contumely, reflects chiefly upon me and my government.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:7

By my immediate government, which was the great honour, safety, and happiness of this people, if they had had hearts to prize it.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:8

Thou farest no worse than myself. This he speaks for Samuel's comfort and vindication.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:9

That, if it be possible, thou mayst yet prevent their sin and misery.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:9

That is, of the kings which they desire like the kings of other nations.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:11

Injuriously and by violence.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:12

Heb. To, or for himself; for his own fancy, or glory, and not only when the necessities of the kingdom require it. And though this might seem to he no incumbrance, but an honour to the persons so advanced, yet even in them that honour was accompanied with great dangers, and pernicious snares of many kinds, which those faint shadows of glory could not recompense; and as to the public, their pomp and power proved very burdensome to the people, whose lands and fruits were taken from them, and bestowed upon these, for the support of their state.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:12

At his own pleasure, when possibly their own fields required all their time and pains. He will press them for all sorts of his work, and that upon his own terms.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:13

Which would be more grievous to their parents, and more dangerous to themselves, because of the tenderness of that sex, and their liableness to many injuries.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:14

By fraud or force, as Ahab did from Naboth.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:14

He will not only take the fruits of your lands for his own use, but will take away your possessions to give to his servants.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:15

Besides the several tenths which God hath reserved for his service, he will, when he pleaseth, impose another tenth upon you.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:15

Heb. To his eunuchs, which may imply a farther injury, that he should against the command of God, make some of his people eunuchs; and take those into his court and favour, which God would have cast out of the congregation.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:16

By constraint, and without sufficient recompense.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:17

That is, he will use you like slaves, and deprive you of that liberty which now you enjoy.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:18

Ye shall bitterly mourn for the sad effects of this inordinate desire of a king.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:18

Because you will not hear, nor obey his counsel in this day.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:20

What stupidity! It was their happiness that they were unlike all other nations, Num 23:9; Deu 33:28, as in other glorious privileges, so especially in this, that the Lord was their immediate king and lawgiver. But they will have a king to go out before them, and to fight their battles. Could they desire a battle better fought for them than the last was, by Samuel's prayers and God's thunders? Were they fond to try the chance of war, at the same uncertainty that others did? And what was the issue? Their first king was slain in battle: and so was Joshua, one of the last and best.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:21

He repeated them privately between God and himself; for his own vindication and comfort: and as a foundation for his prayers to God, for direction and assistance.

Wesley: 1Sa 8:22

Betake yourselves to your several occasions, till you hear more from me in this matter.

JFB: 1Sa 8:1-5

He was now about fifty-four years of age, having discharged the office of sole judge for twelve years. Unable, from growing infirmities, to prosecute his circuit journeys through the country, he at length confined his magisterial duties to Ramah and its neighborhood (1Sa 7:15), delegating to his sons as his deputies the administration of justice in the southern districts of Palestine, their provincial court being held at Beer-sheba. The young men, however, did not inherit the high qualities of their father. Having corrupted the fountains of justice for their own private aggrandizement, a deputation of the leading men in the country lodged a complaint against them in headquarters, accompanied with a formal demand for a change in the government. The limited and occasional authority of the judges, the disunion and jealousy of the tribes under the administration of those rulers, had been creating a desire for a united and permanent form of government; while the advanced age of Samuel, together with the risk of his death happening in the then unsettled state of the people, was the occasion of calling forth an expression of this desire now.

JFB: 1Sa 8:6-10

Personal and family feelings might affect his views of this public movement. But his dissatisfaction arose principally from the proposed change being revolutionary in its character. Though it would not entirely subvert their theocratic government, the appointment of a visible monarch would necessarily tend to throw out of view their unseen King and Head. God intimated, through Samuel, that their request would, in anger, be granted, while at the same time he apprised them of some of the evils that would result from their choice.

JFB: 1Sa 8:11

The following is a very just and graphic picture of the despotic governments which anciently and still are found in the East, and into conformity with which the Hebrew monarchy, notwithstanding the restrictions prescribed by the law, gradually slid.

JFB: 1Sa 8:11

Oriental sovereigns claim a right to the services of any of their subjects at pleasure.

JFB: 1Sa 8:11

The royal equipages were, generally throughout the East (as in Persia they still are), preceded and accompanied by a number of attendants who ran on foot.

JFB: 1Sa 8:12

In the East, a person must accept any office to which he may be nominated by the king, however irksome it may be to his taste or ruinous to his interests.

JFB: 1Sa 8:13

Cookery, baking, and the kindred works are, in Eastern countries, female employment, and thousands of young women are occupied with these offices in the palaces even of petty princes.

JFB: 1Sa 8:14-18

The circumstances mentioned here might be illustrated by exact analogies in the conduct of many Oriental monarchs in the present day.

JFB: 1Sa 8:19-22

They sneered at Samuel's description as a bugbear to frighten them. Determined, at all hazards, to gain their object, they insisted on being made like all the other nations, though it was their glory and happiness to be unlike other nations in having the Lord for their King and Lawgiver (Num 23:9; Deu 33:28). Their demand was conceded, for the government of a king had been provided for in the law; and they were dismissed to wait the appointment, which God had reserved to Himself (Deu 17:14-20).

Clarke: 1Sa 8:1

When Samuel was old - Supposed to be about sixty

Clarke: 1Sa 8:1

He made his sons judges - He appointed them as his lieutenants to superintend certain affairs in Beer-sheba, which he could not conveniently attend to himself. But they were never judges in the proper sense of the word; Samuel was the last judge in Israel, and he judged it to the day of his death. See 1Sa 7:16.

Clarke: 1Sa 8:3

His sons walked not in his ways - Their iniquity is pointed out in three words

1.    They turned aside after lucre; the original ( בצע batsa ) signifies to cut, clip, break off; and therefore Mr. Parkhurst thinks that it means nearly the same with our clipping of coin. It however expresses here the idea of avarice, of getting money by hook or by crook. The Targum says, "They looked after ממון דשקר mamon dishkar , the mammon of unrighteousness;"of which they did not make unto themselves friends but enemies; see the note on Mat 6:24

2.    They took bribes; שחד shochad , gifts or presents, to blind their eyes

3.    They perverted judgment - they turned judgment aside; they put it out of its regular path; they sold it to the highest bidder: thus the wicked rich man had his cause, and the poor man was oppressed and deprived of his right

This was the custom in our own country before Magna Charta was obtained; he that would speed in the king’ s court must bribe all the officers, and fee both the king and queen! I have found in our ancient records the most barefaced and shameful examples of this kind; but it was totally abolished, invito rege , by that provision in the above charter which states, Nulli vendemus, nulli negabimvs ant differemus rectum aut judicium ; "To no man will we sell, to no man will we deny or defer, justice and right."It was customary in those inauspicious times, for judgment to be delayed in banco regis , in the king’ s court, as long as there was any hope that more money would be paid in order to bring it to issue. And there were cases, where the king did not like the party, in which he denied justice and judgment entirely! Magna Charta brought them to book, and brought the subject to his right

Of those times it might well be said, as Homer did, Iliad xvi., ver. 387

Οἱ βιῃ αγορη σκολιας κρινωσι θεμιστας,

Εκ δε δικην ελασωσι, θεων οπιν ουκ αλεγοντες.

"When guilty mortals break the eternal laws

Or judges, bribed, betray the righteous cause.

"When the laws are perverted by force; when justice is expelled from her seat; when judges are swayed from the right, regardless of the vengeance of Heaven."Or, in other words, these were times in which the streams of justice were poisoned in their source, and judges neither feared God nor regarded man.

Clarke: 1Sa 8:5

Make us a king - Hitherto, from the time in which they were a people, the Israelites were under a theocracy, they had no other king but God. Now they desire to have a king like the other nations around them, who may be their general in battle; for this is the point at which they principally aim.

Clarke: 1Sa 8:6

The thing displeased Samuel - Because he saw that this amounted to a formal renunciation of the Divine government

Clarke: 1Sa 8:6

Samuel prayed unto the Lord - He begged to know his mind in this important business.

Clarke: 1Sa 8:7

They have rejected me - They wish to put that government in the hands of a mortal, which was always in the hands of their God. But hearken unto their voice - grant them what they request. So we find God grants that in his displeasure which he withholds in his mercy.

Clarke: 1Sa 8:9

Show them the manner of the king - The word משפט mishpat , which we here render manner, signifies simply what the king would and might require, according to the manner in which kings in general ruled; all of whom, in those times, were absolute and despotic

The whole of this manner of the king is well illustrated by Puffendorf

"Hitherto,"says he, "the people of Israel had lived under governors raised up of God, who had exacted no tribute of them, nor put them to any charge; but, little content with this form of government. they desire to have a king like other nations, who should live in magnificence and pomp, keep armies, and be able to resist any invasion. Samuel informs them what it was they desired; that when they understood it, they might consider whether they would persist in their choice If they would have a king splendidly attended, he tells them that he would take their sons for his chariots, etc.; if they would have him keep up constant forces, then he would appoint them for colonels and captains, and employ those in his wars who were accustomed to follow their family business; and since, after the manner of other kings, he must keep a stately court, they must be content that their daughters should serve in several offices, which the king would think below the dignity of his wives and daughters, 1Sa 8:13. Many ministers also, in several departments, both of war and peace, must have salaries to support them, which must be paid out of their fields and vineyards, 1Sa 8:14. In one word, that to sustain his dignity their king would exact the tenth of all they possessed, and be maintained in a royal manner out of their estates.

It is perfectly vain in Grotius, or any one else, to state that this shows what a king, as king, may any where in virtue of his office, claim and exact; and that he can take the property and persons of his subjects, and dispose of them as he may judge necessary for the exigence of the state. This was the manner of Saul, but Saul was not a king of God’ s choosing: "He gave him in his wrath, and took him away in his displeasure;"and the manner of such a king should not be arrogated by any potentate who affects to rule jure divino , by Divine right. The manner of the king of God’ s choice is distinctly detailed, Deu 17:15-20, to which the reader will do well to refer, that he may have an impartial statement of the subject.

Clarke: 1Sa 8:19

The people refused to obey - They would have the king, his manner and all, notwithstanding the solemn warning which they here receive.

Clarke: 1Sa 8:20

May judge us - This appears to be a rejection of Samuel

Clarke: 1Sa 8:20

Go out before us - Be in every respect our head and governor

Clarke: 1Sa 8:20

And fight our battles - Be the general of our armies.

Clarke: 1Sa 8:21

Rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord - He went to the altar, and in his secret devotion laid the whole business before God.

Clarke: 1Sa 8:22

Hearken unto their voice - Let them have what they desire, and let them abide the consequences

Clarke: 1Sa 8:22

Go ye every man unto his city - It seems the elders of the people had tarried all this time with Samuel, and when he had received his ultimate answer from God, he told them of it and dismissed them

On this account we may observe

1.    That God did not change the government of Israel; it was the people themselves who changed it

2.    That though God permitted them to have a king, yet he did not approve of him

3.    That, notwithstanding he did not suffer them to choose the man, he ordered his servant Samuel to choose him by lot, he disposing of that lot

4.    That God never gave up the supreme government; he was still King in Israel, and the king, so called, was only the vicegerent or deputy of the Lord

5.    That no king of Judah attempted to be supreme, therefore they never made new laws, nor altered the old; which was a positive confession that God was the supreme Legislator

6.    That an absolute monarchy is always an evil, and is contrary to all the rights, civil and religious, of mankind; a mode of government that all people should avoid, as pregnant with evils to mankind

7.    That although it was a sin in the Israelites to desire a king, that is, to change a constitution of which God was the author, yet kingly government, properly understood, is a good of the first magnitude to the civil happiness of mankind

8.    That by kingly government, properly understood, I mean such a monarchical government as that of Great Britain, where the king, the nobles, and the people, are duly mixed, each having his proper part in the government, and each preventing the other from running to excess, and all limited by law

9.    That the three grand forms of government which have obtained among mankind, viz., monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy, have each certain advantages without which no state can be well preserved; but they have evils by which any state may be injured

10.    That, from a proper mixture of these, the advantages of the whole may be reaped without any of their attendant evils, and that this is the British constitution; which, not merely the wisdom of our ancestors, but the providence of God has given unto us, and of which no other state has had common sense enough to avail themselves, though they see that because of this the British empire is the most powerful and the most happy in the universe, and likely at last to give laws to the whole world

The manner of our king is constitutional, widely different from that of Saul, and from that of any other potentate in the four quarters of the globe. He is the father of his people, and the people feel and love him as such. He has all the power necessary to do good; they have all the liberty necessary to their political happiness, had they only a diminution of taxes, which at present are too heavy for any nation to bear.

Defender: 1Sa 8:1

Since Samuel was a judge in Israel as long as he lived (1Sa 7:15), here is a specific case when there were contemporaneous judges in Israel; Samuel had a circuit, but his main "court" was in Ramah (1Sa 7:17). His two sons served as judges in Beersheba, about fifty miles south of Ramah. This fact gives a clue as to why the chronology of the Judges period is so difficult to work out (over seventy-five different chronologies have been published). It is possible that at least some of the periods of rest and oppression listed in the book refer to simultaneous periods in different regions."

Defender: 1Sa 8:7

It was actually God's will for His people to have a king, for eventually the Messiah would be their king (Gen 49:10; Num 24:17). God had, through Moses, instructed Israel in how a future king should rule and how he should be chosen (Deu 17:14-20). However, their motives in desiring a king at this time were altogether wrong (1Sa 8:19, 1Sa 8:20).

Defender: 1Sa 8:7

It was not that the people really needed a king to "judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles" (1Sa 8:20). God Himself had been their king, and had gone before them and fought their battles whenever they were faithful to Him. But they deliberately rejected this theocratic kingdom, and the judges that God had raised up (such as Samuel), in order that they "may be like all the nations" (1Sa 8:20). As a result of their complaining, God "gave them their request; but sent leanness into their souls" (Psa 106:15), just as He had done in the wilderness when they complained about their food."

TSK: 1Sa 8:1

am 2892, bc 1112, An, Ex, Is, 379

made his : Deu 16:18, Deu 16:19; Jdg 8:22, Jdg 8:23; 2Ch 19:5, 2Ch 19:6; Neh 7:2; 1Ti 5:21

sons judges : Jdg 5:10, Jdg 10:4, Jdg 12:14

TSK: 1Sa 8:2

Joel : 1Ch 6:28, 1Ch 6:38, Vashni

TSK: 1Sa 8:3

his sons : 2Sa 15:4; 1Ki 12:6-11; 2Ki 21:1-3; Ecc 2:19; Jer 22:15-17

but turned : Exo 18:21; Deu 16:19; Psa 15:5, Psa 26:10; Isa 33:15; 1Ti 3:3, 1Ti 6:10

TSK: 1Sa 8:4

the elders : Exo 3:16, Exo 24:1; 2Sa 5:3

TSK: 1Sa 8:5

now make : 1Sa 8:6-8, 1Sa 8:19, 1Sa 8:20, 1Sa 12:17; Num 23:9; Deu 17:14, Deu 17:15; Hos 13:10, Hos 13:11; Act 13:21

TSK: 1Sa 8:6

displeased : Heb. was evil in the eyes of, 1Sa 12:17

prayed : 1Sa 15:11; Exo 32:21, Exo 32:32; Num 16:15, Num 16:22, Num 16:46; Ezr 9:3-5; Psa 109:4; Luk 6:11, Luk 6:12; Phi 4:6; Jam 1:5

TSK: 1Sa 8:7

Hearken : Num 22:20; Psa 81:11, Psa 81:12; Isa 66:4; Hos 13:10, Hos 13:11

they have not : 1Sa 10:19, 1Sa 12:17-19; Exo 16:8; Mat 10:24, Mat 10:25, Mat 10:40; Luk 10:16, Luk 19:14, Luk 19:27; Joh 13:16, Joh 15:20, Joh 15:21

TSK: 1Sa 8:8

Exo 14:11, Exo 14:12, Exo 16:3, Exo 17:2, Exo 32:1; Num 14:2-4, Num 16:2, Num 16:3, Num 16:41; Deu 9:24; Jdg 2:2, Jdg 2:3, Jdg 2:20, Jdg 4:1, Jdg 6:1, Jdg 13:1; Psa 78:56-59, Psa 106:14-21, Psa 106:34-40; Act 7:51-53

TSK: 1Sa 8:9

hearken unto : or, obey

howbeit : etc. or, notwithstanding when thou hast solemnly protested against them, then thou shalt shew, etc. Eze 3:18

the manner : 1Sa 8:11-18, 1Sa 2:13, 1Sa 10:25, 1Sa 14:52; Eze 45:7, Eze 45:8, Eze 46:18

TSK: 1Sa 8:11

This will : 1Sa 10:25; Deu 17:14-20

He will take : 1Sa 14:52; 1Ki 9:22, 1Ki 9:23, 1Ki 10:26, 1Ki 12:4, 1Ki 12:10; 2Ch 26:10-15

run : 2Sa 15:1; 1Ki 1:5, 1Ki 18:46

TSK: 1Sa 8:12

appoint : 1Chr. 27:1-22

and will set : 1Ki 4:7, 1Ki 4:22, 1Ki 4:23, 1Ki 4:27, 1Ki 4:28; 2Ch 32:28, 2Ch 32:29

TSK: 1Sa 8:14

1Sa 22:7; 1Ki 21:7, 1Ki 21:19; Eze 46:18

TSK: 1Sa 8:15

officers : Heb. eunuchs, Gen 37:36; Isa 39:7; Dan 1:3, Dan 1:7-10, Dan 1:18

TSK: 1Sa 8:18

cry out : Isa 8:21

and the Lord : ""Hitherto,""says Puffendorf, ""the people of Israel had lived under governors raised up by God, who had exacted no tribute of them, nor put them to any charge; but little content with this form of government, they desire to have a king like other nations, who should live in magnificence and pomp, keep armies, and be able to resist any invasion. Samuel informs them what it was they desired; that, when they understood it, they might consider whether they would persist in their choice. If they would have a king splendidly attended, he tells them that he would take their sons for his chariots, etc.caps1 . icaps0 f they would have him keep up constant forces, then he would appoint them for colonels and captains, and employ those in his wars who were accustomed to follow their family business; and since, after the manner of other kings, he must keep a stately court, they must be content that their daughters should serve in several offices, which the king would think below the dignity of his wives and daughters (1Sa 8:13). In one word, that, to sustain his dignity, their king would exact the tenth of all they possessed, and be maintained in a royal manner out of their estates."

will not hear : Job 27:9; Psa 18:41; Pro 1:25-28, Pro 21:13; Isa 1:15; Mic 3:4; Luk 13:25

TSK: 1Sa 8:19

refused to obey : Psa 81:11; Jer 7:13, Jer 44:16; Eze 33:31

TSK: 1Sa 8:20

1Sa 8:5; Exo 33:16; Lev 20:24-26; Num 23:9; Deu 7:6; Psa 106:35; Joh 15:19; Rom 12:12; 2Co 6:17; Phi 3:20; 1Pe 2:9

TSK: 1Sa 8:21

he rehearsed : Jdg 11:11

TSK: 1Sa 8:22

1Sa 8:7; Hos 13:11

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: 1Sa 8:1

This verse implies a long period, probably not less than 20 years, of which we have no account except what is contained in the brief notice in 1Sa 7:13-17. The general idea conveyed is of a time of peace and prosperity, analogous to that under other Judges.

Barnes: 1Sa 8:2

The mention of Beer-sheba, on the extreme southern frontier of Judah, as the place where Samuel’ s sons judged Israel is remarkable. It was probably due to the recovery of territory from the usurpation of the Philistines 1Sa 7:14.

Barnes: 1Sa 8:6

See the margin which implies that the thing spoken of caused anger, indignation, or some revulsion of feeling (see Gen 21:11-12). The answer of the Lord 1Sa 8:7 shows that Samuel’ s personal feelings had been hurt. They were soothed by being reminded of the continued ingratitude of the people to God Himself, upon whom, in fact, a greater slight was put by this very request for a king "like all the nations,"than upon Samuel (compare Mat 10:24; Joh 15:18, Joh 15:20). For a comment on this transaction, see Hos 13:9-11; Act 13:21-22.

Barnes: 1Sa 8:12

This organization was as old as the time of Moses Num 31:14; Deu 1:15, and prevailed among the Philistines also 1Sa 29:2. The civil and military divisions were identical, and the civil officers were the same as the captains of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, in time of war.

To ear his ground - literally, "to plow his plowing.""To ear"is an old English word, now obsolete, for to plow.

Barnes: 1Sa 8:14-18

See illustrations in marginal references; 1Ki 5:13-18; 1Ki 12:4.

Barnes: 1Sa 8:20

Fight our battles - It appears from 1Sa 12:12, that the warlike movements of Nahash had already begun to excite alarm.

Barnes: 1Sa 8:22

A repetition for the third time 1Sa 8:7, 1Sa 8:9 of the expression of God’ s will in the matter, marks Samuel’ s great unwillingness to comply with the people’ s request. Besides the natural aversion which he felt to being thrust aside after so many years of faithful and laborious service, and the natural prejudice which he would feel at his age against a new form of government, he doubtless saw how much of the evil heart of unbelief there was in the desire to have a visible king for their leader, instead of trusting to the invisible Lord who had hitherto led them. But God had His own purpose in setting up the kingdom which was to be typical of the kingdom of His only begotten Son.

Poole: 1Sa 8:1

when Samuel was old and so unable for his former travels and labours, he made his sons judges; not supreme judges, for such there was to be but one, and that of God’ s choosing, and Samuel still kept that office in his own hands, 1Sa 7:15 ; but his vicegerents or deputies, who might go about and determine matters, but with reservation of a right of appeals to himself. He advanceth his sons to this place, not so much out of paternal indulgence, the sad effects whereof he had seen in Eli; but because he had doubtless instructed them in a singular manner, and fitted them for the highest employments; and he hoped that the example he had set them, and the inspection and authority he still had over them, would have obliged them to diligence and faithfulness in the execution of their trust.

Poole: 1Sa 8:2

In the southern border of the land of Canaan, where he placed his sons, because these parts were very remote from his house at Ramah; where, and in the neighbouring places, Samuel himself still executed the office of the judge; sending his sons to reside and judge in distant places, for the ease and convenience of the people.

Poole: 1Sa 8:3

Opportunity and temptation drew forth and discovered the corruption in them, which till now was hid from their father, and, it may be, from themselves.

Poole: 1Sa 8:4

The elders either for age, or dignity and power.

Poole: 1Sa 8:5

They feared that Samuel would not live long; and that either he through infirmity and indulgence might leave the government in his sons’ hands, or that they would invade and keep it after their father’ s death; and therefore they jointly make their complaints against them, and procure their removal from their places. Thus they are brought low, and crushed by those very wicked ways by which they desired to advance and establish themselves. So true is it, that honesty is the best policy, and unrighteousness the greatest folly.

Make us a king to judge us: their conclusion outruns their premises, and their desires exceed their reasons or arguments, which extended no further than to the removal of Samuel’ s sons from their places, and the procuring some other just and prudent assistance to Samuel’ s age. Nor was the grant of their desire a remedy for their disease, but rather an aggravation of it; for the sons of their king might and were likely to be as corrupt as Samuel’ s sons; and if they were, would not be so easily removed as these were.

Like all the nations i.e. as most of the nations about us have. But there was not the like reason, because God had separated them from all other nations, and cautioned them against the imitation of their examples, and had taken them into his own immediate care and government; which privilege other nations had not.

Poole: 1Sa 8:6

The thing displeased Samuel; not their complaint of his sons, but their desire of a king, as is apparent from the following words, and from the whole course of the story; which was so grievous to him, partly because of their injustice and ingratitude to himself, whose government, though it had been so sweet and beneficial to them, they plainly show themselves weary of; and principally because God was hereby dishonoured and provoked, by that distrust of God, and that vain-glory and ambition, and that itch after changes, which were the manifest causes of this desire; and because of that great servitude and misery which he wisely foresaw the people would hereby bring upon themselves, as he particularly informs them, 1Sa 8:11 , &c.

Samuel prayed unto the Lord for the pardon of their sin, and desire of direction and help from God in this great affair.

Poole: 1Sa 8:7

Hearken unto the voice of the people God grants their desire in anger, and for their punishment, as is affirmed, Hos 13:11 . Compare Num 22:13,20 De 1:22 Psa 77:20 .

They have not rejected thee i.e. not thee only, nor principally; compare Gen 32:28 Exo 16:7 Hos 6:6 Mat 10:20 ; but this injury and contumely reflects chiefly upon me and my government,

that I should not reign over them to wit, by my immediate and peculiar government, which was the great honour, safety, and happiness of his people, if they had had wit to know it, or hearts to prize it. And all the infelicities of Israel, under this kind of government, did not proceed from the nature of the government, but from the ungovernableness and wickedness of the people, which, they might be sure, would produce the same or greater calamities under their kingly government.

Quest. First, Did not God reign over them when they had kings?

Answ Yes, in a general way, but not in such a peculiar manner as he did by the judges, who were generally raised and called by God’ s particular appointment, endowed and sanctified by his Spirit, directed and assisted by his special providence upon all emergencies; whereas all things were for the most part contrary in their kings.

Quest. Secondly, Was it simply unlawful for the people to desire a king?

Answ No, as appears from Deu 17:14 ; but herein was their sin, that they desired it upon sinful grounds, of which see on 1Sa 8:7 , and in an impetuous manner, and at an unseasonable time, and without asking leave or advice from God; which in so weighty and difficult a case they could not neglect without great sin.

Poole: 1Sa 8:8

Thou farest no worse than myself This he speaks for Samuel’ s comfort and vindication.

Poole: 1Sa 8:9

Protest solemnly unto them that, if it be possible, thou mayst yet prevent their sin and misery.

The manner of the king i.e. of the kings which they desire, like the kings of other nations. He speaks not of the just authority, or the right of their kings, but of their practice, as is evident from divers of the following particulars, which are expressly forbidden and condemned in Scripture, as we shall see.

Poole: 1Sa 8:11

He will take your sons to wit, injuriously and by violence, as this Hebrew word is oft used, as Gen 20:3 27:36 Job 5:5 ; and so it must be here; because otherwise the king would have no more privilege than any of his subjects; for any man might take a son with his own or parents’ consent.

And to be his horsemen , or, and for his horses ; for so the Hebrew word parash sometimes signifies, as Isa 21:7,9 28:28 ; to ride his horses.

Poole: 1Sa 8:12

He will appoint him Heb. to or for himself emphatically, i.e. for his own fancy, or glory, or conveniency, or evil design, and not only when the necessities of the kingdom or commonwealth require it, as the judges did. And though this might seem to be no encumbrance, as it is here represented, but an honour and advantage to the persons so advanced, yet even in them that honour was accompanied with great dangers, and pernicious snares of many kinds, which those faint shadows of glory could not recompense; and as to the public, their pomp and power proved very burdensome and oppressive to the people, whose lands and fruits were taken from them, and bestowed upon these, for the support of their state, as it follows below, 1Sa 8:14,15 .

And to reap his harvest at his own pleasure, and without their consent, when possibly their own fields required all their time and pains.

To make his instruments of war and

instruments of his chariots he will press them for all sorts of his work, and that upon his own terms.

Poole: 1Sa 8:13

Which would be more grievous to their parents, and more dangerous to themselves, because of the tenderness of that sex, and liableness to many injuries.

Poole: 1Sa 8:14

He will take your fields to wit, by fraud or force, as Ahab did from Naboth.

And give them to his servants: He will not only take the fruits of your lands for his own use, but will take away your possessions to give to his servants.

Poole: 1Sa 8:15

He will take the tenth: besides the several tenths which God hath reserved for his service and servants, he will, when he pleaseth, impose another tenth upon you.

To his officers Heb. to his eunuchs ; which may be properly understood, and may imply a further injury, that he should, against the command of God, make some of his people eunuchs, and take those into his court and favour which God would have cast out of the congregation.

Poole: 1Sa 8:16

By constraint, and without sufficient recompense

Poole: 1Sa 8:17

i.e. He shall use you like slaves, and deprive you of that liberty which you now enjoy.

Poole: 1Sa 8:18

Ye shall cry out in that day ye shall bitterly mourn for the sad effects of this inordinate desire of a king.

The Lord will not hear you in that day because you will not hear him, nor obey his counsel, in this day. Compare Pro 1:24 , &c. Zec 7:13 .

Poole: 1Sa 8:19

They said, Nay i.e. these things shall never be, these are but vain suppositions to affright us from our purpose. Thus they are not ashamed to give Samuel the lie, of whose modesty, integrity, and prophetical spirit they had so great assurance, as if he had reigned those pretences merely to keep the power in his own and his sons’ hands.

We will have a king over us we will have a king, whatsoever it cost us, although all thy predictions should be verified.

Poole: 1Sa 8:20

That we also may be like all the nations: woeful stupidity! whereas it was their glory and happiness that they were unlike all other nations, Num 23:9 Deu 33:28 , as in other glorious privileges, so especially in this, that the Lord was their only and immediate King and Lawgiver.

Poole: 1Sa 8:21

He repeated them privately between God and himself; partly for his own vindication and comfort; and partly as a foundation for his prayers to God, for direction and assistance in this difficult case.

Poole: 1Sa 8:22

Betake yourselves to your several occasions, till you hear more from me in this matter; for God hath heard your words, and will give way to your irregular and obstinate desire; and accordingly I shall wait upon God for the determination of the person, which he hath wholly reserved to himself, as for judges, so for the king also, Deu 17:15 , and for the regulation of all the circumstances.

Haydock: 1Sa 8:1

Servants, or slaves. The Hebrews enjoyed greater liberty than any of the nations in the East, yet they are styled slaves, chap. xvii. 8. They were nearly on the same footing as the ancient Germans. "Each governed in his own place of abode. The Lord requires of them a quantity of corn, cattle, or clothing, and so far the slave obeys;" servus hactenus paret. (Tacitus, Germ.) The Hebrews were also bound to follow the king to battle. The Egyptians, Persians, &c., were under greater oppression. Herodotus (iii. 31,) informs us, that when Cambyses designed to marry his own sister, his counsellors replied, that they found no express law to this effect; but there was another, "that the king of Persia may do whatever he please." The highest officers, and even his brothers, were styled, "slaves, Greek: Douloi, of the great king." (Aristotle, Mund.)

Haydock: 1Sa 8:1

Old. Houbigant would translate, "when he ws growing old," senesceret, as he supposes he was now nearly sixty, having judged about twenty-five years, and living another twenty as partner with Saul. (Prol. lxii.) See chap. vii. 15. (Haydock) ---

Judges, as his delegates in the southern parts of the country. (Calmet) ---

Josephus says one of them was stationed at Bethel. (Antiquities vi. 3.)

Haydock: 1Sa 8:2

In, or "as far as" Bersabee, from Dan, that is, throughout Palestine. (Calmet)

Haydock: 1Sa 8:3

Judgment. Samuel was not to blame, and hence he was not punished like Heli. (Menochius) ---

However, the misconduct of the children of these two judges, in succession, (Haydock) gave occasion to the people to demand a king, who might not be tempted by bribes. (Worthington) ---

It is surprising that most of the great men who are mentioned in history, had degenerate children. (Calmet) ---

Such were some of David's sons, as well as Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, &c. (Haydock) ---

Was it because their fathers were too much taken up with the affairs of state, to watch over the education of their children? or rather, because these young men confided too much on the merits of their family, and took no pains to tread in the footsteps of their parents? (Calmet) ---

"We have here, says Josephus, a manifest proof that children do not always resemble their parents, but sometimes good men spring from the wicked; and on the contrary, the virtuous have an evil progeny."

Haydock: 1Sa 8:5

Judge us, in a different manner from what had been hitherto done. (Haydock) ---

By a crying ingratitude, they reject the government of a wise old man, who had rendered them the most signal services. Perhaps the power of Naas, king of the Ammonites, might afford them some pretext for acting as they did. (Calmet) ---

As all, &c. They seem to prefer the dominion of kings, who ruled over the surrounding barbarous nations as they thought proper, (Haydock) before one who should be tied down to observe the laws, prescribed by God, (Menochius) in case the Israelites should wish to have a king, Deuteronomy xvii. (Haydock) ---

In the East, monarchy was the most ancient form of government. (Tacitus, Hist. iv.; Just. i.) "Principio, imperium penes Reges erat."

Haydock: 1Sa 8:6

Samuel. Nothing could be more disrespectful to him, nor more ungrateful to God, who had distinguished them from all other nations, and had taken the government upon himself, and appointed the judges as his lieutenants. The foolish Israelites wished to throw off this sweet yoke, and to be ruled in an arbitrary manner, like the infidels, as if God could not otherwise protect them from their enemies. ---

Lord. Josephus says that he passed the night without food or sleep, and the Lord appeared to him. The will or petition "of the people, filled Samuel with great uneasiness, who on account of his innate justice, did not like the regal power, as being to exorbitant. He rather approved of an aristocracy, as more conducive to the welfare of the people." (Antiquities vi. 4.) He means such an aristocracy as the Israelites had been accustomed to, under the guidance of men divinely commissioned, whence he elsewhere very properly styles it a theocracy, or "the government of God." (Haydock)

Haydock: 1Sa 8:7

Thee. "God, in anger, grants a person what he desires wrongfully." (St. Augustine) ---

He permits the people to follow their own plans; and the Hebrews believe, that he gave them Saul to punish them, being well apprised of his proud and cruel nature. (Cuneus Rep.) (Calmet) ---

Rejected, &c. The government of Israel hitherto had been a theocracy: in which God himself immediately ruled, by laws which he had enacted, and by judges extraordinarily raised up by himself: and therefore he complains that his people rejected him, in desiring a change of government, (Challoner) and wishing to appoint their own magistrates. The priests and judges had been commissioned by God, Exodus xix., and Deuteronomy xvii. (Worthington)

Haydock: 1Sa 8:8

Thee. He comforts Samuel, by observing that it was not so much any fault of his, as the people's habitual fickle temper, which made them seek for this change. (Menochius)

Haydock: 1Sa 8:9

The right. That is, the manner ( mishpat ) after which he shall proceed, having no one to control him, when he has the power in his hands. (Challoner) ---

He intimates that the kings will frequently act in a tyrannical manner, ver. 11. (Menochius) ---

But the holy Fathers observe, that herein they do what is unjust, and contrary to God's law. St. Gregory remarks, that Achab is punished for taking the vineyard of Naboth, (3 Kings xxi.) while David will not take a piece of ground belonging to Ornan, even for an altar, without first paying a just price for it, 1 Paralipomenon xxi. 25. Some of these rights or customs are prohibited to the king, Deuteronomy xvii. 16. It is true, kings enjoy great prerogatives above judges, but never contrary to the law. They cannot take their subjects' goods: but the latter are bound to contribute to the maintenance of government; and, if they refuse, may be compelled. If kings should be guilty of excesses, "yet them are not to be deposed by the people,....but must be tolerated with patience, peace, and meekness, till God, by his sovereign authority, left in his Church, dispose of them, which his divine wisdom and goodness often deferred to do, as here he expressly forewarneth, (ver. 18) because he will punish the sins of the people by suffering evil princes to reign," Job xxxiv. 30. (Conc. Later. c. iii. de hœret.[Fourth Lateran Council, constitution iii., On Heretics?]) (Worthington) See St. Thomas Aquinas, [Summa Theologiae] 2. 2. q. 12. a. 2. ---

We may here also remark, that the people petitioned for a king, yet God made the choice; and, when he proved rebellious, selected another by the hand of Samuel, though he permitted the former to enjoy his dignity till death, chap. xiii., and xxxi. (Haydock) ---

Grotius (Jur. i. 1., and 4.) maintains that Samuel here proposes the just rights of the king, and that the prince has a greater right to any one's personal property, for the public good, than he has himself. In effect, the eastern kings regarded their subjects as slaves. But those who governed the Hebrews were to follow a different conduct; and Samuel is so far from approving of what some of them would do, that he mentions their tyranny, in order to dissuade the people from what they so inconsiderately requested. (Calmet) ---

The misconduct of rulers, is one of the most trying inconveniences to which a nation can be exposed. In such circumstances, "bear, say a pagan historian, (Haydock) with the luxury and avarice of those who hold dominion, as with other natural evils. There will be vices as long as men subsist, but neither will these continue for ever, and they are compensated by the intervention of better things or men." Meliorum interventu pensantur. (Tacitus) ---

Grotius at last seems to conclude, (Sup. c. iv. p. 97) that the right of the king here specified is only apparent, in as much as it includes "the obligation of making no resistance." (Haydock)

Haydock: 1Sa 8:11

Chariots; to be drivers, (Menochius) or will make them fight from them. ---

Footmen, or guards. Xenophon places 4000 armed with bucklers before, and 2000 with lances all round the chariot of Cyrus. See chap. xxii. 17.

Haydock: 1Sa 8:12

Centurions, or body-guards. (Menochius) ---

These offices might be honourable, but at the same time disagreeable, when people were forced to accept of them, and to neglect their more pleasing agricultural employment. The multitude of officers increases the expenses of the prince, and falls heavy upon the people. (Calmet)

Haydock: 1Sa 8:14

Vineyards, as Achab did, though he first proposed to buy it.

Haydock: 1Sa 8:15

Tenth. God had already claimed one tithe, which he had abandoned to his sacred ministers. We do not read that the kings of the Hebrews ever claimed (Calmet) a second tithe precisely, (Haydock) though they might have done it b the example of other kings, Leviticus xxvii. 30. Joseph had asserted the fifth part of the revenues of Egypt for its monarchs, Genesis xlvii. 26. ---

Eunuchs. Hebrew saris, denotes an officer of the court. It was not lawful for the Israelites to make any eunuchs, but they might employ foreigners.

Haydock: 1Sa 8:16

Goodliest, in strength (Calmet) and beauty. (Menochius) ---

Solomon made his people work at his buildings, and David employed an officer in the fields, 1 Paralipomenon xxvii. 26. Septuagint have read in a different manner, "He will tithe....your excellent droves of oxen." (Calmet) ---

They also specify, "the tithe of asses for his work." (Haydock)

Haydock: 1Sa 8:18

The face, privately; for even groans will not be free. (Menochius) ---

The event justified this prediction, as most of the kings of the Hebrews ruled like tyrants, and what was worse, engaged their subjects in idolatry, and drew down the heaviest judgments upon them. (Calmet) ---

Hear you, so as to deliver you from oppression, though he is always willing to hear those who truly repent. (Worthington)

Haydock: 1Sa 8:19

Over us. The populace is generally inconstant, and fond of changes. (Menochius)

Haydock: 1Sa 8:20

Nations. We are neither better nor worse than the rest. What extravagance! for a people to abandon a state of happiness, and the dominion of God, and to prefer the service of a man! (Calmet) ---

For us. This was the pretext, as Naas threatened them with war, chap. xii. 12. (Menochius)

Gill: 1Sa 8:1

And it came to pass, when Samuel was old,.... The common notion of the Jews is, that he lived but fifty two years ^t; when a man is not usually called an old man, unless the infirmities of old age came upon him sooner than they commonly do, through his indefatigable labours from his childhood, and the cares and burdens of government he had long bore; though some think he was about sixty years of age; and Abarbinel is of opinion that he was more than seventy. It is a rule with the Jews ^u, that a man is called an old man at sixty, and a grey headed man at seventy:

that he made his sons judges over Israel; under himself, not being able through old age to go the circuits he used; he sent them, and appointed them to hear and try causes in his stead, or settled them in some particular places in the land, and, as it seems by what follows, at Beersheba; though whether that was under his direction, or was their own choice, is not certain.

Gill: 1Sa 8:2

Now the name of his firstborn was Joel,.... In 1Ch 6:28 he is called Vashni; See Gill on 1Ch 6:28. This was not Joel the prophet, as some have thought, neither his parentage, nor his office, nor his times, will agree with this:

and the name of his second Abiah: which two sons seem to be all he had:

they were judges in Beersheba; in the utmost border of the land, to the south, as Ramah, where Samuel dwelt and judged, was more to the north; where they were placed by their father, for the greater convenience of the people of Israel that lived southward, to bring their causes to them, as those lived more northward might bring them to him: according to Josephus ^w, they were placed by their father, the one in Bethel, one of the places Samuel used to go to in his circuit and judge, and the other at Beersheba. But some, as Junius and others, think it should be rendered, "unto Beersheba"; and so takes in its opposite, Dan, which lay at the utmost border of the land northward; hence the phrase, "from Dan to Beersheba"; and that the one was settled at Dan for the sake of the northern part of the land, and the other at Beersheba, for the sake of the southern: or rather these sons of Samuel placed themselves at Beersheba; which was an ill judged thing, to be both in one place, and which must give the people of Israel a great deal of trouble, and put them to a large expense to come from all quarters thither, to have their causes tried; but that is not the worst.

Gill: 1Sa 8:3

And his sons walked not in his ways,.... The meaning of which is not that they did not go the circuit he did, which is too low a sense of the words some Jewish writers give; but they did not walk in the fear of God, in the paths of religion and righteousness, truth and holiness; they neither served God, nor did justice to men, as Samuel had done:

but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment; indulged to covetousness, sought to get riches at any rate, took bribes, which blind the eyes of judges; and so passed wrong judgment, and gave the cause to those that gave the largest gifts, right or wrong.

Gill: 1Sa 8:4

Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together,.... At some place of rendezvous appointed; these were the heads of the tribes, and fathers of the houses and families of Israel, the principal persons of age and authority:

and came to Samuel unto Ramah; the place of his nativity and abode, and where he now dwelt, and judged Israel; they went in a very respectable body with an address to him.

Gill: 1Sa 8:5

And said unto him, behold, thou art old,.... See 1Sa 8:1, his age was no reproach to him, nor was it becoming them to upbraid him with it; nor was it a reason why he should be removed from his office, for it did not disqualify him for it; but rather, having gained by age experience, was more fit for it, though he might not be able to ride his circuits as formerly:

and thy sons walk not in thy ways; whom he had made judges; this is a better reason than the former for what is after requested; and had they only besought them to remove him from their places, and rested content with that, it would have been well enough; but what they were solicitous for, and always had an inclination to, and now thought a proper opportunity offered of obtaining it, was what follows:

now make us a king to judge us like all the nations; to rule over them as sole monarch; to go before them in battle as their general, as well as to administer justice to them, by hearing and trying causes as their judge; which only they mention to cover their views, and make their motion more acceptable to Samuel; what they were desirous of was to have a king appearing in pomp and splendour, wearing a crown of gold, clothed in royal apparel, with a sceptre in his hand, dwelling in a stately palace, keeping a splendid court, and attended with a grand retinue, as the rest of the nations about them had had for a long time. The first kings we read of were in the times of Abraham, but after it became common for nations to have kings over them, and particularly the neighbours of Israel, as Edom, Moab, Ammon, &c. and Cicero says ^x, all the ancient nations had their kings, to whom they were obedient: Israel had God for their King in a peculiar manner other nations had not, and stood in no need of any other; and happy it would have been for them if they had been content therewith, and not sought after another: however, they were so modest, and paid such deference to Samuel, as to desire him to make or appoint one for them.

Gill: 1Sa 8:6

But the thing displeased Samuel,.... Not that they called him an old man, and suggested that he was incapacitated for his office, nor for observing the unbecoming walk of his sons, but for what follows:

when they said, give us a king to judge us; what displeased him was, that they were for changing their form of government, not only to remove it from him, and his sons, but from the Lord himself, who was king over them; the ill consequences of which, many of them at least, he easily foresaw, and which gave him great uneasiness, both on account of the glory of God, and their own good; insomuch, as Josephus ^y says, he could neither eat nor sleep, but watched all night, and spent it in prayer, as follows:

and Samuel prayed unto the Lord; to know his mind and will, and what answer he should return unto them.

Gill: 1Sa 8:7

And the Lord said unto Samuel,.... He appeared to him in a vision or dream, and by an articulate voice delivered to him what follows:

hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee; not as approving of what they said, but permitting and allowing what they asked, as a punishment of them for their disloyalty and ingratitude, and as resenting their ill behaviour to him; for it was in anger he assented to their request, Hos 13:11.

for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me that I should not reign over them; most interpreters supply the word "only", as if the sense was, that they had not only rejected Samuel from judging them, but the Lord also from reigning over them; and which is spoken to comfort Samuel, and to alleviate the pressure on his mind for the ill treatment he had met with; for since they had served the Lord after this manner, it was no wonder he should be ill used, and might bear it with great patience: but I see no reason why the word may not be taken absolutely, that they had not rejected Samuel from all share in the government, at least from judging the people; for so he continued all the days of his life, even after they had a king over them; but they entirely rejected the sole and peculiar government of God over them.

Gill: 1Sa 8:8

According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them out of Egypt,.... This was no new thing; all that they had done since they were wonderfully favoured of God, as to be brought out of Egyptian bondage, was all of a piece with this; one continued series of ingratitude, of rebellion against God, and against his servants, that he employed under him, as Moses, Aaron, &c.

even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods; this is what this people were always addicted to, to east off the worship and service of God, and go into idolatry:

so do they also unto thee; acted the like ungrateful part to him for all the service he had done them, from his childhood to that time; wherefore, as the disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord, if such things as before observed were done to Jehovah himself, Samuel could not expect to meet with better treatment, other than he had, see Mat 10:24.

Gill: 1Sa 8:9

Now therefore hearken unto their voice,.... And appoint them a king as they desire:

howbeit, yet protest solemnly unto them; not against the thing itself, which was permitted, but against the evil of their request, as to the unseasonable time, ill manner, and unjustifiable reason, in and for which it was made; the Lord would have Samuel lay before them their evil in requesting it, and the evils that would follow upon it to them, and faithfully represent them to them, that they might be left without excuse, and have none to blame but themselves when they, should come upon them:

and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them: or the right or judgment ^z; not a legal right or form of government, but an assumed, arbitrary, and despotic power, such as the kings of the east exercised over their subjects, a king like whom the Israelites desired to have; namely, what unbounded liberties he would take with them, what slaves he would make of them, and what of their property he would take to himself at pleasure, as is after related. The word signifies, not a divine law, according to which the king should govern, but a custom, or a custom he would introduce, as the word is rendered, 1Sa 2:13 and is different from that in 1Sa 10:25.

Gill: 1Sa 8:10

And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto them,.... How he considered this request of theirs as a rejection of him as their king, and that it was acting the same ungrateful part they had always done; and since they were so importunate to have it granted, it should be done; but that he was ordered to lay before them all the inconveniences that would attend it, and the evils that would follow upon it unto them:

that asked of him a king; which is observed, not to distinguish a part of them from the rest; for this was an united request of the people.

Gill: 1Sa 8:11

And he said, this will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you,.... Not in which he ought to proceed, but what he will do: and this not the manner of one king, or of the first only, but of all of them, more or less; of kings in general, who are commonly inclined to arbitrary power. So Aristotle ^a in opposition to theocracy, describes a full and absolute kingdom, as he calls it, when a king does all things according to his will: and observes, that he that would have the mind or reason preside, would have God and the laws rule; but he that would have a man to reign, adds also a lust, or one led by his own lust: so it follows:

he will take your sons, and appoint them for himself; for his own use and service, to wait upon him, to be his pages, or grooms, or guards:

for his chariots; to take care of them, and drive them, though not without paying them for it; yet this being but a mean and servile employment, and what they should be obliged to, whether they would or no, is observed to show the tyranny and bondage to which they would be subject, when their sons otherwise might be free men, and possessed of estates and carriages of their own:

and to be his horsemen; or rather "for his horses", to take care of them, and go out along with him, and attend his person, whether when going to war, or on pleasure:

and some shall run before his chariots; be his running footmen, being swift of foot, and trained up for that service; some are naturally swift, as Asahel was 2Sa 2:18. Pliny ^b speaks of some swifter than horses; and of the swiftness of some he elsewhere gives ^c many surprising instances. It seems as if it was usual to have fifty such men to run before them, see 2Sa 15:1.

Gill: 1Sa 8:12

And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties,.... Which though posts of honour, yet when they are not matter of choice, and especially being precarious, and depending on the arbitrary will of a prince, are not eligible, and less so to persons that choose another sort of life:

and will set them to ear his ground; to plough it; not the same persons made captains of thousands and fifties, but others, whom he will employ in tilling and manuring his fields, and oblige them to it:

and to reap his harvest; when it is ripe, and gather it in, and bring it home into his barns and garners:

and to make his instruments of war: as swords, spears, bows and arrows, most commonly used in those times:

and instruments of chariots; which seem to design chariots of war, and the iron spikes and scythes which were joined to them, to cut down the foot soldiers, when driven among them in battle, which are commonly called chariots of iron; see Jos 17:16.

Gill: 1Sa 8:13

And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries,.... Such as deal in spices, and mix them, and make them up in various forms very agreeable to the taste. Men are commonly in our countries and times employed in such arts, but it seems this was the business of women in those times and places. Some versions ^d render it "unguentariae", makers or sellers of ointments, and such there were in some nations ^e, such was Lydia in Juvenal ^f:

and to be cooks; to dress all sorts of food, especially what were boiled, as the word signifies: and to be bakers; to make and bake bread, which though with us is the work of men, yet in the eastern countries was usually done by women; See Gill on Lev 26:26.

Gill: 1Sa 8:14

And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards,.... Which includes the whole increase of their land, their corn, and wine, and oil; and it is these, the fruits of their fields, vineyards, and oliveyards, which are here meant; for otherwise kings might not, and did not by their absolute authority, take away those from their subjects; otherwise Ahab would have taken away Naboth's vineyard at once, nor would Jezebel have needed to have taken such a method she did, to put Ahab into the possession of it:

even the best of them, and give them to his servants; for their service; and which some restrain to times of war, when necessity obliged to use such methods.

Gill: 1Sa 8:15

And he will take the tenth of your seed,.... When grown up and ripe, as their wheat and barley:

and of your vineyards; the tenth of the grapes they should produce:

and give to his officers, and to his servants; for the support and maintenance of them; and to pay this, besides the tithes of the priests and Levites, would make it very burdensome to them; and this was no other than what kings of other nations usually had, the like to whom they were desirous of having, and therefore must expect that they would insist upon the privileges and revenues that others had. In Babylon, as Aristotle ^g relates, there was an ancient law which required the tenth of whatever was imported for the public revenue, which was revived in the times of Alexander by Antimenes the Rhodian. In Arabia Felix was an island abounding with frankincense and myrrh, and various spices, the tenth of the fruits of which the king always had, as Diodorus Siculus ^h reports, as in the Apocrypha:"And as for other things that belong unto us, of the tithes and customs pertaining unto us, as also the saltpits, and the crown taxes, which are due unto us, we discharge them of them all for their relief.'' (1 Maccabees 11:35)

Gill: 1Sa 8:16

And he will take your manservants, and your maidservants,.... Into his own family, for his own use and service, if he wants them, or likes them better than what he has:

and your goodliest young men: that are tall and lusty, comely and beautiful, of a proper stature and good aspect; and such in all countries used to be chosen for officers in courts, or attendants there; and so the Turks to this day pitch upon young men to attend on great personages, who are of a comely form, have admirable features, and are well shaped; see Gill on Dan 1:4,

and your asses, and put them to his work; employ them in ploughing his fields, drawing his carriages, or bearing his burdens; and so any other cattle that would serve the same purposes, as oxen, camels, &c.

Gill: 1Sa 8:17

He will take the tenth of your sheep,.... As well as of their seed and vineyards; and not the tithe of their flocks only, but of their herds also, which are here included, as Kimchi observes:

and ye shall be his servants: made slaves of by him, even as the Canaanitish servants were, according to Abarbinel; though others interpret it more mildly of their being obliged to pay tribute and taxes, for the support of his government.

Gill: 1Sa 8:18

And ye shall cry out in that day, because of your king,.... His power and pride, his oppression and tyranny, his heavy exactions, and intolerable yoke, and yet not be able to free themselves from them; all that they could do would be only to cry out under them as grievously distressed, and not knowing how to help themselves; and which would be the more aggravated, because they brought all this upon themselves, as it follows:

which ye shall have chosen you; for though the choice of a king for them, at a proper time, God had reserved to himself, yet in later times, as is here suggested, they would choose for themselves, and did, see Hos 8:4 besides, to have a king in general was at first their own choice, though the particular person was by the designation of the Lord:

and the Lord will not hear you in that day; will not regard them, have no compassion on them, suffer them to remain under their oppressions, and not deliver them out of them; because they rejected him from being their King, and put themselves out of his protection, into the hands of another, and therefore it was just to leave them to their own choice.

Gill: 1Sa 8:19

Nevertheless, the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel,.... The advice he gave not to think of a king, but be content with the government under which they were; but to this they would not hearken, notwithstanding all the inconveniences that would attend such a change:

and they said, nay, but we will have a king over us; they would not believe what Samuel said concerning a king, even though they were the words of the Lord he delivered to them; and though they knew Samuel was a prophet, and spoke by a spirit of prophecy, and none of his words had ever fallen to the ground: but such was their stubbornness and obstinacy, and so set upon having a king, that one they would have, let them suffer what hardships, or be at what expenses they might; at all events, and against all remonstrances, they were determined to have one.

Gill: 1Sa 8:20

That we also may be like all the nations,.... Even though they were slaves, like them; a king they would have, as they had, such was their stupidity. It was their greatest honour and glory, as well as happiness, not to be like other nations; as in their religion, laws, and liberties, so in their form of government; God being their King in such a peculiar sense as he was not of others, but with this they could not be content:

and that our king may judge us; hear their causes, administer justice and judgment to them, protect their persons and properties, and rule them according to the civil laws that were given them:

and go out before us, and fight our battles; which Samuel their present judge did not, and to which perhaps they may have some respect; but then he gained more for them by his prayers, than a king or general would by his military skill or prowess, see 1Sa 7:10, and it is very remarkable, and what is observed by some, that their first king died in a battle. What made them so pressing and importunate to have a king at, this time, and not defer it to another, it is very probable was, that they understood that Nahash, king of the children of Ammon, was preparing to attack them, and therefore they were desirous to have a king also to go out before them, and meet him, and give him battle, 1Sa 12:12.

Gill: 1Sa 8:21

And Samuel heard all the words of the people,.... Patiently, and without interruption; attentively heard them, took notice of them, laid them up in his memory; but gave no answer to them, but reported them to the Lord, as in the next clause:

and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord; privately, in a free and familiar manner, with great exactness, as they were expressed; this he did, not before the people publicly, but in secret prayer, seeking for direction what he should further do, or what answer he should return to them.

Gill: 1Sa 8:22

And the Lord said to Samuel,.... an audible voice, or by an impulse upon his mind:

hearken unto their voice, and make them a king; since they will have a king, let them have one, and let them know that they shall have one:

and Samuel said unto the men of Israel: the elders of the people that addressed him on this occasion, 1Sa 8:4.

go ye every man unto his city; signifying they might return in peace, and be assured their request would be granted, and a king would be appointed in a short time, and which they might report to their fellow citizens; and they might expect to hear from him quickly, as soon as he had instructions from the Lord who should be their king, which right he had reserved to himself; and therefore in the mean while they might rest contented that they would have one in a little time.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 1Sa 8:3

¹ tn Heb “walk in” (also in v. 5).

² tn Heb “and they turned aside after unjust gain and took bribes and perverted justice.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 8:5

¹ tn Heb “judge” (also in v. 6).

NET Notes: 1Sa 8:6

¹ tn Heb “when.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 8:7

¹ tn Heb “Listen to the voice of the people, to all which they say to you.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 8:8

¹ tn Heb “according to all the deeds which they have done.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 8:9

¹ tn Heb “and now, listen to their voice.”

² tn The infinitive absolute appears before the imperative for emphasis.

³ tn Heb “and tell them the manner of the king who will rule over them.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 8:12

¹ tc The numbers of v. 12 are confused in the Greek and Syriac versions. For “fifties” the LXX has “hundreds.” The Syriac Peshitta has “heads of thousands and heads of hundreds and heads of fifties and heads of tens,” perhaps reflecting influence from Deut 1:15.

NET Notes: 1Sa 8:15

¹ tn Or “eunuchs” (so NAB); NIV “officials”; KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT “officers.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 8:18

¹ tc The LXX adds “because you have chosen for yourselves a king.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 8:19

¹ tn Heb “and the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 8:20

¹ tn Heb “and go out before us.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 8:21

¹ tn Heb “and Samuel heard all the words of the people and he spoke them into the ears of the Lord.”

NET Notes: 1Sa 8:22

¹ tn Heb “listen to their voice.”

Geneva Bible: 1Sa 8:1

And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he ^{( a )} made his sons judges over Israel.

^{( a )} Because he was not able to bear the charge.

Geneva Bible: 1Sa 8:2

Now the name of his firstborn was ^{( b )} Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: [they were] judges in Beersheba.

^{( b )} Who was also called Vashni, (1Ch 6:28).

Geneva Bible: 1Sa 8:4

Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto ^{( c )} Ramah,

^{( c )} For there his house was, (1Sa 7:17).

Geneva Bible: 1Sa 8:6

But the thing ^{( d )} displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.

^{( d )} Because they were not content with the order that God had appointed, but would be governed as the Gentiles were.

Geneva Bible: 1Sa 8:9

Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet ^{( e )} protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

^{( e )} To prove if they will forsake their wicked purpose.

Geneva Bible: 1Sa 8:11

And he said, This will be the ^{( f )} manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint [them] for himself, for his chariots, and [to be] his horsemen; and [some] shall run before his chariots.

^{( f )} Not that kings have this authority by their office, but that such as reign in God's wrath would usurp this over their brethren, contrary to the law, (Deu 17:20).

Geneva Bible: 1Sa 8:18

And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not ^{( g )} hear you in that day.

^{( g )} Because you do not repent for your sins, but because you long for your afflictions, into which you cast yourselves willingly.

Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: 1Sa 8:1-22

1 By occasion of the ill government of Samuel's sons, the Israelites ask a king.

6 Samuel praying in grief, is comforted by God.

10 He tells the manner of a king.

19 God wills Samuel to yield unto the importunity of the people.

Maclaren: 1Sa 8:4-20

1 Samuel 8:4-20

The office of judge was as little capable of transmission from father to son as that of prophet, so that Samuel's appointment of his sons as judges must be regarded as contrary to its true idea. It was God who made the judges, and the introduction, in however slight a degree, of the hereditary principle, was not only politically a blunder, but religiously wrong. Our narrative, like Scripture generally, pronounces no opinion on the facts it records, but its unfavorable judgment may be safely inferred from its explanation that Samuel was old' when he made the appointment, and that his sons were corrupt and unjust. Our text deals with the unexpectedly wide consequences of that act, in the clamor for a king.

I. Note The Ill-Omened Request.

A formal delegation of the representatives of the nation comes to Ramah, unsummoned by Samuel, with the demand for a king. There must have been much talk through Israel before the general mind could have been ascertained, and this step taken. Not a whisper of what was passing seems to have reached Samuel, and the request is flung at him in harsh language. It is not pleasant for any one, least of all for a ruler, to be told that everybody sees that he is getting old, and should provide for what is to come next. Fathers do not like to be told that their sons are disreputable, but Samuel had to hear the bitter truth. The old man was pained by it, and felt that the people were tired of him, as is plain enough from the divine words which followed, and bade him look beyond the ingratitude displayed towards himself, to that shown to God. But from the practical' point of view, there was a great deal to be said for the reasonableness and political wisdom of the elders' suggestion. Samuel had shown that he felt the danger of leaving the nation without a leader, by his nomination of his sons, and the proposal of a king is but carrying his policy a little farther. The hereditary principle once admitted, a full-blown king was evidently the best. There were many inconveniences in the rule by judges. They had no power but that of force of personal character and the authority of an unseen Lord. They left no successors; and long intervals had elapsed, and might again elapse, between the death of one and the rise of another, during which the nation appeared to have no head to guide nor arm to defend it. Examples of strong monarchies surrounded them, and they wanted to have a center of unity and a defender in the person of a king.

Samuel's displeasure seems to have been mainly on the ground of the insult to himself in the proposal, and its bearing on the rule of Jehovah over the people does not seem to have occurred to him till it was pointed out by the divine voice. But, like a good and wise man, he took his perplexity and trouble to God; and there he got light. The divine judgment of the request cuts down to its hidden, and probably unconscious, motive, and shows Samuel that weariness of him was only its surface, while the true bottom of it was rejection of God. The parallel drawn with idolatry is very instructive. The two things were but diverse forms of the same sense-ridden disposition: the one being an inability to grasp the thought of the unseen God; the other, a precisely similar inability to keep on the high level of trust in an unseen defender, and obedience to an unseen monarch. They wished for a king to go out before them' and fight their battles' (1 Samuel 8:20). Had they forgotten Eben-ezer, and many another field, where they and their fathers had but to stand still and see the Lord fight for them?

The very same difficulty in living in quiet reliance on a power which is perceptible by no sense, besets us. We too are ever being tempted to prefer the solid security, as our foolish senses call it, of visible supports and delights, to the shadowy help of an unseen Arm. How many of us would feel safer with a good balance at our banker's than with God's promises I How many of us live as if we thought that men or women were better recipients of our love and of our trust than God! How few, even of professing Christians, really and habitually walk by faith, not by sight'! Do we not see ourselves in the mirror of this story? If we do not, we should. Note that the eiders had, apparently, no idea that they were rejecting God in wanting a king. Samuel says nothing of the sort to them, and they could scarcely have made the request so boldly and briefly if they had been conscious that it was upsetting the very basis of their national life. Men are slow to appreciate the full force of their craving for visible good. The petitioners could plead many strong reasons, and, no doubt, fancied themselves simply taking proper precautions for the future. A great deal of unavowed and unconscious unbelief wears the mask of wise foresight. We rather pride ourselves on our prudence, when we should be ashamed of our distrust. Note, too, that we cannot combine reliance on the seen and the unseen. Life must be molded by one or the other. The craving for a king was the rejection of Jehovah. We must elect by which we shall live, and from which we shall draw our supreme good.

The desire to be like their neighbors was another motive with the elders. It is hard to be singular, and to foster reliance on the invisible, when all around us are dazzling examples of the success attending the other course. One of the first lessons which we have to learn, and one of the last which we have to practice, is a wholesome disregard of other people's ways. If we are to do anything worth doing, we must be content to be in a minority of one, if needful.

II. Note God's Concession Of The Foolish Wish.

The divine word to Samuel throws light on the nature of prophetic inspiration. He is bidden to hearken to the people's voice '--a procedure directly opposite to his own ideas. This is not a case of subsequent reflection modifying first impressions, but of an authoritative voice discerned by the hearer to be not his own, contradicting his own thoughts, and leaving no room for further consideration.

Further, the granting to Israel of the king whom they desired, is but one instance of the law which is exemplified in God's dealing with nations and individuals, according to which He lets them have their own way, that they may be filled with their own devices.' Such experience is the best teacher, though her school fees are high. The surest way to disgust men with their own folly, is to let it work out its results,--just as boys in sweetmeat shops are allowed to eat as much as they like at first, and so get a distaste for the dainties. Try it, then, and see how you like it,' is not an unkind thing to say, and God often says it to us. When argument and appeals to duty and the like fail, there is nothing more to be done but to let us have our request, and find out the poison that lurked under the fair outside. The prodigal son gets his coveted portion, and is allowed to go into the far country, that he may prove how good and happy it is to starve among the swine, not because his father is angry with him, but because such experience is the only way to re-awaken his dormant love, and to make him long for the despised place in his father's house. There are some fevers of the desires which must run their course before the patient can be well again. Let us keep a careful watch over ourselves, that we entertain no wishes but such as run parallel with God's manifest will, lest He may have in His anger, which is still love, to give us our request, that we may find out our error by the hitter fruits of a granted desire.

III. Note The Obstinacy,

That, with eyes open to the consequences, persists in its demands. Samuel is bidden to show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.' He sketches, in somber outline, the picture of an Eastern despot, the only kind of king which the world then knew. The darker features of these monarchies are not included. There is no harem, nor cruelty, nor monstrous vice, in the picture; but the diversion of labor to minister to royal pomp, the establishment of a standing army, the alienation of land to officials, heavy taxation and forced labor make up the items. To these is added (v. 18) that the royalty, now so eagerly desired, would sooner or later become a burden, and that then they or their sons would find it was easier to put on than to put off the yoke; for the Lord will not hear you in that day,' in reference, that is, to the removal of the king. They were exchanging an unseen King who gave all things for one who would take, and not give. A wise exchange! The consequences of our wishes are not always drawn out so clearly before us as in this instance; but we are not left in darkness as to the broad issues, and we all know enough to make our persistence in evil, after such warnings, the deepest mystery and most flagrant sin. The drunkard is not deterred by his knowledge that there is such a thing as delirium tremens; nor the thief, by the certainty that the officer's hand will be laid on his shoulder one day or other; nor the young profligate, by the danger that his bones shall be full of the sin of his youth'; nor are any of us kept from our sins, by the clear sight of their end. I have loved strangers, and after them will I go,' notwithstanding all knowledge of the fatal issue. Surely there is nothing sadder than that power of neglecting the most certain known result of our acts. Willfully blind, and hurried on by lust, passion, or other impulse, like bulls which shut their eyes when they charge, we rush at our mark, and often dash ourselves to pieces on it. If a man saw the consequences of his sin at the moment of temptation, he would not do it; but this is the wonder, that he does not see them, though he knows them well enough, and that the knowledge has no power to restrain him.

IV. Note The Divine Purpose,

Which uses man's sin as its instrument in advancing its designs. God had pro-raised Israel a king (Deut. 17:14, etc.), and the elders may have thought that they were only asking for what was in accordance with His plan. So they were; but their motive was wrong, and so their prayer, though for what God meant to give, was wrong. In this case, as always, God uses men's sins as occasions for the furtherance of His own eternal purpose, as that profound saying has it, Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee.' The kingly office was a step in advance, and gave occasion to the development of Messianic expectations of the true King of Israel and of men, which would have been impossible without it. In many ways it was for the good of the nation, and the holders of the office were the Lord's anointed.' Modern criticism has found traces of two opposite views in this story, as compared with the passage in Deuteronomy above referred to; but surely it is a more sober, though less novel, view, to regard the whole incident as illustrating the two truths, that men may wish for right things in a wrong way, and that God uses sin as well as obedience as His instrument. No barriers can stop the march of His great purpose through the ages, any more than a bit of glass can stay a sunbeam. However the currents run and the storms howl, they carry the ship to the haven; for He holds the helm, and all winds help. The people rejected Him, and in seeking a king followed but their own earthly minds; but they prepared the way for David and David's Son. Their children long after, moved by the same spirit, shouted, We have no king but Caesar!' but they prepared the throne for the true King, for whom they destined a Cross. Man's greatest sin, the rejection of the visible King of the world, brought about the firm establishment of His dominion on earth and in heaven. The cross is the great instance of the same law as is embodied in this history,--the overruling providence which bends the antagonism of men into a tool for effecting the purpose of God.

Alas for those who only thus carry on God's designs! They perish, and their work is none the less their sin, because God has used it. How much better to enter with a willing heart and a clear intelligence into sympathy with His designs, and, delighting to do His will, to share in the eternal duration of His triumphant purpose! The world passeth away, and the fashion thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.'

MHCC: 1Sa 8:1-3

It does not appear that Samuel's sons were so profane and vicious as Eli's sons; but they were corrupt judges, they turned aside after lucre. Samuel took no bribes, but his sons did, and then they perverted judgment. What added to the grievance of the people was, that they were threatened by an invasion from Nahash, king of the Ammonites.

MHCC: 1Sa 8:4-9

Samuel was displeased; he could patiently bear what reflected on himself, and his own family; but it displeased him when they said, Give us a king to judge us, because that reflected upon God. It drove him to his knees. When any thing disturbs us, it is our interest, as well as our duty, to show our trouble before God. Samuel is to tell them that they shall have a king. Not that God was pleased with their request, but as sometimes he opposes us from loving-kindness, so at other times he gratifies us in wrath; he did so here. God knows how to bring glory to himself, and serves his own wise purposes, even by men's foolish counsels.

MHCC: 1Sa 8:10-22

If they would have a king to rule them, as the eastern kings ruled their subjects, they would find the yoke exceedingly heavy. Those that submit to the government of the world and the flesh, are told plainly, what hard masters they are, and what tyranny the dominion of sin is. The law of God and the manner of men widely differ from each other; the former should be our rule in the several relations of life; the latter should be the measure of our expectations from others. These would be their grievances, and, when they complained to God, he would not hear them. When we bring ourselves into distress by our own wrong desires and projects, we justly forfeit the comfort of prayer, and the benefit of Divine aid. The people were obstinate and urgent in their demand. Sudden resolves and hasty desires make work for long and leisurely repentance. Our wisdom is, to be thankful for the advantages, and patient under the disadvantages of the government we may live under; and to pray continually for our rulers, that they may govern us in the fear of God, and that we may live under them in all godliness and honesty. And it is a hopeful symptom when our desires of worldly objects can brook delay; and when we can refer the time and manner of their being granted to God's providence.

Matthew Henry: 1Sa 8:1-3

Two sad things we find here, but not strange things: - 1. A good and useful man growing old and unfit for service (1Sa 8:1): Samuel was old, and could not judge Israel, as he had done. He is not reckoned to be past sixty years of age now, perhaps not so much; but he was a man betimes, was full of thoughts and cared when he was a child, which perhaps hastened the infirmities of age upon him. The fruits that are the first ripe keep the worst. He had spent his strength and spirits in the fatigue of public business, and now, if he think to shake himself as at other times, he finds he is mistaken: old age has cut his hair. Those that are in the prime of their time ought to be busy in doing the work of life: for, as they go into years, they will find themselves less disposed to it and less able for it. 2. The children of a good man turning aside, and not treading in his steps. Samuel had given his sons so good an education, and they had given him such good hopes of their doing well, and gained such a reputation in Israel, that he made them judges, assistants to him awhile, and afterwards deputies under him at Beersheeba, which lay remote from Ramah, 1Sa 8:2. Probably the southern countries petitioned for their residence there, that they might not be necessitated to travel far with their causes. We have reason to think that Samuel gave them their commissions, not because they were his sons (he had no ambition to entail the government upon his family, any more than Gideon had), but because, for aught that yet appeared, they were men very fit for the trust; and none so proper to ease the aged judge, and take some of the burden off him, as ( coeteris paribus - other things being equal ) his own sons, who no doubt were respected for their good father's sake, and, having such an advantage at setting out, might soon have been great if they had but been good. But, alas! his sons walked not in his ways (1Sa 8:3), and, when their character was the reverse of his, their relation to so good a man, which otherwise would have been their honour, was really their disgrace. Degeneranti genus opprobrium - A good extraction is a reproach to him that degenerates from it. Note, Those that have the most grace themselves cannot give grace to their children. It has often been the grief of good men to see their posterity, instead of treading in their steps, trampling upon them, and, as Job speaks, marring their path. Nay, many that have begun well, promised fair, and set out in the right path, so that their parents and friends have had great hopes of them, yet afterwards have turned aside to by-paths, and been the grief of those of whom they should have been the joy. When Samuel's sons were made judges, and settled at a distance form him, then they discovered themselves. Thus, (1.) Many that have been well educated, and have conducted themselves well while they were under their parents' eye, when they have gone abroad into the world and set up for themselves have proved bad. Let none therefore be secure either of themselves or theirs, but depend on divine grace. (2.) Many that have done well in a state of meanness and subjection have been spoiled by preferment and power. Honours change men's minds, and too often for the worse. It does not appear that Samuel's sons were so profane and vicious as Eli's sons; but, whatever they were in other respects, they were corrupt judges, they turned aside after lucre, after the mammon of unrighteousness, so the Chaldee reads it. Note, The love of money is the root of all evil. It is pernicious in any, but especially in judges. Samuel had taken no bribes (Job 12:3), but his sons had, though, no doubt, he warned them against it when he made them judges; and then they perverted judgment. In determining controversies, they had an eye to the bribe, not to the law, and enquired who bid highest, not who had right on his side. It is sad with a people when the public justice that should do them right, being perverted, does them the greatest wrong.

Matthew Henry: 1Sa 8:4-22

We have here the starting of a matter perfectly new and surprising, which was the setting up of kingly government in Israel. Perhaps the thing had been often talked of among them by those that were given to change and affected that which looked great. But we do not find that it was ever till now publicly proposed and debated. Abimelech was little better than a titular king, though he is said to reign over Israel (Jdg 9:22), and perhaps his fall had for a great while rendered the title of king odious in Israel, as that of Tarquinius did among the Romans; but, if it had, by this time the odium was worn off, and some bold steps are here taken towards so great a revolution as that amounted to. Here is,

I. The address of the elders to Samuel in this matter (1Sa 8:4, 1Sa 8:5): They gathered themselves together, by common consent; and not in a riotous tumultuous manner, but with the respect due to his character, they came to him to his house as Ramah with their address, which contained,

1. A remonstrance of their grievances: in short, Thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways. Many a fairer occasion that people had had to ask a king, when they were oppressed by their neighbours or embroiled at home for want of a king in Israel, but a small thing will serve factious spirits for a colour to desire a change. (1.) It was true that Samuel was old; but if that made him less able to ride the circuit, and sit long on the bench, yet it made him the more wise and experienced, and, upon that account, the fitter to rule. If he was old, had he not grown old in their service? And it was very unkind, ungrateful, nay, and unjust, to cast him off when he was old, who had spent his days in doing them good. God had saved his youth from being despicable (1Sa 3:20), yet they make his old age so, which should have been counted worthy of double honour. If old people be upbraided with their infirmities, and laid aside for them, let them not think it strange; Samuel himself was so. (2.) It was true that his sons did not walk in his ways; the more was his grief, but they could not say it was his fault: he had not, like Eli, indulged them in their badness, but was ready to receive complaints against them. And, if that had been the thing desired, we may well suppose, upon the making out of the charge of bribery against them he would have superseded their commissions and punished them. But this would not content the elders of Israel; they had another project in their head.

2. A petition for the redress of these grievances, by setting a king over them: Make us a king to judge us like all the nations. Thus far it was well, that they did not rise up in rebellion against Samuel and set up a king for themselves, vi et armis - by force; but they applied to Samuel, God's prophet, and humbly begged of him to do it. But it appears by what follows that it was an evil proposal and ill made, and was displeasing to God. God designed them a king, a man after his own heart, when Samuel was dead; but they would anticipate God's counsel, and would have one now that Samuel was old. They had a prophet to judge them, that had immediate correspondence with heaven, and therein they were great and happy above any nation, none having God so nigh unto them as they had, Deu 4:7. But this would not serve; they must have a king to judge them with external pomp and power, like all the nations. A poor prophet in a mantle, though conversant in the visions of the Almighty, looked mean in the eyes of those who judged by outward appearance; but a king in a purple robe, with his guards and officers of state, would look great: and such a one they must have. They knew it was in vain to court Samuel to take upon him the title and dignity of a king, but he must appoint them one. They do not say, "Give us a king that is wise and good, and will judge better than thy sons do,"but, "Give us a king,"any body that will but make a figure. Thus foolishly did they forsake their own mercies, and, under pretence of advancing the dignity of their nation to that of their neighbours, did really thrust themselves down from their own excellency, and profane their crown by casting it to the ground.

II. Samuel's resentment of this address, 1Sa 8:6. Let us see how he took it. 1. It cut him to the heart. Probably it was a surprise to him, and he had not any intimation before of their design, which made it the more grievous. The thing displeased Samuel; not when they upbraided him with his own infirmities and his children's irregularities (he could patiently bear what reflected on himself and his own family), but it displeased him when they said, Give us a king to judge us, because that reflected upon God and his honour. 2. It drove him to his knees; he gave them no answer for the present, but took time to consider of what they proposed, and prayed unto the Lord for direction what to do, spreading the case before him and leaving it with him, and so making himself easy. Samuel was a man much in prayer, and we are encouraged in every thing to make our requests known to God, Phi 4:6. When any thing disturbs us, it is our interest, as well as our duty, to show before God our trouble, and he gives us leave to be humbly free with him.

III. The instruction God gave him concerning this matter. Those that in straits seek to God shall find him nigh unto them, and ready to direct them. He tells him,

1. That which would be an allay to his displeasure. Samuel was much disturbed at the proposal: it troubled him greatly to see his prophetic office thus slighted, and all the good turns he had done to Israel thus ungratefully returned; but God tells him he must not think it either hard or strange. (1.) He must not think it hard that they had put this slight upon him, for they had herein put a slight upon God himself: " They have not rejected thee only, but they have rejected me. I share with thee in the affront,"1Sa 8:7. Note, If God interest himself in the indignities that are done us, and the contempts that are put upon us, we may well afford to bear them patiently; nor need we think the worse of ourselves if for his sake we bear reproach (Psa 69:7), but rather rejoice and count it an honour, Col 1:24. Samuel must not complain that they were weary of his government, though just and gentle, for really they were weary of God's government; this was what they disliked: They have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. God reigns over the heathen (Psa 47:8), over all the world, but the government of Israel had hitherto been, in a more peculiar manner than ever any government was, a Theocracy, a divine government; their judges had their call and commission immediately from God; the affairs of their nation were under his peculiar direction. As the constitution, so the administration of their government, was by Thus saith the Lord; this method they were weary of, though it was their honour and safety, above any thing, so long as they kept in with God. They were indeed so much the more exposed to calamities if they provoked God to anger by sin, and found they could not transgress at so cheap a rate as other nations could, which perhaps was the true reason why they desired to stand upon the same terms with God that other nations did. (2.) He must not think it strange, nor marvel at the matter, for they do as they always have done: According to all the works which they have done, since the day that I brought them out of Egypt, so do they unto thee, 1Sa 8:8; They had at first been so very respectful and obsequious to Samuel that he began to hope they were cured of their old stubborn disposition; but now he found himself deceived in them, and must not be surprised at it. They had always been rude to their governors, witness Moses and Aaron; nay, They have forsaken me and served other gods; the greatness of their crime, in affecting new gods, may make this crime of affecting new governors seem little. Samuel might expect they would deal treacherously, for they were called transgressors from the womb, Isa 48:8. This had been their manner from their youth up, Jer 22:21.

2. He tells him that which would be an answer to their demand. Samuel would not have known what to say if God had not instructed him. Should he oppose the motion, it would bespeak a greater fondness of power and dominion than did become a prophet, and an indulgence of his sons. Should he yield to the motion, it would look like the betraying of his trust, and he would become accessory to all the bad consequences of a change. Aaron sinned in gratifying the people when they said, Make us gods; Samuel dares not therefore comply with them when they say, Make us a king, but he gives them, with assurance, the answer God sent them.

(1.) He must tell them that they shall have a king. Hearken to the voice of the people, 1Sa 8:7, and again, 1Sa 8:9. Not that God was pleased with their request, but, as sometimes he crosses us in love, so at other times he gratifies us in wrath; he did so here. When they said, Give us a king and princes he gave them a king in his anger (see Hos 13:10, Hos 13:11), as he gave them quails, Psa 106:15; Psa 78:29. God bade Samuel humour them in this matter, [1.] That they might be beaten with their own rod, and might feel, to their cost, the difference between his government and the government of a king; see 2Ch 12:8. It soon appeared how much worse their condition was, in all respects, under Saul, than it had been under Samuel. [2.] To prevent something worse. If they were not gratified, they would either rise in rebellion against Samuel or universally revolt from their religion and admit the gods of the nations, that they might have kings like them. Rather than so, let them have a king. [3.] God knows how to bring glory to himself out of it, and to serve his own wise purposes even by their foolish counsels.

(2.) But he must tell them, withal, that when they have a king they will soon have enough of him, and will, when it is too late, repent of their choice. This he must protest solemnly to them (1Sa 8:9), that, if they would have a king to rule them, as the eastern kings ruled their subjects, they would find the yoke exceedingly heavy. They looked only at the pomp or magnificence of a king, and thought that would make their nation great and considerable among its neighbours, and would strike a terror upon their enemies; but he must bid them consider how they would like to bear the charges of that pomp, and how they would endure that arbitrary power which the neighbouring kings assumed. Note, Those that set their hearts inordinately upon any thing in this world ought, for the moderating of their desires, to consider the inconveniences as well as the conveniences that will attend it, and to set the one over against the other in their thoughts. Those that submit to the government of the world and the flesh are told plainly what hard masters they are, and what a tyranny the dominion of sin is; and yet they will exchange God's government for it.

IV. Samuel's faithful delivery of God's mind to them, 1Sa 8:10. He told them all the words of the Lord, how ill he resented it, that he construed it a rejecting of him, and compared it with their serving other gods, - that he would grant their request if they insisted on it, but withal had ordered him to represent to them the certain consequences of their choice, that they would be such that if they had any reason left them, and would allow themselves to consult their own interest, they would withdraw their petition, and beg to continue as they were. Accordingly he lays before them, very particularly, what would be, not the right of a king in general, but the manner of the king that should reign over them, according to the pattern of the nations, 1Sa 8:11. Samuel does not speak (as bishop Patrick expounds it) of a just and honest right of a king to do these things, for his right is quite otherwise described in that part of Moses's law which concerns the king's duty, but such a right as the kings of the nations had then acquired. This shall be the manner of the king, that is, "thus he must support his dignity at the expense of that which is dearest to you, and thus he will abuse his power, as those that have power are apt to do; and, having the militia in his hand, you will be under a necessity of submitting to him."

1. If they will have such a king as the nations have, let them consider, (1.) That king must have a great retinue, abundance of servants to wait on him, grooms to look after his chariots and horses, gentlemen to ride about with him, and footmen to run before his chariots. This is the chief grandeur of princes, and the imaginary glory of great men, to have a multitude of attendants. And whence must he have these? "Why, he will take your sons, who are free-born, have a liberal education, and whom you now have at your own disposal, and will appoint them for himself, "1Sa 8:11. They must wait upon him, and be at his beck; those that used to work for their parents and themselves must work for him, ear his ground, and reap his harvest (1Sa 8:12), and count it their preferment too, 1Sa 8:16. This would be a great change. (2.) He must keep a great table; he will not be content to dine with his neighbours upon a sacrifice, as Samuel used to do (1Sa 9:13); but he must have a variety of dainty dishes, forced meats, and sweet-meats, and delicate sauces; and who must prepare him these? "Why, he will take your daughters, the most ingenious and handy of them, whom you hoped to prefer to houses and tables of their own; and, whether you be willing or no, they must be his confectioners, and cooks, and bakers, and the like."(3.) "He must needs have a standing army, for guards and garrisons; and your sons, instead of being elders of your cities, and living in quiet and honour at home, must be captains over thousands and captains over fifties, and must be disposed of at the pleasure of the sovereign."(4.) "You may expect that he will have great favourites, whom, having dignified and ennobled, he must enrich, and give them estates suitable to their honour; and which way can he do that, but out of your inheritances? 1Sa 8:14. He will take your fields and vineyards, which descended to you from your ancestors, and which you hoped to leave to your posterity after you, even the best of them; and will not only take them to himself (you could bear that better), but he will give them to his servants, who will be your masters, and bear rule over that for which you have laboured, How will you like that?"(5.) "He must have great revenues to maintain his grandeur and power with; and whence must he have them but from you? He will take the tenth of the fruits of your ground (1Sa 8:15), and your cattle, 1Sa 8:17. You think the tenths, the double tenths, which the law of God has appointed for the support of the church, grievous enough, and grudge the payment of them; but, if you have a king, there must issue another tenth out of your estates, which will be levied with more rigour, for the support of the royal dignity. Consider the expense with the magnificence, and whether it will quit cost."

2. These would be their grievances, and, (1.) They would have none but God to complain to. Once they complained to the prince himself, and were answered, according to the manner of the king, Your yoke is heavy, and I will add to it, 1Ki 12:11. (2.) When they complained to God he would not hear them, 1Sa 8:18. Nor could they expect that he should, both because they had been deaf to his calls and admonitions, and this trouble, in particular, they had brought upon themselves by rejecting him, and would not believe when he told them what would come of it. Note, When we bring ourselves into distress by our own irregular desires and projects we justly forfeit the comfort of prayer and the benefit of divine aids, and, if God be not better to us than we deserve, must have our relief in our own hands, and then it is bad with us.

V. The people's obstinacy in their demand, 1Sa 8:19, 1Sa 8:20. One would think such a representation of the consequences as this was, coming from God himself, who can neither deceive by his word nor be deceived in his knowledge, should have prevailed with them to waive their request: but their hearts were upon it, right or wrong, good or evil: " We will have a king over us, whatever God or Samuel say to the contrary; we will have a king, whatever it cost us, and whatever inconvenience we bring upon ourselves or our posterity by it."See their folly. 1. They were quite deaf to reason and blind to their own interest. They could not answer Samuel's arguments against it, nor deny the force of them, and yet they grow more violent in their request, and more insolent. Before it was, "Pray, make us a king; "now it is, " Nay, but we will have a king; yea, that we will, because we will; nor will we bear to have any thing said against it."See the absurdity of inordinate desires, and how they rob men of their reason. 2. They could not stay God's time. God had intimated to them in the law that, in due time, Israel should have a king (Deu 17:14, Deu 17:15), and perhaps they had some intimation that the time was at hand; but they are all in haste: "We, in our day, will have this king over us."Could they but have waited ten or twelve years longer they would have had David, a king of God's giving in mercy, and all the calamities that attended the setting up of Saul would have been prevented. Sudden resolves and hasty desires make work for a long and leisurely repentance. 3. That which they aimed at in desiring a king was not only, as before, that they might be like the nations, and levelled with the one above whom God had so far advanced them, but that they might have one to judge them, and to go out before them when they took the field, and to fight their battles. Foolish people and unwise! Could they ever desire a battle better fought for them that the last was, by Samuel's prayer and God's thunder? 1Sa 7:10. Was victory hereby too sure to them? And were they fond of trying the chance of war at the same uncertainty that others did? So sick, it seems, were they of their privileges: and what was the issue? Their first king was slain in a battle, which none of their judges ever were; so was Josiah, one of the last and best.

VI. The dismissing of them with an intimation that very shortly they should have what they asked. 1. Samuel rehearsed all their words in the ears of the Lord, v. 21. Not but that God perfectly knew it, without Samuel's report; but thus he dealt faithfully between God and Israel, as a prophet, returning the answer to him that sent him; and thus he waited on God for further direction. God is fully acquainted with the state of the case we are in care and doubt about, but he will know it from us. His rehearsing it in the ears of the Lord intimates that it was done in private; for the people were not disposed to join with him in prayer to God for direction in this matter; also it bespeaks a holy familiarity, to which God graciously admits his people: they speak in the ears of the Lord, as one friend whispers with another; their communion with God is meat they have to eat which the world knows not of, Joh 4:32. 2. God gave direction that they should have a king, since they were so inordinately set upon it (1Sa 8:22): " Make them a king, and let them make their best of him, and thank themselves if that very pomp and power which they are so eager to see their sovereign in be their plague and burden." So he gave them up to their own hearts' lusts. Samuel told them this, but sent them home for the present, every man to his city; for the designation of the person must be left to God; they had now no more to do. When God saw fit to notify the choice to Samuel they should hear further from him; in the mean time let them keep the peace and expect the issue.

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Sa 8:1-5

1Sa 8:1-2

The reason assigned for the appointment of Samuel's sons asjudges is his own advanced age. The inference which we might draw fromthis alone, namely, that they were simply to support their father in theadministration of justice, and that Samuel had no intention of laying downhis office, and still less of making the supreme office of judge hereditary inhis family, is still more apparent from the fact that they were stationed asjudges of the nation in Beersheba, which was on the southern border ofCanaan (Jdg 20:1, etc.; see at Gen 21:31). The sons are also mentionedagain in 1Ch 6:13, though the name of the elder has either beendropped out of the Masoretic text or has become corrupt.

1Sa 8:3

The sons, however, did not walk in the ways of their father, butset their hearts upon gain, took bribes, and perverted justice, in oppositionto the command of God (see Exo 23:6, Exo 23:8; Deu 16:19).

1Sa 8:4-5

These circumstances (viz., Samuel's age and the degeneracy ofhis sons) furnished the elders of Israel with the opportunity to apply toSamuel with this request: " Appoint us a king to judge us, as all thenations "(the heathen), sc., have kings. This request resembles socompletely the law of the king in Deu 17:14 (observe, for example, theexpression כּכל־הגּוים ), that the distinct allusion to it isunmistakeable. The custom of expressly quoting the book of the law ismet with for the first time in the writings of the period of the captivity. The elders simply desired what Jehovah had foretold through His servantMoses, as a thing that would take place in the future and for which He hadeven made provision.

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Sa 8:6-8

Nevertheless "the thing displeased Samuel when they said," etc. Thisserves to explain הדּבר , and precludes the supposition thatSamuel's displeasure had reference to what they had said concerning hisown age and the conduct of his sons. At the same time, the reason why thepetition for a king displeased the prophet, was not that he regarded theearthly monarchy as irreconcilable with the sovereignty of God, or even asuntimely; for in both these cases he would not have entered into thequestion at all, but would simply have refused the request as ungodly orunseasonable. But "Samuel prayed to the Lord," i.e., he laid the matterbefore the Lord in prayer, and the Lord said (1Sa 8:7): "Hearken unto thevoice of the people in all that they say unto thee." This clearly implies,that not only in Samuel's opinion, but also according to the counsel ofGod, the time had really come for the establishment of the earthlysovereignty in Israel. In this respect the request of the elders for a king toreign over them was perfectly justifiable; and there is no reason to say,with Calvin, "they ought to have had regard to the times and conditionsprescribed by God, and it would no doubt have come to pass that the regalpower would have grown up in the nation. Although, therefore, it had notyet been established, they ought to have waited patiently for the timeappointed by God, and not to have given way to their own reasons andcounsels apart from the will of God."For God had not only appointed noparticular time for the establishment of the monarchy; but in theintroduction to the law for the king, "When thou shalt say, I will set a kingover me,"He had ceded the right to the representatives of the nation todeliberate upon the matter. Nor did they err in this respect, that while Samuel was still living, it wasnot the proper time to make use of the permission that they had received;for they assigned as the reason for their application, that Samuel hadgrown old: consequently they did not petition for a king instead of theprophet who had been appointed and so gloriously accredited by God, butsimply that Samuel himself would give them a king in consideration of hisown age, in order that when he should become feeble or die, they mighthave a judge and leader of the nation. Nevertheless the Lord declared,"They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should notreign over them. As they have always done from the day that I broughtthem up out of Egypt unto this day, that they have forsaken me andserved other gods, so do they also unto thee." This verdict on the part ofGod refers not so much to the desire expressed, as to the feelings fromwhich it had sprung. Externally regarded, the elders of Israel had a perfectright to present the request; the wrong was in their hearts.

(Note: Calvin has correctly pointed out how much would have beenwarrantable under the circumstances: "They might, indeed, havereminded Samuel of his old age, which rendered him less able to attendto the duties of his office, and also of the avarice of his sons and thecorruptness of the judges; or they might have complained that hissons did not walk in his footsteps, and have asked that God wouldchoose suitable men to govern them, and thus have left the wholething to His will. And if they had done this, there can be no doubtthat they would have received a gracious and suitable answer. But theydid not think of calling upon God; they demanded that a king shouldbe given them, and brought forward the customs and institutions ofother nations.")

They not only declared to the prophet their confidence in hisadministration of his office, but they implicitly declared him incapable ofany further superintendence of their civil and political affairs. Thismistrust was founded upon mistrust in the Lord and His guidance. In theperson of Samuel they rejected the Lord and His rule. They wanted a king,because they imagined that Jehovah their God-king was not able to securetheir constant prosperity. Instead of seeking for the cause of themisfortunes which had hitherto befallen them in their own sin and want offidelity towards Jehovah, they searched for it in the faulty constitution ofthe nation itself. In such a state of mind as this, their desire for a king wasa contempt and rejection of the kingly government of Jehovah, and wasnothing more than forsaking Jehovah to serve other gods. (See 1Sa 10:18-19, and 1Sa 12:7., where Samuel points out to the people still morefully the wrong that they have committed.)

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Sa 8:9

In order to show them wherein they were wrong, Samuel was instructed tobear witness against them, by proclaiming the right of the king who wouldrule over them. בּהם תּעיד העד neithermeans "warn them earnestly"(De Wette), nor "explain and solemnlyexpound to them"(Thenius). בּ העיד means to bear witness , orgive testimony against a person, i.e., to point out to him his wrong. Thefollowing words, והגּדתּוגו , are to be understood as explanatory, inthe sense of "by proclaiming to them." " The manner ( mishpat ) of the king "is the right or prerogative which the king would claim, namely, such a kingas was possessed by all the other nations, and such an one as Israel desiredin the place of its own God-king, i.e., a king who would rule over hispeople with arbitrary and absolute power.

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Sa 8:10-18

In accordance with the instructions of God, Samuel told the people all thewords of Jehovah, i.e., all that God had said to him, as related in 1Sa 8:7-9,and then proclaimed to them the right of the king.

1Sa 8:11

" He will take your sons, and set them for himself upon hischariots, and upon his saddle-horses, and they will run before his chariot; "i.e., he will make the sons of the people his retainers at court, hischarioteers, riders, and runners. The singular suffix attached to בּמרכּבתּו is not to be altered, as Thenius suggests, into theplural form, according to the lxx, Chald., and Syr., since the word refers,not to war-chariots, but to the king's state-carriage; and פּרשׁ does not mean a rider, but a saddle-horse, as in 2Sa 1:6; 1Ki 5:6, etc.

1Sa 8:12

"And to make himself chiefs over thousands and over fifties;" - the greatest and smallest military officers are mentioned, instead of all thesoldiers and officers (comp. Num 31:14; 2Ki 1:9., with Exo 18:21, Exo 18:25). ולשׂוּם is also dependent upon יקּח (1Sa 8:11), - " and toplough his field ( חרישׁ , lit . the ploughed), and reap his harvest,and make his instruments of war and instruments of his chariots ."

1Sa 8:13

"Your daughters he will take as preparers of ointments, cooks,and bakers," sc., for his court.

1Sa 8:14-17

All their possessions he would also take to himself: the good(i.e., the best) fields, vineyards, and olive-gardens, he would take away,and give to his servants; he would tithe the sowings and vineyards (i.e., theproduce which they yielded), and give them to his courtiers and servants. סריס , lit . the eunuch; here it is used in a wider sense for the royalchamberlains . Even their slaves (men-servants and maid-servants) and their beasts of draught and burden he would take and use for his own work, and raise the tithe of the flock . The word בּחוּריכם , between theslaves (men-servants and maid-servants) and the asses, is very striking andaltogether unsuitable; and in all probability it is only an ancient copyist'serror for בּקריכם , your oxen, as we may see from the lxx rendering, τὰ βουκόλια . The servants and maids, oxen and asses, answer in that caseto one another; whilst the young men are included among the sons in 1Sa 8:11, 1Sa 8:12. In this way the king would make all the people into his servants orslaves. This is the meaning of the second clause of 1Sa 8:17; for the whole areevidently summed up in conclusion in the expression, "and ye shall be hisservants."

1Sa 8:18

Israel would then cry out to God because of its king, but theLord would not hear it then. This description, which contains a fearfulpicture of the tyranny of the king, is drawn from the despotic conduct ofthe heathen kings, and does not presuppose, as many have maintained, thetimes of the later kings, which were so full of painful experiences.

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Sa 8:19-20

With such a description of the " right of the king "as this, Samuel hadpointed out to the elders the dangers connected with a monarchy in soalarming a manner, that they ought to have been brought to reflection, andto have desisted from their demand. "But the people refused to hearken tothe voice of Samuel." They repeated their demand, "We will have a kingover us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king mayjudge us, and go out before us, and conduct our battles."

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Sa 8:21-22

These words of the people were laid by Samuel before the Lord, and theLord commanded him to give the people a king. With this answer Samuelsent the men of Israel, i.e., the elders, away. This is implied in the words,"Go ye every man unto his city," since we may easily supply from thecontext, "till I shall call you again, to appoint you the king you desire."

Constable: 1Sa 8:1--12:25

B. Kingship Given to Saul chs. 8-12

"Clearly these five chapters constitute a literary unit, for they are immediately preceded by the formula that marks the end of the story of a judge (7:13-17) and immediately followed by the formula that marks the beginning of the account of a reign (13:1; . . .). The divisions of the unit . . . alternate between negative and positive attitudes toward monarchy (not as contradictory but as complementary): 8:1-22, negative; 9:1-10:16, positive; 10:17-27, negative; 11:1-11, positive; 11:12-12:25, negative . . ."⁹³

In this section and the next (chs. 13-15) the writer skillfully contrasted the blessing that comes as a result of obeying God's will with the cursing that comes from disobedience. Chapters 8-12 are generally positive and record Saul's successes. The section opens and closes with Samuel giving a warning to the Israelites.

Constable: 1Sa 8:1-3

The occasion for requesting a king 8:1-3

The people would probably not have pressed for a king at this time had Samuel's sons proved as faithful to the Mosaic Covenant as their father had been. However, Joel ("Yahweh is God") and Abijah ("My [divine] Father is Yahweh") disqualified themselves from leadership in Israel by disobeying the Law (Exod. 23:6, 8; Deut. 16:19). Eli's sons had done the same thing.

Constable: 1Sa 8:4-9

The reason for requesting a king 8:4-9

God had made provision for kings to rule His people in the Mosaic Law (Deut. 17:14-20; cf. Gen. 1:26-28; 17:6, 16; 35:11; 49:10). The request in itself was not what displeased Samuel and God. It was the reason they wanted a king that was bad. On the one hand it expressed dissatisfaction with God's present method of providing leadership through judges (v. 7). On the other it verbalized a desire to be "like all the nations" (v. 5). God's purpose for Israel was that it be different from the nations, superior to them, and a lesson for them (Exod. 19:5-6). The Israelites had requested a different form of government during Gideon's judgeship (Judg. 8:22-23), so this was not the first time the people had voiced this desire. God saw this demand as one more instance of apostasy that had marked the Israelites since the Exodus. He acceded to their request as He had done many times before--by providing manna, quail, and water in the wilderness, for example. However, He mixed judgment with His grace.⁹⁴

"The rejection of Samuel was the rejection of godly leadership; the choice of Saul was the choice of ungodly leadership. In many ways Saul was the foil for the godly David, just as the sons of Eli were a foil for Samuel."⁹⁵

Samuel experienced rejection by the people he led just as Moses, Jesus Christ, and so many of God's faithful servants have throughout history (cf. Luke 19:14).⁹⁶

Constable: 1Sa 8:10-22

The consequences of requesting a king 8:10-22

Samuel explained what having a king similar to all the nations would mean. The elders were interested in the functions of monarchy, but Samuel pointed out the nature of monarchy. It meant the loss of freedoms and possessions that the people presently enjoyed. In verses 11-17 Samuel did not define the rights of a king but described the ways of most kings.⁹⁷ Note the recurrence of the words "take" and "best" in these verses.

"By nature royalty is parasitic rather than giving, and kings are never satisfied with the worst."⁹⁸

The people would also regret their request because their king would disappoint them (v. 18). God would not remove the consequences of their choice. Their king could have been a great joy to them instead of a great disappointment if the people had waited for God to initiate the monarchy. As becomes clear later in Samuel as well as in Kings and Chronicles, David was God's choice to lead the Israelites. If the people had not been impatient, I believe David would have been their first king. Saul proved to be a "false start" to the monarchy.⁹⁹

In the argument of Samuel this chapter serves to introduce the reason Saul became such a disappointment to the Israelites and such a disaster as a king. Nevertheless his reign was not totally unsuccessful because at its beginning he sought to please Yahweh.

Guzik: 1Sa 8:1-22

1 Samuel 8 - Israel Demands a King

A. The people of Israel request a king.

1. (1-3) Samuel appoints his sons as judges.

Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

a. When Samuel was old . . . he made his sons judges over Israel: Samuel was one of the most godly men in the entire Bible. He is never specifically said to sin. Yet, this may be a sin on his part. We never have the pattern of judges being appointed by men, or of the office of judge being passed from father to son. Samuel was not right in appointing his sons judges over Israel.

i. "But they were never judges in the proper sense of the word; Samuel was the last judge in Israel, and he judged it to the day of his death. See 1 Samuel 7:15." (Clarke)

b. His sons did not walk in his ways: This is why Samuel was wrong to appoint his sons as judges over Israel. This kind of nepotism is a common, but harmful mistake many leaders in ministry make, especially as they grow older.

i. Probably, Samuel just could not look objectively at his sons. He would excuse sins in them that he would see more clearly in others. This is a common mistake people make with their family, especially with their children.

c. They turned aside to dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice: This was bad enough, but what many of our leaders do today seems worse! We almost wish for leaders "only as bad" as these sons of Samuel!

2. (4-5) Samuel's sons are rejected as leaders over Israel.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."

a. All the elders of Israel gathered: This was wise for the elders of Israel to do this. They did not have to accept leaders who were obviously ungodly and unfit to lead.

b. While it is was wise for the elders of Israel to reject Samuel's sons as leaders, it was wrong for them to say, "Now make for us a king to judge us like all the nations."

i. In and of itself, the desire to have a king was not bad. God knew that one day Israel would have a king. Four hundred years before this, God gave instructions to Israel about their future king (Deuteronomy 17:14-20). A king was in God's plan for Israel.

ii. Yet, the reason Israel wanted a king was wrong. Like all the nations is no reason at all. We often get into trouble by wanting to be like the world, when we should instead be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 12:1-2). The church struggles with the same issue today, too often wanting to be like the world.

iii. We may also get into trouble when we want the right things for the wrong reasons. In those situations, God may give us what we want, and then deal with us regarding the reasons.

iv. Morgan on Israel's request to be like the other nations: "This is the revelation of the supreme wrong. They had been chosen to be unlike the nations, a people directly governed by God."

c. What was the difference between a king and a judge? A judge was a leader raised up by God, usually to meet a specific need in a time of crisis. When the crisis was over, usually the judge just went back to doing what he was doing before. A king not only held his office as king as long as he lived; he also passed his throne down to his descendants.

i. In addition, a judge would not have a "government." He was there to meet a specific need in a time of crisis. A king would establish a standing government, with a bureaucracy, which is both a blessing and a curse to any people.

ii. In Judges 8, Gideon was offered the throne over Israel. He refused it, saying "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you." (Judges 8:23) This was the heart of all the judges, and why Israel went some 400 years in the Promised Land without a king.

3. (6-8) Samuel prays about their request and God answers.

But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." So Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day; with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods; so they are doing to you also."

a. The thing displeased Samuel: No doubt, Samuel was stung by the rejection of his sons. But even more than that, Samuel saw the ungodly motive behind the elders' request for a king.

b. So Samuel prayed to the LORD: This is the right thing to do whenever we are displeased. We should never carry such troubles with us. Instead, we should do what Samuel did, when he prayed to the LORD.

i. "Things do not always turn out as we had hoped, and we get displeased for our own sakes and God's. We had planned in one direction, but events issued in another; and the results have threatened to become disastrous. There is but one resource. If we allow vexations to eat into our heart, they will corrode and injure it. We must rehearse them before God - spreading the letter before Him, as Hezekiah did; making request like Paul; crying like Samuel . . . Surely it is the mistake of our life, that we carry our burdens instead of handing them over; that we worry instead of trusting; that we pray so little." (Meyer)

c. Heed the voice of the people: God told Samuel to fulfill the people's request. This was not because their request was good or right, but because God was going to teach Israel through this. Sometimes, when we insist of having something bad, God will allow us to have it, and then learn the consequences.

i. Again, in many ways, this was a matter of timing. God knew Israel would one day have a king, but He wanted to give Israel that king in His own timing. Because Israel was demanding a king out of bad, carnal reasons, God will give them a bad, carnal king. Israel will get what they want, and will hurt because of it!

d. They have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them: God had a purpose in not giving Israel a king up to that point. It was because He did not want them to put an ungodly trust in the king, instead of trusting in the LORD. Now, Israel is rejecting this plan of God, and declaring that they do not want the LORD God to reign over them.

i. In the words they have not rejected you, we sense God comforting Samuel. It is as if God is saying "Samuel, don't take it personally. They are not rejecting you, but Me." It is easy for God's servants to take such rejection personally when they should not. Jesus warned His disciples, he who rejects you rejects Me (Luke 10:16). As long as we are not being personally offensive or obnoxious, we shouldn't take such rejection personally.

e. In fact, Israel was forsaking God by asking for a king: They have forsaken Me . . . so they are doing to you also. When the elders of Israel asked for a king, they were thinking that better politics or government could meet their needs. But if they had just been faithful to their King in heaven, they would not have needed a king on earth.

i. This strikes us as simply unfair. Had not God shown Himself to be a worthy King? Didn't He demonstrate His ability to lead the nation, and demonstrate it over and over again?

ii. There is a sense in which their rejection of God as their king is prophetic. When Jesus stood before Pilate, the assembled Jewish mob declared, we have no king but Caesar (John 19:15). Jesus was a rejected King also.

4. (9) God tells Samuel to warn the nation.

"Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them."

a. You shall solemnly forewarn them: The sense in this verse is that Israel will not change their mind, and this isn't Samuel's goal. His goal is to simply forewarn them. If this was the course Israel would choose, God wanted them to make an informed choice. So, the LORD tells Samuel to show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.

b. Of course, information creates responsibility. In telling Israel this, Samuel was not only helping them to make an informed choice; he was increasing their accountability for making the right choice. They couldn't say, "We didn't know."

B. Samuel speaks to the people of Israel about their desire for a king.

1. (10-18) Samuel warns the nation of the responsibilities of having a king.

So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked him for a king. And he said, "This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not hear you in that day."

a. This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: God wanted Israel to know there would be problems connected with having a king. In Israel's view, they had problems that would be solved by having a king. While those problems may have been solved, God wanted them to know a king would bring other problems also. They should carefully weigh the benefits against the problems.

i. Many people fail to do this properly today. When a problem come up, they think up an answer that brings worse problems with it. But they don't maturely look at the situation and anticipate the problems the solution will bring. Others will never do anything unless they can come up with a "perfect" solution - one that has no problems. There rarely is a perfect solution, but that doesn't mean we should do nothing. It means we should maturely look at, and measure the good and the bad, pray for guidance, wait on the LORD, and step out in faith.

b. He will take . . . He will take . . . he will take . . . He will take . . . he will take . . . He will take . . . And you will be his servants: The LORD, through the prophet Samuel, is giving fair warning. Most kings are takers, not givers, and they come to be served, not to serve. If Israel wants a king, they must realize he will be a taker, not a giver, and they will be his servants.

i. Not every king is a "taking" king. The King of Kings is a giving king. Jesus said of Himself, the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28). Paul carried the same thought: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)

ii. 1 Peter 2:9 calls us a royal priesthood. If we are royalty, let us be like our King Jesus: a giving King, not a taking king.

c. And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen: Why would Israel cry out? Because they wanted a king for unspiritual, ungodly reasons. So God will call this coming king your king, and make it clear that he is the king whom you have chosen. If Israel had waited for God's king, they would not have needed to cry out unto the LORD.

2. (19-22) Israel demands a king despite God's warning.

Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, "No, but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles." And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the LORD. So the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed their voice, and make them a king." And Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Every man go to his city."

a. No, but we will have a king over us: Israel demanded a king, and as it will work out, this is exactly what happens. God gives Israel "their" king: Saul. Later, after "their" king fails, God will give Israel "His" king: David. Because we know God ultimately wanted Israel to be a monarchy, we might even guess that if Israel had not forsaken the LORD here, God would have made David the first king of Israel, and spared the nation (and David!) all the trouble Saul caused.

b. The heart of the nation of Israel is reveald by their reasons for wanting a king.

i. That we also may be like all the nations. God never wanted this to be the goal for Israel. God wanted to make them a special treasure to Me above all people . . . a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6). God wanted to make Israel something special, and they wanted to be just like everyone else! Poole says of this, "woeful stupidity! whereas it was their glory and happiness that they were unlike all other nations . . . that the Lord was their only and immediate King and Lawgiver."

ii. And that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles. What? Had the LORD God never won a battle for Israel before? God had just won a spectacular battle for Israel in 1 Samuel 7. Israel did not want a king. They had a king in the LORD God. What they wanted was the image of a king. Their desire for a king was really the desire for someone to look at with their own eyes that looked like what they thought a king should look like.

c. So the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed their voice, and make them a king." In a sense, this almost funny. They are rejecting the rule of God, yet they cannot escape it, because God will appoint their king. God will never step off His throne, even if man asks Him to. Yet, if we resist the rule of God, we will find that we do not benefit from it the way that we might. When we resist God, we only hurt ourselves!

i. "There is no compulsion to accept the rule of God, yet ultimately there is no escaping it, for he appoints the king." (Baldwin)

© 2001 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Commentary -- Other

Critics Ask: 1Sa 8:7

1 SAMUEL 8:7-9 —How could God condemn Israel’s request for a king when the rules for selecting a king were given by God in Deuteronomy 17 ?

PROBLEM: The Scriptures testify to the fact that God had planned for Israel to have a king. Deuteronomy 17:14-20 specifically lays down the rules for selecting a king in Israel. However, when the people of Israel requested that Samuel appoint a king, the Lord told Samuel that the people “have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them” ( 1 Sam. 8:7 ). How could God condemn Israel’s request for a king when He had already given them the guidelines for selecting a king?

SOLUTION: The context of 1 Samuel 8 indicates that the people had the wrong motive and employed the wrong method in seeking a king for themselves. First of all, the people had the wrong motive for seeking a king. In the first verse of chapter 8 we read that Samuel was old when he appointed his sons to be judges in Israel. However, Samuel’s sons did not do right in the eyes of God. When the people came to Samuel they requested that he appoint a king, not because they wanted to have God’s man to rule over them. Rather, they wanted to have a man rule over them. The people had mistaken God’s administration through Samuel for Samuel’s acts. At Saul’s inauguration, Samuel reminded the people that it was “your God, who Himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations” ( 1 Sam. 10:19 ). They completely ignored the fact that it was God who protected them and led them, not Samuel or any human king whom Samuel would appoint. Consequently, it was not Samuel whom they were rejecting. Rather it was God whom they were rejecting.

Second, theyfailed to seek the Lord concerning a king to rule over them. They did not bother to ask for God’s guidance. They simply requested that Samuel appoint a king. When the elders of Israel came to Samuel, they said, “Now make for us a king to judge us like all the nations” ( 8:5 ). However, in Deuteronomy 17:15 God specifically stated that the people would set a king over them “whom the Lord your God chooses.” The request of the people in 1 Samuel betrays their lack of consideration for God’s part in the process. They had truly rejected God from ruling over them. The Lord was displeased with the people because they did not seek God’s man, and they did not employ God’s method.   

Critics Ask: 1Sa 8:8

1 SAMUEL 8:7-9 —How could God condemn Israel’s request for a king when the rules for selecting a king were given by God in Deuteronomy 17 ?

PROBLEM: The Scriptures testify to the fact that God had planned for Israel to have a king. Deuteronomy 17:14-20 specifically lays down the rules for selecting a king in Israel. However, when the people of Israel requested that Samuel appoint a king, the Lord told Samuel that the people “have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them” ( 1 Sam. 8:7 ). How could God condemn Israel’s request for a king when He had already given them the guidelines for selecting a king?

SOLUTION: The context of 1 Samuel 8 indicates that the people had the wrong motive and employed the wrong method in seeking a king for themselves. First of all, the people had the wrong motive for seeking a king. In the first verse of chapter 8 we read that Samuel was old when he appointed his sons to be judges in Israel. However, Samuel’s sons did not do right in the eyes of God. When the people came to Samuel they requested that he appoint a king, not because they wanted to have God’s man to rule over them. Rather, they wanted to have a man rule over them. The people had mistaken God’s administration through Samuel for Samuel’s acts. At Saul’s inauguration, Samuel reminded the people that it was “your God, who Himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations” ( 1 Sam. 10:19 ). They completely ignored the fact that it was God who protected them and led them, not Samuel or any human king whom Samuel would appoint. Consequently, it was not Samuel whom they were rejecting. Rather it was God whom they were rejecting.

Second, theyfailed to seek the Lord concerning a king to rule over them. They did not bother to ask for God’s guidance. They simply requested that Samuel appoint a king. When the elders of Israel came to Samuel, they said, “Now make for us a king to judge us like all the nations” ( 8:5 ). However, in Deuteronomy 17:15 God specifically stated that the people would set a king over them “whom the Lord your God chooses.” The request of the people in 1 Samuel betrays their lack of consideration for God’s part in the process. They had truly rejected God from ruling over them. The Lord was displeased with the people because they did not seek God’s man, and they did not employ God’s method.   

Critics Ask: 1Sa 8:9

1 SAMUEL 8:7-9 —How could God condemn Israel’s request for a king when the rules for selecting a king were given by God in Deuteronomy 17 ?

PROBLEM: The Scriptures testify to the fact that God had planned for Israel to have a king. Deuteronomy 17:14-20 specifically lays down the rules for selecting a king in Israel. However, when the people of Israel requested that Samuel appoint a king, the Lord told Samuel that the people “have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them” ( 1 Sam. 8:7 ). How could God condemn Israel’s request for a king when He had already given them the guidelines for selecting a king?

SOLUTION: The context of 1 Samuel 8 indicates that the people had the wrong motive and employed the wrong method in seeking a king for themselves. First of all, the people had the wrong motive for seeking a king. In the first verse of chapter 8 we read that Samuel was old when he appointed his sons to be judges in Israel. However, Samuel’s sons did not do right in the eyes of God. When the people came to Samuel they requested that he appoint a king, not because they wanted to have God’s man to rule over them. Rather, they wanted to have a man rule over them. The people had mistaken God’s administration through Samuel for Samuel’s acts. At Saul’s inauguration, Samuel reminded the people that it was “your God, who Himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations” ( 1 Sam. 10:19 ). They completely ignored the fact that it was God who protected them and led them, not Samuel or any human king whom Samuel would appoint. Consequently, it was not Samuel whom they were rejecting. Rather it was God whom they were rejecting.

Second, theyfailed to seek the Lord concerning a king to rule over them. They did not bother to ask for God’s guidance. They simply requested that Samuel appoint a king. When the elders of Israel came to Samuel, they said, “Now make for us a king to judge us like all the nations” ( 8:5 ). However, in Deuteronomy 17:15 God specifically stated that the people would set a king over them “whom the Lord your God chooses.” The request of the people in 1 Samuel betrays their lack of consideration for God’s part in the process. They had truly rejected God from ruling over them. The Lord was displeased with the people because they did not seek God’s man, and they did not employ God’s method.   

Introduction / Outline

JFB: 1 Samuel (Book Introduction)

THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF SAMUEL. The two were, by the ancient Jews, conjoined so as to make one book, and in that form could be called the Book of Samuel with more propriety than now, the second being wholly occupied with the relation of transactions that did not take place till after the death of that eminent judge. Accordingly, in the Septuagint and the Vulgate, it is called the First and Second Books of Kings. The early portion of the First Book, down to the end of the twenty-fourth chapter, was probably written by Samuel; while the rest of it and the whole of the Second, are commonly ascribed to Nathan and Gad, founding the opinion on 1Ch 29:29. Commentators, however, are divided about this, some supposing that the statements in 1Sa 2:26; 1Sa 3:1, indicate the hand of the judge himself, or a contemporary; while some think, from 1Sa 6:18; 1Sa 12:5; 1Sa 27:6, that its composition must be referred to a later age. It is probable, however, that these supposed marks of an after-period were interpolations of Ezra. This uncertainty, however, as to the authorship does not affect the inspired authority of the book, which is indisputable, being quoted in the New Testament (1Sa 13:14 in Act 13:22, and 2Sa 7:14 in Heb 1:5), as well as in many of the Psalms.

JFB: 1 Samuel (Outline)

• OF ELKANAH AND HIS TWO WIVES. (1Sa 1:1-8)
• HANNAH'S PRAYER. (1Sa 1:9-18)
• SAMUEL BORN. (1Sa 1:20)
• HANNAH'S SONG IN THANKFULNESS TO GOD. (1Sa 2:1-11)
• THE SIN OF ELI'S SONS. (1Sa 2:12-17)
• SAMUEL'S MINISTRY. (1Sa 2:18-26)
• A PROPHECY AGAINST ELI'S HOUSE. (1Sa 2:27-35)
• THE LORD APPEARS TO SAMUEL IN A VISION. (1Sa 3:1-10)
• ISRAEL OVERCOME BY THE PHILISTINES. (1Sa 4:1-11)
• ELI HEARING THE TIDINGS. (1Sa 4:12-22)
• THE PHILISTINES BRING THE ARK INTO THE HOUSE OF DAGON. (1Sa 5:1-2)
• DAGON FALLS DOWN. (1Sa 5:3-5)
• THE PHILISTINES ARE SMITTEN WITH EMERODS. (1Sa 5:6-12)
• THE PHILISTINES COUNSEL HOW TO SEND BACK THE ARK. (1Sa 6:1-9)
• THE ARK AT KIRJATH-JEARIM. (1Sa 7:1-2)
• THE ISRAELITES, THROUGH SAMUEL'S INFLUENCE, SOLEMNLY REPENT AT MIZPEH. (1Sa 7:3-6)
• WHILE SAMUEL PRAYS, THE PHILISTINES ARE DISCOMFITED. (1Sa 7:7-14)
• OCCASIONED BY THE ILL-GOVERNMENT OF SAMUEL'S SONS, THE ISRAELITES ASK A KING. (1Sa. 8:1-18)
• SAUL, DESPAIRING TO FIND HIS FATHER'S ASSES, COMES TO SAMUEL. (1Sa 9:1-14)
• GOD REVEALS TO SAMUEL SAUL'S COMING, AND HIS APPOINTMENT TO THE KINGDOM. (1Sa 9:15-27)
• SAMUEL ANOINTS SAUL, AND CONFIRMS HIM BY THE PREDICTION OF THREE SIGNS. (1Sa. 10:1-27)
• NAHASH OFFERS THEM OF JABESH-GILEAD A REPROACHFUL CONDITION. (1Sa 11:1-4)
• THEY SEND TO SAUL, AND ARE DELIVERED. (1Sa 11:5-11)
• SAUL CONFIRMED KING. (1Sa 11:12-15)
• SAMUEL TESTIFIES HIS INTEGRITY. (1Sa 12:1-5)
• HE TERRIFIES THEM WITH THUNDER IN HARVEST-TIME. (1Sa 12:17-25)
• SAUL'S SELECTED BAND. (1Sa 13:1-2)
• HE CALLS THE HEBREWS TO GILGAL AGAINST THE PHILISTINES. (1Sa 13:3-4)
• THE PHILISTINES' GREAT HOST. (1Sa 13:5)
• THE ISRAELITES' DISTRESS. (1Sa 13:6-8)
• SAUL, WEARY OF WAITING FOR SAMUEL, SACRIFICES. (1Sa 13:9-16)
• JONATHAN MIRACULOUSLY SMITES THE PHILISTINES' GARRISON. (1Sa 14:1-14)
• SAUL SENT TO DESTROY AMALEK. (1Sa 15:1-6)
• HE SPARES AGAG AND THE BEST OF THE SPOIL. (1Sa 15:7-9)
• GOD REJECTS HIS FOR DISOBEDIENCE. (1Sa 15:10-11)
• SAMUEL SENT BY GOD TO BETHLEHEM. (1Sa 16:1-10)
• HE ANOINTS DAVID. (1Sa 16:11-14)
• THE ISRAELITES AND PHILISTINES BEING READY TO BATTLE. (1Sa 17:1-3)
• GOLIATH CHALLENGES A COMBAT. (1Sa 17:4-11)
• DAVID ACCEPTS THE CHALLENGE, AND SLAYS HIM. (1Sa. 17:12-58)
• JONATHAN LOVES DAVID. (1Sa 18:1-4)
• SAUL ENVIES HIS PRAISE. (1Sa 18:5-9)
• SEEKS TO KILL HIM. (1Sa 18:10-12)
• FEARS HIM FOR HIS GOOD SUCCESS. (1Sa 18:13-16)
• HE OFFERS HIM HIS DAUGHTER FOR A SNARE. (1Sa 18:17-21)
• JONATHAN DISCLOSES HIS FATHER'S PURPOSE TO KILL DAVID. (1Sa 19:1-7)
• SAUL'S MALICIOUS RAGE BREAKS OUT AGAINST DAVID. (1Sa 19:8-17)
• DAVID FLEES TO SAMUEL. (1Sa 19:18-23)
• SAUL PROPHESIES. (1Sa 19:24)
• DAVID CONSULTS WITH JONATHAN FOR HIS SAFETY. (1Sa 20:1-10)
• THEIR COVENANT RENEWED BY OATH. (1Sa 20:11-23)
• SAUL, MISSING DAVID, SEEKS TO KILL JONAHAN. (1Sa. 20:24-40)
• JONATHAN AND DAVID LOVINGLY PART. (1Sa 20:41-42)
• DAVID, AT NOB, OBTAINS OF AHIMELECH HALLOWED BREAD. (1Sa 21:1-7)
• HE TAKES GOLIATH'S SWORD. (1Sa 21:9)
• AT GATH HE FEIGNS HIMSELF MAD. (1Sa 21:10-15)
• DAVID'S KINDRED AND OTHERS RESORT TO HIM AT ADULLAM. (1Sa 22:1-8)
• DOEG ACCUSES AHIMELECH. (1Sa 22:9-16)
• SAUL COMMANDS TO KILL THE PRIESTS. (1Sa 22:17-19)
• ABIATHAR ESCAPES AND FLEES AFTER DAVID. (1Sa 22:20-23)
• DAVID RESCUES KEILAH. (1Sa 23:1-6)
• SAUL'S COMING, AND TREACHERY OF THE KEILITES. (1Sa 23:7-13)
• DAVID ESCAPES TO ZIPH. (1Sa 23:14-18)
• SAUL PURSUES HIM. (1Sa 23:19-29)
• DAVID IN A CAVE AT ENGEDI CUTS OFF SAUL'S SKIRT, BUT SPARES HIS LIFE. (1Sa 24:1-7)
• HE URGES THEREBY HIS INNOCENCY. (1Sa 24:8-15)
• SAMUEL DIES. (1Sa 25:1-9)
• THE CHURLISH ANSWER PROVOKES HIM. (1Sa 25:10-13)
• ABIGAIL PACIFIES HIM. (1Sa. 25:14-35)
• NABAL'S DEATH. (1Sa 25:36-44)
• SAUL COMES TO THE HILL OF HACHILAH AGAINST DAVID. (1Sa 26:1-4)
• DAVID STAYS ABISHAI FROM KILLING SAUL, BUT TAKES HIS SPEAR AND CRUSE. (1Sa. 26:5-25)
• SAUL HEARING THAT DAVID WAS FLED TO GATH, SEEKS NO MORE FOR HIM. (1Sa 27:1-4)
• DAVID BEGS ZIKLAG OF ACHISH. (1Sa 27:5-12)
• ACHISH'S CONFIDENCE IN DAVID. (1Sa 28:1-6)
• SAUL SEEKS A WITCH, WHO, BEING ENCOURAGED BY HIM, RAISES UP SAMUEL. (1Sa. 28:7-25)
• DAVID MARCHING WITH THE PHILISTINES TO FIGHT WITH ISRAEL. (1Sa 29:1-5)
• THE AMALEKITES SPOIL ZIKLAG. (1Sa 30:1-5)
• BUT DAVID, ENCOURAGED BY GOD, PURSUES THEM. (1Sa 30:6-15)
• AND RECOVERS HIS TWO WIVES AND ALL THE SPOIL. (1Sa. 30:16-31)
• SAUL HAVING LOST HIS ARMY AT GILBOA, AND HIS SONS BEING SLAIN, HE AND HIS ARMOR-BEARER KILL THEMSELVES. (1Sa 31:1-7)
• THE PHILISTINES TRIUMPH OVER THEIR DEAD BODIES. (1Sa 31:8-10)
• THE MEN OF JABESH-GILEAD RECOVER THE BODIES AND BURY THEM AT JABESH. (1Sa 31:11-13)

TSK: 1 Samuel (Book Introduction)

The First Book of SAMUEL, otherwise called " The First Book of the KINGS."

TSK: 1 Samuel 8 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

1Sa 8:1, By occasion of the ill government of Samuel’s sons, the Israelites ask a king; 1Sa 8:6, Samuel praying in grief, is comforted by God; 1Sa 8:10, He tells the manner of a king; 1Sa 8:19, God wills Samuel to yield unto the importunity of the people.

Poole: 1 Samuel (Book Introduction)

FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL OTHERWISE CALLED

THE FIRST BOOK OF THE KINGS.

THE ARGUMENT.

IT is not certainly known who was the penman of this Book, or whether it was written by one or more hands; nor is it or any great importance; for since there are sufficient evidences that God was the chief author of it, it matters not who was the instrument. As when it appears that such a thing was really an act of parliament, or of the council-table, it is not considerable who was the clerk or which was the pen that wrote it. And this is the less material in such historical hooks, wherein there is but little which concerns the foundation of faith and good life, and therefore it was not necessary to name the writer of them. It may abundantly suffice that there were in these times divers prophets and holy men of God; as Samuel, and Nathan, and Gad, and David himself, who might each of them write some part of this and the following book. But if any man will out of perverseness doubt or deny that these wrote it, yet this I suppose no discreet and impartial man will deny, that it is wholly incredible that such books should be written in their times, and recommended to the church as a part of the Holy Scriptures, and so received by the succeeding generation, without their approbation, who had so great a power and authority in the church and commonwealth of Israel.

Poole: 1 Samuel 8 (Chapter Introduction)

SAMUEL CHAPTER 8

Samuel makes his sons judges over Israel; their names, and ill government, 1Sa 8:1-3 . The people ask a king: Samuel is grieved; prays, 1Sa 8:4-6 . God is displeased with the people; but commands Samuel to hearken to them, and to represent to them the tyrannical government of kings, 1Sa 8:7-9 ; which he doth, 1Sa 8:10-18 . The people continue in their request: God commands Samuel to yield to them, 1Sa 8:19-22 .

MHCC: 1 Samuel (Book Introduction)

In this book we have an account of Eli, and the wickedness of his sons; also of Samuel, his character and actions. Then of the advancement of Saul to be the king of Israel, and his ill behaviour, until his death made way for David's succession to the throne, who was an eminent type of Christ. David's patience, modesty, constancy, persecution by open enemies and feigned friends, are a pattern and example to the church, and to every member of it. Many things in this book encourage the faith, hope, and patience of the suffering believer. It contains also many useful cautions and awful warnings.

MHCC: 1 Samuel 8 (Chapter Introduction)

(1Sa 8:1-3) The evil government of Samuel's sons.

(1Sa 8:4-9) The Israelites ask for a king.

(1Sa 8:10-22) The manner of a king.

Matthew Henry: 1 Samuel (Book Introduction)

An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The First Book of Samuel

This book, and that which follows it, bear the name of Samuel in the title, not because he was the penman of them (except of so much of them as fell within his own time, to the twenty-fifth chapter of the first book, in which we have an account of his death), but because the first book begins with a large account of him, his birth and childhood, his life and government; and the rest of these two volumes that are denominated from him contains the history of the reigns of Saul and David, who were both anointed by him. And, because the history of these two kings takes up the greatest part of these books, the Vulgar latin calls them the First and Second Books of the Kings, and the two that follow the Third and Fourth, which the titles in our English Bibles take notice of with an alias: otherwise called the First Book of the Kings, etc. The Septuagint calls them the first and second Book of the Kingdoms. It is needless to contend about it, but there is no occasion to vary from the Hebrew verity. These two books contain the history of the last two of the judges, Eli and Samuel, who were not, as the rest, men of war, but priests (and so much of them is an appendix to the book of Judges), and of the first two of the kings, Saul and David, and so much of them is an entrance upon the history of the kings. They contain a considerable part of the sacred history, are sometimes referred to in the New Testament, and often in the titles of David's Psalms, which, if placed in their order, would fall in these books. It is uncertain who was the penman of them; it is probable that Samuel wrote the history of his own time, and that, after him, some of the prophets that were with David (Nathan as likely as any) continued it. This first book gives us a full account of Eli's fall and Samuel's rise and good government, ch. 1-8. Of Samuel's resignation of the government and Saul's advancement and mal-administration, ch. 9-15. The choice of David, his struggles with Saul, Saul's ruin at last, and the opening of the way for David to the throne, ch. 16-31. And these things are written for our learning.

Matthew Henry: 1 Samuel 8 (Chapter Introduction)

Things went so very well with Israel, in the chapter before, under Samuel's administration, that, methinks, it is a pity to find him so quickly, as we do in this chapter, old, and going off, and things working towards a revolution. But so it is; Israel's good days seldom continue long. We have here, I. Samuel decaying (1Sa 8:1). II. His sons degenerating (1Sa 8:2, 1Sa 8:3). III. Israel discontented with the present government and anxious to see a change. For 1. They petition Samuel to set a king over them (1Sa 8:4, 1Sa 8:5). 2. Samuel brings the matter to God (1Sa 8:6). 3. God directs him what answer to give them, by way of reproof (1Sa 8:7, 1Sa 8:8), and by way of remonstrance, setting forth the consequences of a change of the government, and how uneasy they would soon be under it (1Sa 8:9-18). 4. They insist upon their petition (1Sa 8:19, 1Sa 8:20). 5. Samuel promises them, from God, that they shall shortly be gratified (1Sa 8:21, 1Sa 8:22). Thus hard is it for people to know when they are well off.

Constable: 1 Samuel (Book Introduction)

Introduction

Title

First and Second Samuel were originally one book called the Book of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. The Greek Septuagint translation of the Old Testament (made ca. 250 B.C.) was the first to divide it into two books. The Septuagint translators titled these books 1 and 2 Kingdoms. That division has persisted ever since and has even been incorporated into subsequent editions of the Hebrew Bible (since A.D. 1517). The title "Samuel" was given by Jerome in his Latin translation, the Vulgate (ca. A.D. 400).

The Jews gave the name "Samuel" to it because Samuel is the first major character in the book. Samuel anointed both Saul and David, so in this respect he was superior to them both.

Date and Writer

Statements in the Book of Samuel imply that someone who had witnessed at least some of the events recorded wrote it. However the original writer must have written most of it after Samuel's death (i.e., -1 Sam. 25-2 Sam. 24) and some of it even after the division of the kingdom following Solomon's death (e.g., 1 Sam. 27:6). These features have made it difficult to date the book.

"Our guess is that the author was a high state official in frequent attendance at the court, enjoying the full confidence of David and his household, who served David throughout his reign in Jerusalem and also Solomon during the early years of his reign, and whose duties may have been connected with literary work."¹

Most conservative scholars prefer the view that Samuel may have written or been responsible for noting the record of earlier events in the book (chs. 1-24). Then some unidentifiable writer put it in its final form later, perhaps soon after Solomon's death.

Rationalistic critics of the book tend to believe it was the result of much more piecing together, and some of them date its final form as late as 500 B.C.²

Scope

The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.³ David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11; 5:5). This means he came to power in 1011 B.C. Saul also reigned for 40 years (Acts 13:21) so he became king in 1051 B.C. We can estimate the date of Samuel's birth fairly certainly on the basis of chronological references in the text to have been about 1121 B.C.⁴ Thus the Book of Samuel covers about 1121-971 B.C., or about 150 years of history.

We should note that the first part of 1 Samuel overlaps historically with the end of the judges period that we find in the Book of Judges. Apparently Samson was born just a few years before Samuel. Samson's 20-year judgeship evidently began shortly before the battle of Aphek (1104 B.C.) at which time Eli died (1 Sam. 4:18). It ended not many years before the battle of Mizpah (1084 B.C.) when the Philistine domination of Israel ceased temporarily (1 Sam. 7:13). Samuel's ministry therefore probably ran concurrent with that of Samson until Samson died. Saul began to reign about 35 years after Samson died (i.e., 1051 B.C.). Samuel evidently lived about 30 years after that.⁵

Old Testament History
Events	Biblical References
Creation to Israel's move to Egypt	Genesis 1-50
The Exodus	Exodus 1-18
Israel at Mt. Sinai	Exodus 19--Numbers 10
The Wilderness Wanderings	Numbers 11-21
Israel on the Plains of Moab	Numbers 22--Joshua 2
The Conquest and Division of Canaan	Joshua 3-24
The Amphictyony	-Judges 1-1 Samuel 7
The Reign of Saul	1 Samuel 8-31; 1 Chronicles 10
The Reign of David	2 Samuel 1-24; 1 Chronicles 11-29
The Reign of Solomon	1 Kings 1-11; 2 Chronicles 1-9
The Divided Monarchy	-1 Kings 12-2 Kings 17; 2 Chronicles 10-31
The Surviving Kingdom of Judah	2 Kings 18-25; 2 Chronicles 32-36
The Return under Zerubbabel	Ezra 1-6
The Return under Ezra	Ezra 7-10
The Return under Nehemiah	Nehemiah 1-13

Message⁶

First and 2 Samuel are really one story. The translators divided them into two books for convenience, not because of subject matter.

First Samuel records Israel's transition from amphictyony to monarchy.

The key passage that explains this transition is 8:4-7. Two statements from this passage are especially significant.

The human desire that produced the transition expressed itself in verse 5: "Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations." God had brought Israel into existence as a nation to be unlike all the nations (Exod. 19:5-6). The essence of its uniqueness was Yahweh's rule over it as King. God wanted Israel to be a demonstration for all the world to see how glorious it can be to live under the authority of God.

The real meaning of the people's request comes out in verse 7: ". . . they have rejected me from being king over them." During the period of the judges, religious apostasy spread and characterized Israel. The people refused to obey their King. It is this attitude that finds expression in verse 5. The people wanted to substitute the false for the true. This is the essence of sin, and it results in idolatry. Every idol is a witness to man's need of God. When people reject the true God they must put something in His place to meet that need. Human beings must have a god.

Israel turned from God as her King in 1 Samuel. She desired a king like the other nations. This book shows the immediate effects of that desire.

One of the great revelations of 1 Samuel is how from the human viewpoint God adapts to continue His reign.

This statement appears to contradict 8:7, but it does not. The people rejected Yahweh, but they did not dethrone Him. The first act is possible, the second is not. This is a major lesson of 1 Samuel. The great revelation of this book is not primarily its three central figures: Samuel, Saul, and David. It is Yahweh reigning by adapting to human situations and moving surely and steadily toward the fulfillment of His purposes. In spite of disobedience or obedience, failure or success, rebellious or loyal people, the reign of God moves on. We see this great lesson in the history of 1 Samuel's three central figures: Samuel, Saul, and David.

The writer introduced Samuel's story with his mother Hannah's experience with God. Hannah was a great woman of faith who lived in the judges period. Her faith became God's foothold for advance. Her song reveals a profound appreciation for Yahweh as the God who reigns over all (2:6-8, 10). The similarities between this prayer and Mary's Magnificat in Luke 1 are interesting and noteworthy.

Samuel was a prophet. In one sense he was the first of the prophets (Acts 3:24). Of course, Moses was a prophet and so was Abraham, but Samuel was the first of the order of prophets who mediated between God and the Israelites during the monarchy. The kings of Israel and Judah were never mediators between God and the people in the sense of speaking for God to the people. When the Israelites rejected Yahweh as their king, He withdrew from close communion and intimate fellowship with them. He never recognized their kings as standing between Himself and them to mediate His Word to the people. He chose their kings for them. He allowed their desire for a human king to work itself out in ultimate disaster through the centuries that followed. Yet He never spoke to the people through the king. He always spoke to them through the prophets. Samuel was the first of these. David, of course, was a king and a prophet. The role of the kings was to govern the people. The role of the prophets was to reveal God's will to them.

With Samuel the office of prophet in Israel emerges as that of Yahweh's authoritative representative to His people. Samuel became the king-maker finding and anointing both Saul and David. >From now on when God had a message for the people it normally did not come directly to the king but to the king and the people through the prophet. The prophet's office was always superior to that of Israel's kings. (You have the privilege of speaking for God to your generation. You have a high calling similar to that of Israel's prophets.) When Israel rejected Yahweh as her king, God chose Samuel, the child of a woman's simple faith, trained him in the tabernacle, and called him when he was only a boy. Then He gave him a message to deliver and sent him to anoint Saul as the king after the people's own heart, and David as the king after God's own heart. The prophets became God's mediators, His messengers, and the interpreters of His law. Thus Yahweh reigned though He adapted His methods of ruling by raising up the prophets. He called Samuel as the first of these mediators. During the monarchy God provided guidance through two offices rather than through one as He had done previously. The kings provided political leadership, and the prophets gave the people spiritual leadership. God had previously provided both types of leadership through single individuals namely Moses, Joshua, and the judges.

Saul's story is one of the most tragic in Scripture. It is unusually fascinating and has tremendous power in its appeal to our lives. When God placed Saul on Israel's throne He answered the prayer of His rebellious people in 8:5. God "gave them their request, but sent a wasting disease among them" (Ps. 106:15; NASB).

Saul was a revelation to the Israelites of what the possession of "a king like the nations" really meant. He had unusual physical strength, but he was fitful and he failed the people. He had mental acumen, but he was moody and eventually turned into a madman. He was sluggish and dull spiritually lacking in spiritual insight and power, and eventually he abandoned Yahweh for a witch.

His reign was also a disaster. At the beginning of his reign, Israel was virtually without a leader. At its end it was under the control of an enemy neighbor. Saul was never able to expand the borders of Israel because he never was strong enough to dominate his enemy neighbors. David on the other hand did both of these things. At the end of Saul's reign, Israel had almost destroyed itself through its wars with the Philistines.

David's story is one of the most glorious in Scripture. After Saul, God gave His people another king, but this time he was a man after God's own heart.

God prepared David for the throne by putting him through training as a shepherd in the fields, a courtier in the palace, and an "outlaw" in exile. (By "outlaw" I do not mean David was lawless but that he lived outside Saul's control.) His shepherd training prepared him to care for and protect the Israelites under his charge. His courtier experience prepared him to deal with high governmental leaders. His "outlaw" years perfected the disciplines that enabled him to become a strong ruler. These disciplines included relying on God in every situation, practicing self-restraint, and leading his people.

In all David's training God was reigning, moving forward to the fulfillment of His plans and purposes. God had previously done this by making the child of faith, Samuel, His prophet. He had also done this by making outwardly promising Saul a revelation to the nation of her sins in turning away from God.

The second great revelation of this book is that people cooperate with God by either being loyal or by being disloyal to Him.

In Samuel's case he had opportunity to glorify God because of his parentage, his call by God, and his appointment as God's prophet. He responded obediently, with loyalty to God. Consequently God's messages got delivered, and God's work moved ahead. Samuel was an instrument of blessing.

In Saul's case he had opportunity to glorify God too. His opportunity came in his call by God, his anointing by Samuel, his friendship with Samuel, his popularity with the people, and his personal abilities. He responded disobediently, with disloyalty to God as seen in his vacillating and self-will. Consequently he failed as a king, and he died under the judgment of God. His life was a failure.

In David's case his opportunities were his call, his anointing, his waiting, and his suffering. He responded obediently, with loyalty to God. Consequently he became God's instrument of progress and blessing. He was a success.

Each man had his opportunity, made his response, and experienced the consequences of his response. Two obeyed, one disobeyed. All cooperated with God in fulfilling His ultimate purposes either to his own blessing or to his own blasting.

As a result of these two major revelations I would summarize the message of 1 Samuel as follows. God will accomplish His purposes regardless of man's personal response to Him. However man's response to God's revealed will determines a person's own success or failure in life.

First Samuel teaches us the methods of the sovereign God. All territory is within God's jurisdiction, every person is under His control, and all events are in His hands. All of God's plans and purposes are moving toward accomplishment. He makes use of all antagonistic facts and forces as well as all positive facts and forces. He also makes use of all the agents He has chosen to use regardless of their responses. Paul's comments in 2 Tim. 2:20-21 are very much to the point here.

First Samuel also teaches us that God's ultimate victory is independent of the attitudes and actions of individuals and groups of people (e.g., Israel) toward Him. Nevertheless the ultimate destiny of individuals and groups of people depends on their attitudes and actions toward Him.

Samuel was obedient, was God's instrument, and experienced deliverance. Saul was disobedient, was God's instrument, and experienced destruction. David was obedient, was God's instrument, and experienced deliverance. My attitudes and actions do not determine God's ultimate victory, but they do determine my ultimate destiny. Everything depends on my choices and me regarding my earthly destiny. Nothing depends on me regarding God's ultimate victory. God uses all people, loyal and rebellious, to produce His ultimate purposes. However we determine the outcome of our lives by our attitudes and responses to Him. We see these principles working themselves out around us all the time. Dr. Walvoord is an example of a Samuel or a David in our day. The DTS graduates in prison are examples of the Sauls of our day.

Constable: 1 Samuel (Outline)

Outline

I. Eli and Samuel chs. 1-3

A. The change from barrenness to fertility 1:1-2:10

1. Hannah's condition 1:1-8

2. Hannah's vow 1:9-18

3. Hannah's obedience 1:19-28

4. Hannah's song 2:1-10

B. The contrast between Samuel and Eli's sons 2:11-36

1. Eli's sons' wickedness 2:11-17

2. Hannah's godly influence on Samuel and its effect 2:18-21

3. Eli's lack of influence on his sons and its effect 2:22-26

4. The oracle against Eli's house 2:27-36

C. God's first revelation to Samuel ch. 3

1. Samuel's call 3:1-18

2. Samuel's ministry 3:19-4:1a

II. The history of the ark of the covenant 4:1b-7:1

A. The capture of the ark 4:1b-22

1. The battle of Aphek 4:1b-11

2. The response of Eli 4:12-18

3. The response of Phinehas' wife 4:19-22

B. Pagan fertility foiled by God ch. 5

C. The ark returned to Israel by God 6:1-7:1

1. The plan to terminate God's judgment 6:1-9

2. The return of the ark to Bethshemesh 6:10-18

3. The removal of the ark to Kiriath-jearim 6:19-7:1

III. Samuel and Saul 7:2-15:35

A. Samuel's ministry as Israel's judge 7:2-17

1. Samuel's spiritual leadership 7:2-4

2. National repentance and deliverance 7:5-14

3. Samuel's regular ministry 7:15-17

B. Kingship given to Saul chs. 8-12

1. The demand for a king ch. 8

2. The anointing of Saul 9:1-10:16

3. The choice of Saul by lot 10:17-27

4. Saul's effective leadership in battle 11:1-11

5. The confirmation of Saul as king 11:12-12:25

C. Kingship removed from Saul chs. 13-15

1. Saul's disobedience at Gilgal 13:1-15

2. Saul's struggle against the Philistines 13:16-14:23

3. Saul's cursing of Jonathan 14:24-46

4. Saul's limited effectiveness in battle 14:47-52

5. Yahweh's final rejection of Saul ch. 15

IV. Saul and David 1 Sam. 16-31

A. David's rise as the new anointed 16:1-18:5

1. God's selection of David for kingship ch. 16

2. The reason for God's selection of David ch. 17

3. The results of God's selection of David ch. 18:1-19:17

B. David driven out by Saul 19:18-20:42

1. God's deliverance in Ramah 19:18-24

2. Jonathan's advocacy for David ch. 20

C. David in exile chs. 21-31

1. David's initial movements chs. 21-22

2. Saul's pursuit of David ch. 23

3. David's goodness to two fools ch. 24-26

4. The end of Saul's reign 27-31

(Continued in notes on 2 Samuel)

Constable: 1 Samuel

1 Samuel

Bibliography

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_____. "The Tragedy of King Saul: A Study of the Structure of 1 Samuel 9-31." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 6 (February 1978):18-27.

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Copyright 2003 by Thomas L. Constable

Haydock: 1 Samuel (Book Introduction)

THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL;

otherwise called,

THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS.

INTRODUCTION.

This and the following Book are called by the Hebrews, the Books of Samuel, because they contain the history of Samuel, and of the two kings, Saul and David, whom he anointed. They are more commonly named by the Fathers, the First and Second Book of Kings. As to the writer of them, it is the common opinion that Samuel composed the first book, as far as the twenty-fifth chapter; and that the prophets Nathan and Gad finished the first and wrote the second book. See 1 Paralipomenon, alias 1 Chronicles, xxix. 19. (Challoner) --- The authors of the Third and Fourth Books of Kings were also prophets, but we know not exactly their names. These works have nevertheless been always esteemed authentic (Haydock) and canonical. (Worthington) --- Ven. Bede takes occasion to observe, from the Books of Kings (or as the Septuagint read, "of kingdoms;" Haydock) being placed after that of Judges, that the everlasting kingdom of Christ will succeed the general judgment. The translation of the priesthood and of the regal dignity, recorded in these books, denote also that Christ would united both in his own person; as the two wives of Eleana intimated, that both Jews and Gentiles would acknowledge the same Lord. (St. Jerome; St. Augustine; &c.) --- The transactions of Heli, Samuel and Saul, and the persecutions which David sustained from the latter, form the subject of the first book, (Haydock) during the space of 100 years. All the four books carry down the sacred history near 600 years, from the year of the world 2849 till the transmigration of Juda, in the year 3420. (Calmet) (Usher)

Gill: 1 Samuel (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO 1 SAMUEL

This book, in the Hebrew copies, is commonly called Samuel, or the Book of Samuel; in the Syriac version, the Book of Samuel the Prophet; and in the Arabic version, the Book of Samuel the Prophet, which is the First Book of the Kings; and the Septuagint version, the Book of the Kingdom: it has the name of Samuel, because it contains an history of his life and times; and the Jews say ^a it was written by him; and as it may well enough be thought to be, to the end of the twenty fourth chapter; and the rest might be written by Nathan and Gad, as may he gathered from 1Ch 29:29 as also the following book that bears his name; and both may be called the Books of Kings, because they give an account of the rise of the kings in Israel, and of the two first of them; though some think they were written by Jeremiah, as Abarbinel; and others ascribe them to Ezra: however, there is no doubt to be made of it that this book was written by divine inspiration, when we consider the series of its history, its connection and harmony with other parts of Scripture; the several things borrowed from it, or alluded to in the book of Psalms, particularly what is observed in Psa 113:7, seems to be taken out of 1Sa 2:8, and the sanction which the Lord gives to it, by referring to a fact in it, whereby he stopped the mouths of the Scribes and Pharisees cavilling at his disciples, Mat 12:3, compared with 1Sa 21:3, yea, even, as Huetius ^b observes, some Heathen writers have by their testimonies confirmed some passages in these books, which they seem to have been acquainted with, as Nicolaus of Damascus ^c, and Eupolemus ^d; it contains an history of the government of Eli, and of the birth of Samuel, and his education under him; of the succession of Samuel in it, and the resignation of it to Saul, when he was chosen king; of his administration of his office, and of things done in the time of it, both before and after his rejection, and of the persecution of David by Saul, and is concluded with his death.

Gill: 1 Samuel 8 (Chapter Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 8

This chapter relates, how that Samuel being old, and his sons behaving ill, the people desired to have a king set over them, 1Sa 8:1, which case Samuel laid before the Lord, and he was directed by him to yield to the people's desire, but at the same time to set before them all the disadvantages and ill consequences that would arise from thence, which he did, 1Sa 8:6, but they insisting upon it, nevertheless, he gave them reason to expect that their request would be granted, 1Sa 8:19.