6 But the thing H1697 displeased H3415 H5869 Samuel, H8050 when they said, H559 Give H5414 us a king H4428 to judge H8199 us. And Samuel H8050 prayed H6419 unto the LORD. H3068
It repenteth H5162 me that I have set up H4427 Saul H7586 to be king: H4428 for he is turned back H7725 from following H310 me, and hath not performed H6965 my commandments. H1697 And it grieved H2734 Samuel; H8050 and he cried H2199 unto the LORD H3068 all night. H3915
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
Yet now, if thou wilt forgive H5375 their sin—; H2403 and if not, blot H4229 me, I pray thee, out of thy book H5612 which thou hast written. H3789
And Moses H4872 said H559 unto Aaron, H175 Take H3947 a censer, H4289 and put H5414 fire H784 therein from off H6440 the altar, H4196 and put H7760 on incense, H7004 and go H3212 quickly H4120 unto the congregation, H5712 and make an atonement H3722 for them: for there is wrath H7110 gone out H3318 from the LORD; H3068 the plague H5063 is begun. H2490
And when I heard H8085 this thing, H1697 I rent H7167 my garment H899 and my mantle, H4598 and plucked off H4803 the hair H8181 of my head H7218 and of my beard, H2206 and sat down H3427 astonied. H8074 Then were assembled H622 unto me every one that trembled H2730 at the words H1697 of the God H430 of Israel, H3478 because of the transgression H4604 of those that had been carried away; H1473 and I sat H3427 astonied H8074 until the evening H6153 sacrifice. H4503 And at the evening H6153 sacrifice H4503 I arose up H6965 from my heaviness; H8589 and having rent H7167 my garment H899 and my mantle, H4598 I fell H3766 upon my knees, H1290 and spread out H6566 my hands H3709 unto the LORD H3068 my God, H430
And G1161 they G846 were filled G4130 with madness; G454 and G2532 communed G1255 one with another G4314 G240 what G5101 G302 they might do G4160 to Jesus. G2424 And G1161 it came to pass G1096 in G1722 those G5025 days, G2250 that he went out G1831 into G1519 a mountain G3735 to pray, G4336 and G2532 continued all night G1273 G2258 in G1722 prayer G4335 to God. G2316
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Samuel 8
Commentary on 1 Samuel 8 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 8
1Sa 8:1-18. Occasioned by the Ill- Government of Samuel's Sons, the Israelites Ask a King.
1-5. when Samuel was old—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.
6-10. the thing displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to judge us—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.
11. This will be the manner of the king—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.
He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself—Oriental sovereigns claim a right to the services of any of their subjects at pleasure.
some shall run before his chariots—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.
12. he will appoint him captains—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.
13. he will take your daughters to be confectionaries—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.
14-18. he will take your fields, &c.—The circumstances mentioned here might be illustrated by exact analogies in the conduct of many Oriental monarchs in the present day.
19-22. Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel—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 (Nu 23:9; De 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 (De 17:14-20).