1By occasion of the ill government of Samuel's sons the Israelites desire a king. 6Samuel is displeased, and prayeth; he is comforted by God, but withal admonished to hearken unto the people's request. 10He setteth before them by God's command the manner in which they must expect a king to rule over them. 19The people still continue their importunity, and God directeth Samuel to yield to them.
1AND it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons 1judges over Israel.
1 Understand this so, that notwithstanding he himself yet continued to be the lord chief justice, as the sequel demonstrates.
2Now the name of his firstborn was 2Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in 3Beer-sheba.
2 Other, Vashni, 1 Chron. 6:28, whose son was a singing-master, Heman by name, 1 Chron. 6:33.
3 That is, having their habitation at Beer-sheba and exercising the office of a judge there.
3And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside 4aftera lucre,b and took bribes, and 5perverted judgment.
4 Hebr. after or, toward.
a Exod. 18:21; Deut. 16:19.
b ill-gotten or unlawful gain or advantage*
5 Other, perverted.
4Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5And said unto him, Behold, 6thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: nowc make us a king 7to judge us like 8all the nations.
6 And therefore canst not travel through the lands and cities as thou hast done hitherto.
c Hosea 13:10; Acts 13:21.
7 That is, to govern us, with kingly authority.
8 That is, almost all, for there were also some among the heathen nations that had no kings, but princes, or rulers.
6¶But 9thed thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel 10prayed unto the LORD.
9 For it pertained only to God, to constitute or appoint such a form of government over His people as it pleased Him. But it became not the people to do this out of pride, ambition, or diffidence, or other respects, without asking counsel of the Lord. See verse 7.
d 1 Sam. 12:17.
10 To know how he should behave himself in this matter, and whether he would consent unto the peoples’ request or not.
7And the LORD said unto Samuel, 11Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected 12thee, but they have rejected 13me, 14that I should not reign over them.
11 This the Lord said in His anger, as Hosea witnesses, Hosea 13:11.
12 That is, not thee only; for they also rejected Samuel, as it appears from verse 8. See the like phrase, Gen. 32:28.
13 Partly because they would acknowledge Me no longer to be their only King, but would have another to be under or with Me, see 1 Sam. 12:12, 19. Partly, because they did not leave it to My Divine Providence what form of government was best suitable for them.
14 Hebr. from reigning over them.
8According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
9Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest 15solemnly unto them, and shew them 16the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
15 Hebr. protesting shall have protested.
16 Or, way, as 1 Sam. 2:13; 27:11; 2 Kings 17:33, 34, 40, etc. That is, how the king, who shall reign over them, shall treat them, or how the kings commonly deal with their subjects. The word mispat does not signify here right; for if kings might do all this which here follows, then Ahab sinned not, when he took away Naboth’s land by violence. Note this also on verse 11. God gives unto kings another right than here is mentioned, Deut. 17:15. Samuel did afterward relate and describe the true rights of the king, 1 Sam. 10:25.
10¶And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
11And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will 17take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
17 Namely, with violence.
12And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to 18ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
18 Hebr. properly: his plowing.
13And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be 19cooks, and to be bakers.
19 Hebr. female butchers.
14And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his 20servants.
20 Meaning: counselors, officers, etc., not such servants who did servile works, as verses 16, 17.
15And he will take the tenth of 21your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his 22officers, and to his servants.
21 Hebr. of your seeds; that is, all your seed.
22 See the signification of this word in the annotation on Gen. 37:36.
16And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
17He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
18And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
19¶Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, 23Nay; but we will have a king over us;
23 Understand hereby: your admonition shall not make us change our purpose.
20That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.
22And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, 24Go ye every man unto his city.
24 As if he had said: Depart hence for this time, I will take it into further consideration, and enquire of God, whom He will give you to be king.