1 Samuel 8
8
Israel Demands a King
1When Samuel became old, #Deut. 16:18he made his sons judges over Israel. 2The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3Yet his sons did not walk in his ways #[Ex. 18:21] but turned aside after gain. #[Ex. 23:8; Deut. 16:19; Ps. 15:5]They took bribes and perverted justice.
4Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at #[See ch. 7:17 above]Ramah 5and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. #ver. 19, 20; [Deut. 17:14; Hos. 13:10; Acts 13:21]Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, #[Ex. 16:8] for they have not rejected you, #ch. 10:19but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. 9Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them #See ver. 11-18and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”
Samuel’s Warning Against Kings
10So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. 11He said, #ch. 10:25; See Deut. 17:16-20 “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: #ch. 14:52he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. 12And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some #See Gen. 45:6to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14#1 Kgs. 21:7; [Ezek. 46:18]He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men#8:16 Septuagint cattle and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, #Prov. 1:28; Isa. 1:15; Mic. 3:4but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
The Lord Grants Israel’s Request
19But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, 20#ver. 5that 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 when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. 22And the Lord said to Samuel, #ver. 7; [Hos. 13:11]“Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”
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Shemu’ĕl Aleph (1 Samuel) 8
8
1And it came to be, when Shemu’ĕl was old, that he made his sons rulers over Yisra’ĕl.
2And the name of his first-born was Yo’ĕl, and the name of his second, Aḇiyah, rulers in Be’ĕrsheḇa.
3But his sons did not walk in his ways, and turned aside after own gain, and took bribes, and twisted right-ruling.
4And all the elders of Yisra’ĕl gathered together and came to Shemu’ĕl at Ramah,
5and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a sovereign to rule us like all the nations.”
6But the word was evil in the eyes of Shemu’ĕl when they said, “Give us a sovereign to rule us.” So Shemu’ĕl prayed to יהוה.
7And יהוה said to Shemu’ĕl, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from reigning over them.
8“According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Mitsrayim, even to this day – forsaking Me and serving other mighty ones – so they are doing to you too.
9“And now, listen to their voice, but you shall certainly warn them, and shall make known to them the ruling of the sovereign who does reign over them.”
10And Shemu’ĕl spoke all the words of יהוה to the people who asked him for a sovereign,
11and said, “This is the ruling of the sovereign who does reign over you: He shall take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and they shall run before his chariots,
12and appoint commanders over his thousands and commanders over his fifties, or to plough his ground and reap his harvest, or to make his weapons, and equipment for his chariots.
13“And your daughters he is going to take to be perfumers, and cooks, and bakers.
14“And the best of your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive-trees he is going to take and give them to his servants.
15“And a tenth of your grain and your vintage he is going to take and give it to his officers and servants.
16“And your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys he is going to take and use for his own work.
17“A tenth of your sheep he is going to take, and you are to be his servants.
18“And you shall cry out in that day because of your sovereign whom you have chosen for yourselves, but יהוה is not going to answer you in that day.”
19However, the people refused to listen to the voice of Shemu’ĕl, and said, “No, but let a sovereign be over us.
20Then we shall be, we also, like all the nations, and our sovereign shall rule us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
21And Shemu’ĕl heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of יהוה.
22And יהוה said to Shemu’ĕl, “Listen to their voice, and make them a sovereign.” And Shemu’ĕl said to the men of Yisra’ĕl, “Each of you go to his city.”
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