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
And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559 Again, thou shalt say H559 to the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 Whosoever H376 he be of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 or of the strangers H1616 that sojourn H1481 in Israel, H3478 that giveth H5414 any of his seed H2233 unto Molech; H4432 he shall surely H4191 be put to death: H4191 the people H5971 of the land H776 shall stone H7275 him with stones. H68 And I will set H5414 my face H6440 against that man, H376 and will cut him off H3772 from among H7130 his people; H5971 because he hath given H5414 of his seed H2233 unto Molech, H4432 to defile H2930 my sanctuary, H4720 and to profane H2490 my holy H6944 name. H8034 And if the people H5971 of the land H776 do any ways H5956 hide H5956 their eyes H5869 from the man, H376 when he giveth H5414 of his seed H2233 unto Molech, H4432 and kill H4191 him not: H1115 Then I will set H7760 my face H6440 against that man, H376 and against his family, H4940 and will cut him off, H3772 and all that go a whoring H2181 after H310 him, to commit whoredom H2181 with Molech, H4432 from among H7130 their people. H5971 And the soul H5315 that turneth H6437 after H413 such as have familiar spirits, H178 and after H310 wizards, H3049 to go a whoring H2181 after H310 them, I will even set H5414 my face H6440 against that soul, H5315 and will cut him off H3772 from among H7130 his people. H5971 Sanctify H6942 yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: H6918 for I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430 And ye shall keep H8104 my statutes, H2708 and do H6213 them: I am the LORD H3068 which sanctify H6942 you. For every H376 one H376 that curseth H7043 his father H1 or his mother H517 shall be surely H4191 put to death: H4191 he hath cursed H7043 his father H1 or his mother; H517 his blood H1818 shall be upon him. And the man H376 that committeth adultery H5003 with another man's H376 wife, H802 even he that committeth adultery H5003 with his neighbour's H7453 wife, H802 the adulterer H5003 and the adulteress H5003 shall surely H4191 be put to death. H4191 And the man H376 that lieth H7901 with his father's H1 wife H802 hath uncovered H1540 his father's H1 nakedness: H6172 both H8147 of them shall surely H4191 be put to death; H4191 their blood H1818 shall be upon them. And if a man H376 lie H7901 with his daughter in law, H3618 both H8147 of them shall surely H4191 be put to death: H4191 they have wrought H6213 confusion; H8397 their blood H1818 shall be upon them. If a man H376 also lie H7901 with mankind, H2145 as he lieth H4904 with a woman, H802 both H8147 of them have committed H6213 an abomination: H8441 they shall surely H4191 be put to death; H4191 their blood H1818 shall be upon them.
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken H8085 diligently H8085 unto the voice H6963 of the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 to observe H8104 and to do H6213 all his commandments H4687 which I command H6680 thee this day, H3117 that the LORD H3068 thy God H430 will set H5414 thee on high H5945 above all nations H1471 of the earth: H776 And all these blessings H1293 shall come H935 on thee, and overtake H5381 thee, if thou shalt hearken H8085 unto the voice H6963 of the LORD H3068 thy God. H430 Blessed H1288 shalt thou be in the city, H5892 and blessed H1288 shalt thou be in the field. H7704 Blessed H1288 shall be the fruit H6529 of thy body, H990 and the fruit H6529 of thy ground, H127 and the fruit H6529 of thy cattle, H929 the increase H7698 of thy kine, H504 and the flocks H6251 of thy sheep. H6629 Blessed H1288 shall be thy basket H2935 and thy store. H4863 Blessed H1288 shalt thou be when thou comest in, H935 and blessed H1288 shalt thou be when thou goest out. H3318 The LORD H3068 shall cause H5414 thine enemies H341 that rise up H6965 against thee to be smitten H5062 before thy face: H6440 they shall come out H3318 against thee one H259 way, H1870 and flee H5127 before H6440 thee seven H7651 ways. H1870 The LORD H3068 shall command H6680 the blessing H1293 upon thee in thy storehouses, H618 and in all that thou settest H4916 thine hand H3027 unto; and he shall bless H1288 thee in the land H776 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee. The LORD H3068 shall establish H6965 thee an holy H6918 people H5971 unto himself, as he hath sworn H7650 unto thee, if thou shalt keep H8104 the commandments H4687 of the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and walk H1980 in his ways. H1870 And all people H5971 of the earth H776 shall see H7200 that thou art called H7121 by the name H8034 of the LORD; H3068 and they shall be afraid H3372 of thee. And the LORD H3068 shall make thee plenteous H3498 in goods, H2896 in the fruit H6529 of thy body, H990 and in the fruit H6529 of thy cattle, H929 and in the fruit H6529 of thy ground, H127 in the land H127 which the LORD H3068 sware H7650 unto thy fathers H1 to give H5414 thee. The LORD H3068 shall open H6605 unto thee his good H2896 treasure, H214 the heaven H8064 to give H5414 the rain H4306 unto thy land H776 in his season, H6256 and to bless H1288 all the work H4639 of thine hand: H3027 and thou shalt lend H3867 unto many H7227 nations, H1471 and thou shalt not borrow. H3867 And the LORD H3068 shall make H5414 thee the head, H7218 and not the tail; H2180 and thou shalt be above only, H4605 and thou shalt not be beneath; H4295 if that thou hearken H8085 unto the commandments H4687 of the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 which I command H6680 thee this day, H3117 to observe H8104 and to do H6213 them: And thou shalt not go aside H5493 from any of the words H1697 which I command H6680 thee this day, H3117 to the right hand, H3225 or to the left, H8040 to go H3212 after H310 other H312 gods H430 to serve H5647 them.
So I gave them up H7971 unto their own hearts' H3820 lust: H8307 and they walked H3212 in their own counsels. H4156 Oh H3863 that my people H5971 had hearkened H8085 unto me, and Israel H3478 had walked H1980 in my ways! H1870 I should soon H4592 have subdued H3665 their enemies, H341 and turned H7725 my hand H3027 against their adversaries. H6862 The haters H8130 of the LORD H3068 should have submitted H3584 themselves unto him: but their time H6256 should have endured for ever. H5769
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Samuel 12
Commentary on 1 Samuel 12 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 12
1Sa 12:1-5. Samuel Testifies his Integrity.
1-4. Samuel said unto all Israel—This public address was made after the solemn re-instalment of Saul, and before the convention at Gilgal separated. Samuel, having challenged a review of his public life, received a unanimous testimony to the unsullied honor of his personal character, as well as the justice and integrity of his public administration.
5. the Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness—that, by their own acknowledgment, he had given them no cause to weary of the divine government by judges, and that, therefore, the blame of desiring a change of government rested with themselves. This was only insinuated, and they did not fully perceive his drift.
1Sa 12:6-16. He Reproves the People for Ingratitude.
7-16. Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you—The burden of this faithful and uncompromising address was to show them, that though they had obtained the change of government they had so importunely desired, their conduct was highly displeasing to their heavenly King; nevertheless, if they remained faithful to Him and to the principles of the theocracy, they might be delivered from many of the evils to which the new state of things would expose them. And in confirmation of those statements, no less than in evidence of the divine displeasure, a remarkable phenomenon, on the invocation of the prophet, and of which he gave due premonition, took place.
11. Bedan—The Septuagint reads "Barak"; and for "Samuel" some versions read "Samson," which seems more natural than that the prophet should mention himself to the total omission of the greatest of the judges. (Compare Heb 11:32).
1Sa 12:17-25. He Terrifies Them with Thunder in Harvest-time.
17-25. Is it not wheat harvest to-day?—That season in Palestine occurs at the end of June or beginning of July, when it seldom or never rains, and the sky is serene and cloudless. There could not, therefore, have been a stronger or more appropriate proof of a divine mission than the phenomenon of rain and thunder happening, without any prognostics of its approach, upon the prediction of a person professing himself to be a prophet of the Lord, and giving it as an attestation of his words being true. The people regarded it as a miraculous display of divine power, and, panic-struck, implored the prophet to pray for them. Promising to do so, he dispelled their fears. The conduct of Samuel, in this whole affair of the king's appointment, shows him to have been a great and good man who sank all private and personal considerations in disinterested zeal for his country's good and whose last words in public were to warn the people, and their king, of the danger of apostasy and disobedience to God.