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1 Samuel 12:1-25 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 And Samuel H8050 said H559 unto all Israel, H3478 Behold, I have hearkened H8085 unto your voice H6963 in all that ye said H559 unto me, and have made H4427 a king H4428 over you.

2 And now, behold, the king H4428 walketh H1980 before H6440 you: and I am old H2204 and grayheaded; H7867 and, behold, my sons H1121 are with you: and I have walked H1980 before H6440 you from my childhood H5271 unto this day. H3117

3 Behold, here I am: witness H6030 against me before the LORD, H3068 and before his anointed: H4899 whose ox H7794 have I taken? H3947 or whose ass H2543 have I taken? H3947 or whom have I defrauded? H6231 whom have I oppressed? H7533 or of whose hand H3027 have I received any bribe H3724 to blind H5956 mine eyes H5869 therewith? and I will restore H7725 it you.

4 And they said, H559 Thou hast not defrauded H6231 us, nor oppressed H7533 us, neither hast thou taken H3947 ought H3972 of any man's H376 hand. H3027

5 And he said H559 unto them, The LORD H3068 is witness H5707 against you, and his anointed H4899 is witness H5707 this day, H3117 that ye have not found H4672 ought H3972 in my hand. H3027 And they answered, H559 He is witness. H5707

6 And Samuel H8050 said H559 unto the people, H5971 It is the LORD H3068 that advanced H6213 Moses H4872 and Aaron, H175 and that brought H5927 your fathers H1 up H5927 out of the land H776 of Egypt. H4714

7 Now therefore stand still, H3320 that I may reason H8199 with you before H6440 the LORD H3068 of all the righteous acts H6666 of the LORD, H3068 which he did H6213 to you and to your fathers. H1

8 When Jacob H3290 was come H935 into Egypt, H4714 and your fathers H1 cried H2199 unto the LORD, H3068 then the LORD H3068 sent H7971 Moses H4872 and Aaron, H175 which brought forth H3318 your fathers H1 out of Egypt, H4714 and made them dwell H3427 in this place. H4725

9 And when they forgat H7911 the LORD H3068 their God, H430 he sold H4376 them into the hand H3027 of Sisera, H5516 captain H8269 of the host H6635 of Hazor, H2674 and into the hand H3027 of the Philistines, H6430 and into the hand H3027 of the king H4428 of Moab, H4124 and they fought H3898 against them.

10 And they cried H2199 unto the LORD, H3068 and said, H559 We have sinned, H2398 because we have forsaken H5800 the LORD, H3068 and have served H5647 Baalim H1168 and Ashtaroth: H6252 but now deliver H5337 us out of the hand H3027 of our enemies, H341 and we will serve H5647 thee.

11 And the LORD H3068 sent H7971 Jerubbaal, H3378 and Bedan, H917 and Jephthah, H3316 and Samuel, H8050 and delivered H5337 you out of the hand H3027 of your enemies H341 on every side, H5439 and ye dwelled H3427 safe. H983

12 And when ye saw H7200 that Nahash H5176 the king H4428 of the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 came H935 against you, ye said H559 unto me, Nay; but a king H4428 shall reign H4427 over us: when the LORD H3068 your God H430 was your king. H4428

13 Now therefore behold the king H4428 whom ye have chosen, H977 and whom ye have desired! H7592 and, behold, the LORD H3068 hath set H5414 a king H4428 over you.

14 If ye will fear H3372 the LORD, H3068 and serve H5647 him, and obey H8085 his voice, H6963 and not rebel H4784 against the commandment H6310 of the LORD, H3068 then shall both ye and also the king H4428 that reigneth H4427 over you continue following H310 the LORD H3068 your God: H430

15 But if ye will not obey H8085 the voice H6963 of the LORD, H3068 but rebel H4784 against the commandment H6310 of the LORD, H3068 then shall the hand H3027 of the LORD H3068 be against you, as it was against your fathers. H1

16 Now therefore H1571 stand H3320 and see H7200 this great H1419 thing, H1697 which the LORD H3068 will do H6213 before your eyes. H5869

17 Is it not wheat H2406 harvest H7105 to day? H3117 I will call H7121 unto the LORD, H3068 and he shall send H5414 thunder H6963 and rain; H4306 that ye may perceive H3045 and see H7200 that your wickedness H7451 is great, H7227 which ye have done H6213 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 in asking H7592 you a king. H4428

18 So Samuel H8050 called H7121 unto the LORD; H3068 and the LORD H3068 sent H5414 thunder H6963 and rain H4306 that day: H3117 and all the people H5971 greatly H3966 feared H3372 the LORD H3068 and Samuel. H8050

19 And all the people H5971 said H559 unto Samuel, H8050 Pray H6419 for thy servants H5650 unto the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 that we die H4191 not: for we have added H3254 unto all our sins H2403 this evil, H7451 to ask H7592 us a king. H4428

20 And Samuel H8050 said H559 unto the people, H5971 Fear H3372 not: ye have done H6213 all this wickedness: H7451 yet turn not aside H5493 from following H310 the LORD, H3068 but serve H5647 the LORD H3068 with all your heart; H3824

21 And turn ye not aside: H5493 for then should ye go after H310 vain H8414 things, which cannot profit H3276 nor deliver; H5337 for they are vain. H8414

22 For the LORD H3068 will not forsake H5203 his people H5971 for his great H1419 name's H8034 sake: because it hath pleased H2974 the LORD H3068 to make H6213 you his people. H5971

23 Moreover as for me, H595 God forbid H2486 that I should sin H2398 against the LORD H3068 in ceasing H2308 to pray H6419 for you: H1157 but I will teach H3384 you the good H2896 and the right H3477 way: H1870

24 Only fear H3372 the LORD, H3068 and serve H5647 him in truth H571 with all your heart: H3824 for consider H7200 how great things he hath done H1431 for you.

25 But if ye shall still H7489 do wickedly, H7489 ye shall be consumed, H5595 both ye and your king. H4428

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on 1 Samuel 12

Commentary on 1 Samuel 12 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary


Introduction

Samuel's Address at the Renewal of the Monarchy - 1 Samuel 12

Samuel closed this solemn confirmation of Saul as king with an address to all Israel, in which he handed over the office of judge, which he had hitherto filled, to the king, who had been appointed by God and joyfully recognised by the people. The good, however, which Israel expected from the king depended entirely upon both the people and their king maintaining that proper attitude towards the Lord with which the prosperity of Israel was ever connected. This truth the prophet felt impelled to impress most earnestly upon the hearts of all the people on this occasion. To this end he reminded them, that neither he himself, in the administration of his office, nor the Lord in His guidance of Israel thus far, had given the people any reason for asking a king when the Ammonites invaded the land (1 Samuel 12:1-12). Nevertheless the Lord had given them a king, and would not withdraw His hand from them, if they would only fear Him and confess their sin (1 Samuel 12:13-15). This address was then confirmed by the Lord at Samuel's desire, through a miraculous sign (1 Samuel 12:16-18); whereupon Samuel gave to the people, who were terrified by the miracle and acknowledged their sin, the comforting promise that the Lord would not forsake His people for His great name's sake, and then closed his address with the assurance of his continued intercession, and a renewed appeal to them to serve the Lord with faithfulness (1 Samuel 12:19-25). With this address Samuel laid down his office as judge, but without therefore ceasing as prophet to represent the people before God, and to maintain the rights of God in relation to the king. In this capacity he continued to support the king with his advice, until he was compelled to announce his rejection on account of his repeated rebellion against the commands of the Lord, and to anoint David as his successor.


Verses 1-6

The time and place of the following address are not given. But it is evident from the connection with the preceding chapter implied in the expression ויּאמר , and still more from the introduction (1 Samuel 12:1, 1 Samuel 12:2) and the entire contents of the address, that it was delivered on the renewal of the monarchy at Gilgal.

1 Samuel 12:1-2

Samuel starts with the fact, that he had given the people a king in accordance with their own desire, who would now walk before them. הנּה with the participle expresses what is happening, and will happen still. לפני התהלּך must not be restricted to going at the head in war, but signifies the general direction and government of the nation, which had been in the hands of Samuel as judge before the election of Saul as king. “ And I have grown old and grey ( שׂבתּי from שׂיב ); and my sons, behold, they are with you .” With this allusion to his sons, Samuel simply intended to confirm what he had said about his own age. By the further remark, “ and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day ,” he prepares the way for the following appeal to the people to bear witness concerning his conduct in office.

1 Samuel 12:3

Bear witness against me before the Lord ,” i.e., looking up to the Lord, the omnipotent and righteous God-king, “ and before His anointed ,” the visible administrator of His divine government, whether I have committed any injustice in my office of judge, by appropriating another's property, or by oppression and violence ( רצץ , to pound or crush in pieces, when used to denote an act of violence, is stronger than אשׁק , with which it is connected here and in many other passages, e.g., Deuteronomy 28:33; Amos 4:1), or by taking atonement money ( כּפר , redemption or atonement money, is used, as in Exodus 21:30 and Numbers 35:31, to denote a payment made by a man to redeem himself from capital punishment), “ so that I had covered my eyes with it ,” viz., to exempt from punishment a man who was worthy of death. The בּו , which is construed with העלים , is the בּ instrumenti , and refers to כּפר ; consequently it is not to be confounded with מן , “to hide from,” which would be quite unsuitable here. The thought is not that the judge covers his eyes from the copher , that he may not see the bribe, but that he covers his eyes with the money offered him as a bribe, so as not to see and not to punish the crime committed.

1 Samuel 12:4

The people answered Samuel, that he had not done them any kind of injustice.

1 Samuel 12:5

To confirm this declaration on the part of the people, he then called Jehovah and His anointed as witnesses against the people, and they accepted these witnesses. כּל־ישׂראל is the subject to ויּאמר ; and the Keri ויּאמרוּ , though more simple, is by no means necessary. Samuel said, “ Jehovah be witness against you ,” because with the declaration which the people had made concerning Samuel's judicial labours they had condemned themselves, inasmuch as they had thereby acknowledged on oath that there was no ground for their dissatisfaction with Samuel's administration, and consequently no well-founded reason for their request for a king.

1 Samuel 12:6

But in order to bring the people to a still more thorough acknowledgment of their sin, Samuel strengthened still more their assent to his solemn appeal to God, as expressed in the words “ He is witness ,” by saying, “ Jehovah (i.e., yea, the witness is Jehovah), who made Moses and Aaron, and brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt .” The context itself is sufficient to show that the expression “is witness” is understood; and there is no reason, therefore, to assume that the word has dropped out of the text through a copyist's error. עשׂה , to make, in a moral and historical sense, i.e., to make a person what he is to be; it has no connection, therefore, with his physical birth, but simply relates to his introduction upon the stage of history, like ποιεῖν , Hebrews 3:2. But if Jehovah, who redeemed Israel out of Egypt by the hands of Moses and Aaron, and exalted it into His own nation, was witness of the unselfishness and impartiality of Samuel's conduct in his office of judge, then Israel had grievously sinned by demanding a king. In the person of Samuel they had rejected Jehovah their God, who had given them their rulers (see 1 Samuel 8:7). Samuel proves this still further to the people from the following history.


Verses 7-12

And now come hither, and I will reason with you before the Lord with regard to all the righteous acts which He has shown to you and your fathers .” צדקות , righteous acts, is the expression used to denote the benefits which Jehovah had conferred upon His people, as being the results of His covenant fidelity, or as acts which attested the righteousness of the Lord in the fulfilment of the covenant grace which He had promised to His people.

1 Samuel 12:8-12

The first proof of this was furnished by the deliverance of the children of Israel out of Egypt, and their safe guidance into Canaan (“ this place ” is the land of Canaan). The second was to be found in the deliverance of the people out of the power of their foes, to whom the Lord had been obliged to give them up on account of their apostasy from Him, through the judges whom He had raised up for them, as often as they turned to Him with penitence and cried to Him for help. Of the hostile oppressions which overtook the Israelites during this period of the judges, the following are singled out in 1 Samuel 12:9 : (1) that by Sisera, the commander-in-chief of Hazor, i.e., that of the Canaanitish king Jabin of Hazor (Judges 4:2.); (2) that of the Philistines, by which we are to understand not so much the hostilities of that nation described in Judges 3:31, as the forty years' oppression mentioned in Judges 10:2 and Judges 13:1; and (3) the Moabitish oppression under Eglon ( Judges 3:12.). The first half of Judges 13:10 agrees almost word for word with Judges 10:10, except that, according to Judges 10:6, the Ashtaroth are added to the Baalim (see at 1 Samuel 7:4 and Judges 2:13). Of the judges whom God sent to the people as deliverers, the following are named, viz., Jerubbaal (see at Judges 6:32), i.e., Gideon (Judg 6), and Bedan, and Jephthah (see Judg 11), and Samuel. There is no judge named Bedan mentioned either in the book of Judges or anywhere else. The name Bedan only occurs again in 1 Chronicles 7:17, among the descendants of Machir the Manassite: consequently some of the commentators suppose Jair of Gilead to be the judge intended. But such a supposition is perfectly arbitrary, as it is not rendered probable by any identity in the two names, and Jair is not described as having delivered Israel from any hostile oppression. Moreover, it is extremely improbable that Samuel should have mentioned a judge here, who had been passed over in the book of Judges on account of his comparative insignificance. There is also just as little ground for rendering Bedan as an appellative, e.g., the Danite ( ben-Dan ), as Kimchi suggests, or corpulentus as Böttcher maintains, and so connecting the name with Samson. There is no other course left, therefore, than to regard Bedan as an old copyist's error for Barak (Judg 4), as the lxx, Syriac, and Arabic have done, - a conclusion which is favoured by the circumstance that Barak was one of the most celebrated of the judges, and is placed by the side of Gideon and Jephthah in Hebrews 11:32. The Syriac, Arabic, and one Greek MS (see Kennicott in the Addenda to his Dissert. Gener .), have the name of Samson instead of Samuel . But as the lxx, Chald., and Vulg. all agree with the Hebrew text, there is no critical ground for rejecting Samuel, the more especially as the objection raised to it, viz., that Samuel would not have mentioned himself, is far too trivial to overthrow the reading supported by the most ancient versions; and the assertion made by Thenius, that Samuel does not come down to his own times until the following verse, is altogether unfounded. Samuel could very well class himself with the deliverers of Israel, for the simple reason that it was by him that the people were delivered from the forty years' tyranny of the Philistines, whilst Samson merely commenced their deliverance and did not bring it to completion. Samuel appears to have deliberately mentioned his own name along with those of the other judges who were sent by God, that he might show the people in the most striking manner (1 Samuel 12:12) that they had no reason whatever for saying to him, “ Nay, but a king shall reign over us ,” as soon as the Ammonites invaded Gilead. “ As Jehovah your God is your king ,” i.e., has ever proved himself to be your King by sending judges to deliver you.


Verses 13-18

After the prophet had thus held up before the people their sin against the Lord, he bade them still further consider, that the king would only procure for them the anticipated deliverance if they would fear the Lord, and give up their rebellion against God.

1 Samuel 12:13

But now behold the king whom ye have chosen, whom ye have asked for! behold, Jehovah hath set a king over you .” By the second והנּה , the thought is brought out still more strongly, that Jehovah had fulfilled the desire of the people. Although the request of the people had been an act of hostility to God, yet Jehovah had fulfilled it. The word בּהרתּם , relating to the choice by lot (1 Samuel 10:17.), is placed before שׁאלתּם אשׁר , to show that the demand was the strongest act that the people could perform. They had not only chosen the king with the consent or by the direction of Samuel; they had even demanded a king of their own self-will.

1 Samuel 12:14

Still, since the Lord had given them a king, the further welfare of the nation would depend upon whether they would follow the Lord from that time forward, or whether they would rebel against Him again. “ If ye will only fear the Lord, and serve Him, ... and ye as well as the king who rules over you will be after Jehovah your God .” אם , in the sense of modo , if only, does not require any apodosis, as it is virtually equivalent to the wish, “ O that ye would only! ” for which אם with the imperfect is commonly used (vid., 2 Kings 20:19; Proverbs 24:11, etc.; and Ewald , §329, b .). There is also nothing to be supplied to יהוה אחר ... והיתם , since אחר היה , to be after or behind a person, is good Hebrew, and is frequently met with, particularly in the sense of attaching one's self to the king, or holding to him (vid., 2 Samuel 2:10; 1 Kings 12:20; 1 Kings 16:21-22). This meaning is also at the foundation of the present passage, as Jehovah was the God-king of Israel.

1 Samuel 12:15

But if ye do not hearken to the voice of Jehovah, and strive against His commandment, the hand of Jehovah will be heavy upon you, as upon your fathers .” ו in the sense of as, i.e., used in a comparative sense, is most frequently placed before whole sentences (see Ewald , §340, b .); and the use of it here may be explained, on the ground that בּאבתיכם contains the force of an entire sentence: “ as it was upon your fathers .” The allusion to the fathers is very suitable here, because the people were looking to the king for the removal of all the calamities, which had fallen upon them from time immemorial. The paraphrase of this word, which is adopted in the Septuagint, ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα ὑμῶν , is a very unhappy conjecture, although Thenius proposes to alter the text to suit it.

1 Samuel 12:16-17

In order to give still greater emphasis to his words, and to secure their lasting, salutary effect upon the people, Samuel added still further: Even now ye may see that ye have acted very wickedly in the sight of Jehovah, in demanding a king. This chain of thought is very clearly indicated by the words גּם־עתּה , “ yea, even now .” “ Even now come hither, and see this great thing which Jehovah does before your eyes .” The words גּם־עתּה , which are placed first, belong, so far as the sense is concerned, to את־הד ראוּ ; and התיצּבוּ (“ place yourselves ,” i.e., make yourselves ready) is merely inserted between, to fix the attention of the people more closely upon the following miracle, as an event of great importance, and one which they ought to lay to heart. “ Is it not now wheat harvest? I will call to Jehovah, that He may give thunder ( קלוה , as in Exodus 9:23, etc.) and rain. Then perceive and see, that the evil is great which ye have done in the eyes of Jehovah, to demand a king .” The wheat harvest occurs in Palestine between the middle of May and the middle of June (see by Bibl. Arch. i. §118). And during this time it scarcely ever rains. Thus Jerome affirms ( ad Am . c. 4): “ Nunquam in fine mensis Junii aut in Julio in his provinciis maximeque in Judaea pluvias vidimus .” And Robinson also says in his Palestine (ii. p. 98): “In ordinary seasons, from the cessation of the showers in spring until their commencement in October and November, rain never falls, and the sky is usually serene” (see my Arch. i. §10). So that when God sent thunder and rain on that day in answer to Samuel's appeal to him, this was a miracle of divine omnipotence, intended to show to the people that the judgments of God might fall upon the sinners at any time. Thunderings, as “the voice of God” (Exodus 9:28), are harbingers of judgment.


Verse 18-19

This miracle therefore inspired the people with a salutary terror. “ All the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel ,” and entreated the prophet, “ Pray for thy servants to the Lord thy God, that we die not, because we have added to all our sins the evil thing, to ask us a king .”


Verse 20-21

Samuel thereupon announced to them first of all, that the Lord would not forsake His people for His great name's sake, if they would only serve Him with uprightness. In order, however, to give no encouragement to any false trust in the covenant faithfulness of the Lord, after the comforting words, “ Fear not ,” he told them again very decidedly that they had done wrong, but that now they were not to turn away from the Lord, but to serve Him with all their heart, and not go after vain idols. To strengthen this admonition, he repeats the תּסוּרוּ לא in 1 Samuel 12:21, with the explanation, that in turning from the Lord they would fall away to idols, which could not bring them either help or deliverance. To the כּי after תּסוּרוּ the same verb must be supplied from the context: “ Do not turn aside (from the Lord), for (ye turn aside) after that which is vain .” התּהוּ , the vain, worthless thing, signifies the false gods . This will explain the construction with a plural: “ which do not profit and do not save, because they are emptiness ” ( tohu ), i.e., worthless beings ( elilim , Leviticus 19:4; cf. Isaiah 44:9 and Jeremiah 16:19).


Verse 22

For ( כּי gives the reason for the main thought of the previous verse, 'Fear not, but serve the Lord,' etc.) the Lord will not forsake His people for His great name's sake; for it hath pleased the Lord (for הואיל , see at Deuteronomy 1:5) to make you His people .” The emphasis lies upon His . This the Israelites could only be, when they proved themselves to be the people of God, by serving Jehovah with all their heart. “ For His great name's sake ,” i.e., for the great name which He had acquired in the sight of all the nations, by the marvellous guidance of Israel thus far, to preserve it against misapprehension and blasphemy (see at Joshua 7:9).


Verse 23

Samuel then promised the people his constant intercession: “ Far be it from me to sin against the Lord, that I should cease to pray for you, and to instruct you in the good and right way ,” i.e., to work as prophet for your good. “In this he sets a glorious example to all rulers, showing them that they should not be led astray by the ingratitude of their subordinates or subjects, and give up on that account all interest in their welfare, but should rather persevere all the more in their anxiety for them” ( Berleb. Bible ).


Verse 24-25

Lastly, he repeats once more his admonition, that they would continue stedfast in the fear of God, threatening at the same time the destruction of both king and people if they should do wrong (on 1 Samuel 12:24 , see 1 Samuel 7:3 and Joshua 24:14, where the form יראוּ is also found). “ For see what great things He has done for you ” (shown to you), not by causing it to thunder and rain at Samuel's prayer, but by giving them a king. עם הגדּיל , as in Genesis 19:19.