1 Samuelchapter 8
22 verses · BSB1 Samuel book hub →
A.Make us a king to judge us like all the nationsvv. 1-9
1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside toward dishonest gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice. 4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 “Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.” 6 But when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” their demand was displeasing in the sight of Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king. 8 Just as they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them, but you must solemnly warn them and show them the manner of the king who will reign over them.”
B.This will be the manner of the kingvv. 10-18
10 So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to his own chariots and horses, to run in front of his chariots. 12 He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and of fifties, and others to plow his ground, to reap his harvest, to make his weapons of war, and to equip his chariots. 13 And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his servants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and grape harvest and give it to his officials and servants. 16 And he will take your menservants and maidservants and your best cattle and donkeys and put them to his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will beg for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you on that day.”
C.Nay, but we will have a king over usvv. 19-22
19 Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to judge us, to go out before us, and to fight our battles.” 21 Samuel listened to all the words of the people and repeated them in the hearing of the LORD. 22 “Listen to their voice,” the LORD said to Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.” Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Everyone must go back to his city.”
Chapter summary
Samuel grows old and his sons judge in Beersheba, but they turn aside after lucre, take bribes, and pervert justice.
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Chapter summary
Samuel grows old and his sons judge in Beersheba, but they turn aside after lucre, take bribes, and pervert justice.
Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴
Samuel grows old and his sons judge in Beersheba, but they turn aside after lucre, take bribes, and pervert justice. So the elders gather at Ramah and ask for a king 'like all the nations.' The request grieves Samuel, and Jehovah reframes it: 'they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them' (8:7). Samuel warns them with the manner of the king, and the warning is one relentless verb, he will take: sons for his chariots, daughters for cooks, fields and vineyards and olive-yards, a tenth of seed and flocks. They refuse to hear: we will have a king over us.
Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.
Context
History · Samuel, Nathan, Gad — 1 Samuel overview
- A. 1–9 Make us a king to judge us like all the nations
- B. 10–18 This will be the manner of the king
- C. 19–22 Nay, but we will have a king over us
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
1 Samuel 85 verses
- 1 Samuel 8:5“Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.”
- 1 Samuel 8:6But when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” their demand was displeasing in the sight of Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 8:7And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king.
- 1 Samuel 8:11He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to his own chariots and horses, to run in front of his chariots.
- 1 Samuel 8:19Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us.
- Read 1 Samuel 8 →
1 Samuel 102 verses
- 1 Samuel 10:19But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions, and you have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans.”
- 1 Samuel 10:25Then Samuel explained to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his own home.
- Read 1 Samuel 10 →
Deuteronomy 162 verses
- Deuteronomy 16:18You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.
- Deuteronomy 16:19Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.
- Read Deuteronomy 16 →
1 Kings 212 verses
- 1 Kings 21:7But his wife Jezebel said to him, “Do you not reign over Israel? Get up, eat some food, and be cheerful, for I will get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
- 1 Kings 21:19Tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Have you not murdered a man and seized his land?’ Then tell him that this is also what the LORD says: ‘In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, there also the dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’”
- Read 1 Kings 21 →
4 more chapters this one speaks with
Daniel 12 verses
- Daniel 1:7The chief official gave them new names: To Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
- Daniel 1:18Now at the end of the time specified by the king, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.
- Read Daniel 1 →
Deuteronomy 171 verse
- Deuteronomy 17:14When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,”
- Read Deuteronomy 17 →
1 Timothy 51 verse
- 1 Timothy 5:21I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality.
- Read 1 Timothy 5 →
Judges 81 verse
- Judges 8:22Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you and your son and grandson—for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
- Read Judges 8 →
Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.