1 Samuel 12:24
in 1 Samuel 12Above all, fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Only fear Jehovah, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he hath done for you.
KJV
Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 12
Commentary
6 notes on this verseOnly fear the Lord - Know, respect, and reverence him. Serve him - Consider him your Lord and Master; consider yourselves his servants. In truth - Be ever honest, ever sincere; with all your heart - have every affection engaged in the work of obedience; act not merely from a principle of duty, but also from a pious, affectionate sense of obligation. Act towards your God as an affectionate child should act towards a tender and loving parent.
This site's exposition
consider what great things He has done for you
on 1 Samuel 12:24-25
The chapter closes on the terms of verse 14, and "consider what great things He has done for you" makes gratitude the ground of obedience. The warning binds king and people together, "both you and your king will be swept away," so Saul’s fate is announced before his first failure in chapter 13. The chapter opened on an old judge’s clean record and closes on a new king’s doubtful future.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 2 · Written before 604.
proposed
Whence Samuel also well explains this same way, saying: "Therefore fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth, and with your whole heart." 17. This way is indeed good and right: because it leads to eternal life and arrives there swiftly. Through the fear of the Lord, evils are avoided; by serving him, his commandments are fulfilled. We truly serve him in truth when we carry out his precepts for the sake of heavenly reward alone.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
4 And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand. 5 And he said unto them, The L ORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:96%@v4-5
Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַ֣ךְ׀ | ʾakh | only | H389 → | 161 times |
| יְר֣אוּ | yeru | fear | H3372 → | 315 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וַעֲבַדְתֶּ֥ם | vaavadtem | and you will serve | H5647 → | 288 times |
| אֹת֛וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בֶּאֱמֶ֖ת | beemet | in faithfulness | H571 → | |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | with all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| לְבַבְכֶ֑ם | levavkhem | heart your | H3824 → | 252 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| רְא֔וּ | reu | consider | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֵ֥ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | this: | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הִגְדִּ֖ל | higdil | he has done great things | H1431 → | 117 times |
| עִמָּכֶֽם׃ | ʾimakhem | with you | H5973 → | 1050 times |
אַ֣ךְ׀only
ʾakhH389 →161 times
יְר֣אוּfear
yeruH3372 →315 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וַעֲבַדְתֶּ֥םand you will serve
vaavadtemH5647 →288 times
אֹת֛וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
בֶּאֱמֶ֖תin faithfulness
beemetH571 →
בְּכָל־with all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
לְבַבְכֶ֑םheart your
levavkhemH3824 →252 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
רְא֔וּconsider
reuH7200 →1300 times
אֵ֥ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
אֲשֶׁר־this:
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
הִגְדִּ֖לhe has done great things
higdilH1431 →117 times
עִמָּכֶֽם׃with you
ʾimakhemH5973 →1050 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 1:7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
it leads to
- Job 28:28
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
- Psalms 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!
- Ecclesiastes 12:13
When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
- Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
- Proverbs 15:33
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
- Job 28:28
Through
Hebrews 12:29“For our God is a consuming fire.”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 4:24
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
- Deuteronomy 9:3
But understand that today the LORD your God goes across ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will destroy them and subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate…
- Isaiah 66:15
For behold, the LORD will come with fire—His chariots are like a whirlwind—to execute His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire.
- Deuteronomy 4:24
About 1 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and W. G. Blaikie, The First Book of Samuel (Expositor's Bible).