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1 Samuel
Chapter Eight
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 8
This
chapter relates
how that Samuel being old
and his sons behaving ill
the
people desired to have a king set over them
1 Samuel 8:1
which
case Samuel laid before the Lord
and he was directed by him to yield to the
people's desire
but at the same time to set before them all the disadvantages
and ill consequences that would arise from thence
which he did
1 Samuel 8:6
but
they insisting upon it
nevertheless
he gave them reason to expect that their
request would be granted
1 Samuel 8:19.
1 Samuel 8:1 Now it came to
pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel.
YLT
1And it cometh to pass
when
Samuel [is] aged
that he maketh his sons judges over Israel.
And it came to pass
when Samuel was old
.... The
common notion of the Jews is
that he lived but fifty two yearsF20Seder
Olam Rabba
ut supra. (c. 13. p. 35.) ; when a man is not usually called an old
man
unless the infirmities of old age came upon him sooner than they commonly
do
through his indefatigable labours from his childhood
and the cares and
burdens of government he had long bore; though some think he was about sixty
years of age; and Abarbinel is of opinion that he was more than seventy. It is
a rule with the JewsF21Pirke Abot
c. 5. sect. 21.
that a man is
called an old man at sixty
and a grey headed man at seventy:
that he made his sons judges over Israel; under
himself
not being able through old age to go the circuits he used; he sent
them
and appointed them to hear and try causes in his stead
or settled them
in some particular places in the land
and
as it seems by what follows
at
Beersheba; though whether that was under his direction
or was their own
choice
is not certain.
1 Samuel 8:2 2 The
name of his firstborn was Joel
and the name of his second
Abijah; they
were judges in Beersheba.
YLT
2And the name of his
first-born son is Joel
and the name of his second Abiah
judges in Beer-Sheba:
Now the name of his firstborn was Joel
.... In 1 Chronicles 6:28
he is called Vashni; See Gill on 1 Chronicles 6:28.
This was not Joel the prophet
as some have thought
neither his parentage
nor
his office
nor his times
will agree with this:
and the name of his second Abiah: which two sons seem to
be all he had:
they were judges in Beersheba; in the utmost border of
the land
to the south
as Ramah
where Samuel dwelt and judged
was more to
the north; where they were placed by their father
for the greater convenience
of the people of Israel that lived southward
to bring their causes to them
as
those lived more northward might bring them to him: according to JosephusF23Ut
supra
(Antiqu. l. 6. c. 3.) sect. 2.
they were placed by their father
the
one in Bethel
one of the places Samuel used to go to in his circuit and judge
and the other at Beersheba. But some
as Junius and others
think it should be
rendered
"unto Beersheba"; and so takes in its opposite
Dan
which
lay at the utmost border of the land northward; hence the phrase
"from
Dan to Beersheba"; and that the one was settled at Dan for the sake of the
northern part of the land
and the other at Beersheba
for the sake of the
southern: or rather these sons of Samuel placed themselves at Beersheba; which
was an ill judged thing
to be both in one place
and which must give the
people of Israel a great deal of trouble
and put them to a large expense to
come from all quarters thither
to have their causes tried; but that is not the
worst.
1 Samuel 8:3 3 But
his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain
took
bribes
and perverted justice.
YLT
3and his sons have not
walked in his ways
and turn aside after the dishonest gain
and take a bribe
and turn aside judgment.
And his sons walked not in his ways
.... The meaning of which
is not that they did not go the circuit he did
which is too low a sense of the
words some Jewish writers give; but they did not walk in the fear of God
in
the paths of religion and righteousness
truth and holiness; they neither
served God
nor did justice to men
as Samuel had done:
but turned aside after lucre
and took bribes
and perverted
judgment; indulged to covetousness
sought to get riches at any rate
took
bribes
which blind the eyes of judges; and so passed wrong judgment
and gave
the cause to those that gave the largest gifts
right or wrong.
1 Samuel 8:4 4 Then all the elders of
Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah
YLT
4And all the elders of
Israel gather themselves together
and come in unto Samuel to Ramath
Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together
.... At some
place of rendezvous appointed; these were the heads of the tribes
and fathers
of the houses and families of Israel
the principal persons of age and
authority:
and came to Samuel unto Ramah; the place of his
nativity and abode
and where he now dwelt
and judged Israel; they went in a
very respectable body with an address to him.
1 Samuel 8:5 5 and said to him
“Look
you are old
and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to
judge us like all the nations.”
YLT
5and say unto him
`Lo
thou
hast become aged
and thy sons have not walked in thy ways; now
appoint to us
a king
to judge us
like all the nations.'
And said unto him
behold
thou art old
.... See 1 Samuel 8:1
his
age was no reproach to him
nor was it becoming them to upbraid him with it;
nor was it a reason why he should be removed from his office
for it did not
disqualify him for it; but rather
having gained by age experience
was more
fit for it
though he might not be able to ride his circuits as formerly:
and thy sons walk not in thy ways; whom he had made judges;
this is a better reason than the former for what is after requested; and had
they only besought them to remove him from their places
and rested content
with that
it would have been well enough; but what they were solicitous for
and always had an inclination to
and now thought a proper opportunity offered
of obtaining it
was what follows:
now make us a king to judge us like all the nations; to rule over
them as sole monarch; to go before them in battle as their general
as well as
to administer justice to them
by hearing and trying causes as their judge;
which only they mention to cover their views
and make their motion more
acceptable to Samuel; what they were desirous of was to have a king appearing
in pomp and splendour
wearing a crown of gold
clothed in royal apparel
with
a sceptre in his hand
dwelling in a stately palace
keeping a splendid court
and attended with a grand retinue
as the rest of the nations about them had
had for a long time. The first kings we read of were in the times of Abraham
but after it became common for nations to have kings over them
and
particularly the neighbours of Israel
as Edom
Moab
Ammon
&c. and Cicero
saysF24De Legibus
l. 3.
all the ancient nations had their kings
to whom they were obedient: Israel had God for their King in a peculiar manner
other nations had not
and stood in no need of any other; and happy it would
have been for them if they had been content therewith
and not sought after
another: however
they were so modest
and paid such deference to Samuel
as to
desire him to make or appoint one for them.
1 Samuel 8:6 6 But the thing displeased
Samuel when they said
“Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord.
YLT
6And the thing is evil in
the eyes of Samuel
when they have said
`Give to us a king to judge us;' and
Samuel prayeth unto Jehovah.
But the thing displeased Samuel
.... Not that they called
him an old man
and suggested that he was incapacitated for his office
nor for
observing the unbecoming walk of his sons
but for what follows:
when they said
give us a king to judge us; what
displeased him was
that they were for changing their form of government
not
only to remove it from him
and his sons
but from the Lord himself
who was
king over them; the ill consequences of which
many of them at least
he easily
foresaw
and which gave him great uneasiness
both on account of the glory of
God
and their own good; insomuch
as JosephusF25Ut supra
(Antiqu.
l. 6. c. 3.) sect. 3. says
he could neither eat nor sleep
but watched all
night
and spent it in prayer
as follows:
and Samuel prayed unto the Lord; to know his mind and
will
and what answer he should return unto them.
1 Samuel 8:7 7 And the Lord said to
Samuel
“Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they
have not rejected you
but they have rejected Me
that I should not reign over
them.
YLT
7And Jehovah saith unto
Samuel
`Hearken to the voice of the people
to all that they say unto thee
for thee they have not rejected
but Me they have rejected
from reigning over
them.
And the Lord said unto Samuel
.... He appeared to him
in a vision or dream
and by an articulate voice delivered to him what follows:
hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto
thee; not as approving of what they said
but permitting and allowing
what they asked
as a punishment of them for their disloyalty and ingratitude
and as resenting their ill behaviour to him; for it was in anger he assented to
their request
Hosea 13:11.
for they have not rejected thee
but they have rejected me that I
should not reign over them; most interpreters supply the word
"only"
as if the sense was
that they had not only rejected Samuel
from judging them
but the Lord also from reigning over them; and which is spoken
to comfort Samuel
and to alleviate the pressure on his mind for the ill
treatment he had met with; for since they had served the Lord after this
manner
it was no wonder he should be ill used
and might bear it with great
patience: but I see no reason why the word may not be taken absolutely
that
they had not rejected Samuel from all share in the government
at least from
judging the people; for so he continued all the days of his life
even after
they had a king over them; but they entirely rejected the sole and peculiar
government of God over them.
1 Samuel 8:8 8 According to all the works
which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt
even to
this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are
doing to you also.
YLT
8According to all the works
that they have done from the day of My bringing them up out of Egypt
even unto
this day
when they forsake Me
and serve other gods -- so they are doing also
to thee.
According to all the works which they have done since the day that
I brought them out of Egypt
.... This was no new thing; all that they
had done since they were wonderfully favoured of God
as to be brought out of
Egyptian bondage
was all of a piece with this; one continued series of ingratitude
of rebellion against God
and against his servants
that he employed under him
as Moses
Aaron
&c.
even unto this day
wherewith they have forsaken me
and served
other gods; this is what this people were always addicted to
to east off
the worship and service of God
and go into idolatry:
so do they also unto thee; acted the like
ungrateful part to him for all the service he had done them
from his childhood
to that time; wherefore
as the disciple is not above his master
nor the
servant above his lord
if such things as before observed were done to Jehovah
himself
Samuel could not expect to meet with better treatment
other than he
had
see Matthew 10:24.
1 Samuel 8:9 9 Now therefore
heed their
voice. However
you shall solemnly forewarn them
and show them the behavior of
the king who will reign over them.”
YLT
9And now
hearken to their
voice; only
surely thou dost certainly protest to them
and hast declared to
them the custom of the king who doth reign over them.'
Now therefore hearken unto their voice
.... And
appoint them a king as they desire:
howbeit
yet protest solemnly unto them; not against
the thing itself
which was permitted
but against the evil of their request
as to the unseasonable time
ill manner
and unjustifiable reason
in and for
which it was made; the Lord would have Samuel lay before them their evil in
requesting it
and the evils that would follow upon it to them
and faithfully
represent them to them
that they might be left without excuse
and have none
to blame but themselves when they
should come upon them:
and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them: or the right
or judgmentF26משפט המלך
"jus regis"
V. L. Tigurine version
Munster; "judicium
regis"
Vatablus
Drusius. ; not a legal right or form of government
but
an assumed
arbitrary
and despotic power
such as the kings of the east
exercised over their subjects
a king like whom the Israelites desired to have;
namely
what unbounded liberties he would take with them
what slaves he would
make of them
and what of their property he would take to himself at pleasure
as is after related. The word signifies
not a divine law
according to which
the king should govern
but a custom
or a custom he would introduce
as the
word is rendered
1 Samuel 2:13 and
is different from that in 1 Samuel 10:25.
1 Samuel 8:10 10 So Samuel told all the
words of the Lord
to the people who asked him for a king.
YLT
10And Samuel speaketh all the
words of Jehovah unto the people who are asking from him a king
And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto them
.... How he
considered this request of theirs as a rejection of him as their king
and that
it was acting the same ungrateful part they had always done; and since they
were so importunate to have it granted
it should be done; but that he was
ordered to lay before them all the inconveniences that would attend it
and the
evils that would follow upon it unto them:
that asked of him a king; which is observed
not
to distinguish a part of them from the rest; for this was an united request of
the people.
1 Samuel 8:11 11 And he said
“This will be
the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and
appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen
and some
will run before his chariots.
YLT
11and saith
`This is the
custom of the king who doth reign over you: Your sons he doth take
and hath
appointed for himself among his chariots
and among his horsemen
and they have
run before his chariots;
And he said
this will be the manner of the king that shall reign
over you
.... Not in which he ought to proceed
but what he will do: and
this not the manner of one king
or of the first only
but of all of them
more
or less; of kings in general
who are commonly inclined to arbitrary power. So
AristotleF1In Politicis
l. 3. c. 16. in opposition to theocracy
describes a full and absolute kingdom
as he calls it
when a king does all
things according to his will: and observes
that he that would have the mind or
reason preside
would have God and the laws rule; but he that would have a man
to reign
adds also a lust
or one led by his own lust: so it follows:
he will take your sons
and appoint them for himself; for his own
use and service
to wait upon him
to be his pages
or grooms
or guards:
for his chariots; to take care of them
and drive them
though not without paying them for it; yet this being but a mean and servile
employment
and what they should be obliged to
whether they would or no
is
observed to show the tyranny and bondage to which they would be subject
when
their sons otherwise might be free men
and possessed of estates and carriages
of their own:
and to be his horsemen; or rather "for his
horses"
to take care of them
and go out along with him
and attend his
person
whether when going to war
or on pleasure:
and some shall run before his chariots; be his
running footmen
being swift of foot
and trained up for that service; some are
naturally swift
as Asahel was 2 Samuel 2:18.
PlinyF2Nat. Hist. l. 7. c. 2. speaks of some swifter than horses;
and of the swiftness of some he elsewhere givesF3Ibid. c. 20. many
surprising instances. It seems as if it was usual to have fifty such men to run
before them
see 2 Samuel 15:1.
1 Samuel 8:12 12 He will appoint captains
over his thousands and captains over his fifties
will set some to plow
his ground and reap his harvest
and some to make his weapons of war and
equipment for his chariots.
YLT
12also to appoint for himself
heads of thousands
and heads of fifties; also to plow his plowing
and to reap
his reaping; and to make instruments of his war
and instruments of his
charioteer.
And he will appoint him captains over thousands
and captains over
fifties
.... Which though posts of honour
yet when they are not matter
of choice
and especially being precarious
and depending on the arbitrary will
of a prince
are not eligible
and less so to persons that choose another sort
of life:
and will set them to ear his ground; to plough it;
not the same persons made captains of thousands and fifties
but others
whom
he will employ in tilling and manuring his fields
and oblige them to it:
and to reap his harvest; when it is ripe
and
gather it in
and bring it home into his barns and garners:
and to make his instruments of war: as swords
spears
bows
and arrows
most commonly used in those times:
and instruments of chariots; which seem to design
chariots of war
and the iron spikes and scythes which were joined to them
to
cut down the foot soldiers
when driven among them in battle
which are
commonly called chariots of iron; see Joshua 17:16.
1 Samuel 8:13 13 He will take your
daughters to be perfumers
cooks
and bakers.
YLT
13`And your daughters he doth
take for perfumers
and for cooks
and for bakers;
And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries
.... Such as
deal in spices
and mix them
and make them up in various forms very agreeable
to the taste. Men are commonly in our countries and times employed in such
arts
but it seems this was the business of women in those times and places.
Some versionsF4So V. L. and Tigurine. render it
"unguentariae"
makers or sellers of ointments
and such there were
in some nationsF5Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 5.
such was Lydia
in JuvenalF6Satyr. 2. ver. 141. Vid. Turnebi Adversar. l. 15. c. 17.
:
and to be cooks; to dress all sorts of food
especially what
were boiled
as the word signifies: and to be bakers; to make and bake bread
which
though with us is the work of men
yet in the eastern countries was usually
done by women; See Gill on Leviticus 26:26.
1 Samuel 8:14 14 And he will take the best
of your fields
your vineyards
and your olive groves
and give them to
his servants.
YLT
14and your fields
and your
vineyards
and your olive-yards -- the best -- he doth take
and hath given to
his servants.
And he will take your fields
and your vineyards
and your
oliveyards
.... Which includes the whole increase of their land
their corn
and wine
and oil; and it is these
the fruits of their fields
vineyards
and
oliveyards
which are here meant; for otherwise kings might not
and did not by
their absolute authority
take away those from their subjects; otherwise Ahab
would have taken away Naboth's vineyard at once
nor would Jezebel have needed
to have taken such a method she did
to put Ahab into the possession of it:
even the best of them
and give them to his servants; for their
service; and which some restrain to times of war
when necessity obliged to use
such methods.
1 Samuel 8:15 15 He will take a tenth of
your grain and your vintage
and give it to his officers and servants.
YLT
15And your seed and your
vineyards he doth tithe
and hath given to his eunuchs
and to his servants.
And he will take the tenth of your seed
.... When
grown up and ripe
as their wheat and barley:
and of your vineyards; the tenth of the grapes
they should produce:
and give to his officers
and to his servants; for the
support and maintenance of them; and to pay this
besides the tithes of the
priests and Levites
would make it very burdensome to them; and this was no
other than what kings of other nations usually had
the like to whom they were
desirous of having
and therefore must expect that they would insist upon the
privileges and revenues that others had. In Babylon
as AristotleF7Oeconomic.
l. 2. p. 283. relates
there was an ancient law which required the tenth of
whatever was imported for the public revenue
which was revived in the times of
Alexander by Antimenes the Rhodian. In Arabia Felix was an island abounding
with frankincense and myrrh
and various spices
the tenth of the fruits of
which the king always had
as Diodorus SiculusF8Bibliothec. l. 5. p.
317. reports
as in the Apocrypha:"And as for other things that belong
unto us
of the tithes and customs pertaining unto us
as also the saltpits
and the crown taxes
which are due unto us
we discharge them of them all for
their relief.' (1 Maccabees 11:35)
1 Samuel 8:16 16 And he will take your male
servants
your female servants
your finest young men
[a] and your
donkeys
and put them to his work.
YLT
16And your men-servants
and
your maid-servants
and your young men -- the best
and your asses
he doth
take
and hath prepared for his own work;
And he will take your manservants
and your maidservants
.... Into his
own family
for his own use and service
if he wants them
or likes them better
than what he has:
and your goodliest young men: that are tall and lusty
comely and beautiful
of a proper stature and good aspect; and such in all
countries used to be chosen for officers in courts
or attendants there; and so
the Turks to this day pitch upon young men to attend on great personages
who
are of a comely form
have admirable features
and are well shaped; see Gill on
Daniel 1:4
and your asses
and put them to his work; employ them
in ploughing his fields
drawing his carriages
or bearing his burdens; and so
any other cattle that would serve the same purposes
as oxen
camels
&c.
1 Samuel 8:17 17 He will take a tenth of
your sheep. And you will be his servants.
YLT
17your flock he doth tithe
and ye are to him for servants.
He will take the tenth of your sheep
.... As well
as of their seed and vineyards; and not the tithe of their flocks only
but of
their herds also
which are here included
as Kimchi observes:
and ye shall be his servants: made slaves of by him
even as the Canaanitish servants were
according to Abarbinel; though others
interpret it more mildly of their being obliged to pay tribute and taxes
for
the support of his government.
1 Samuel 8:18 18 And you will cry out in
that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves
and the Lord will not hear
you in that day.”
YLT
18And ye have cried out in
that day because of the king whom ye have chosen for yourselves
and Jehovah
doth not answer you in that day.'
And ye shall cry out in that day
because of your king
.... His power
and pride
his oppression and tyranny
his heavy exactions
and intolerable
yoke
and yet not be able to free themselves from them; all that they could do
would be only to cry out under them as grievously distressed
and not knowing
how to help themselves; and which would be the more aggravated
because they
brought all this upon themselves
as it follows:
which ye shall have chosen you; for though the choice of
a king for them
at a proper time
God had reserved to himself
yet in later
times
as is here suggested
they would choose for themselves
and did
see Hosea 8:4 besides
to have a king in general was at first their own choice
though the particular
person was by the designation of the Lord:
and the Lord will not hear you in that day; will not
regard them
have no compassion on them
suffer them to remain under their
oppressions
and not deliver them out of them; because they rejected him from
being their King
and put themselves out of his protection
into the hands of
another
and therefore it was just to leave them to their own choice.
1 Samuel 8:19 19 Nevertheless the people
refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said
“No
but we will have a
king over us
YLT
19And the people refuse to
hearken to the voice of Samuel
and say
`Nay
but a king is over us
Nevertheless
the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel
.... The
advice he gave not to think of a king
but be content with the government under
which they were; but to this they would not hearken
notwithstanding all the
inconveniences that would attend such a change:
and they said
nay
but we will have a king over us; they would
not believe what Samuel said concerning a king
even though they were the words
of the Lord he delivered to them; and though they knew Samuel was a prophet
and spoke by a spirit of prophecy
and none of his words had ever fallen to the
ground: but such was their stubbornness and obstinacy
and so set upon having a
king
that one they would have
let them suffer what hardships
or be at what
expenses they might; at all events
and against all remonstrances
they were
determined to have one.
1 Samuel 8:20 20 that we also may be like
all the nations
and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight
our battles.”
YLT
20and we have been
even we
like all the nations; and our king hath judged us
and gone out before us
and
fought our battles.'
That we also may be like all the nations
.... Even
though they were slaves
like them; a king they would have
as they had
such
was their stupidity. It was their greatest honour and glory
as well as
happiness
not to be like other nations; as in their religion
laws
and
liberties
so in their form of government; God being their King in such a
peculiar sense as he was not of others
but with this they could not be
content:
and that our king may judge us; hear their causes
administer justice and judgment to them
protect their persons and properties
and rule them according to the civil laws that were given them:
and go out before us
and fight our battles; which Samuel
their present judge did not
and to which perhaps they may have some respect;
but then he gained more for them by his prayers
than a king or general would
by his military skill or prowess
see 1 Samuel 7:10
and
it is very remarkable
and what is observed by some
that their first king died
in a battle. What made them so pressing and importunate to have a king at
this
time
and not defer it to another
it is very probable was
that they
understood that Nahash
king of the children of Ammon
was preparing to attack
them
and therefore they were desirous to have a king also to go out before
them
and meet him
and give him battle
1 Samuel 12:12.
1 Samuel 8:21 21 And Samuel heard all the
words of the people
and he repeated them in the hearing of the Lord.
YLT
21And Samuel heareth all the
words of the people
and speaketh them in the ears of Jehovah;
And Samuel heard all the words of the people
....
Patiently
and without interruption; attentively heard them
took notice of
them
laid them up in his memory; but gave no answer to them
but reported them
to the Lord
as in the next clause:
and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord; privately
in
a free and familiar manner
with great exactness
as they were expressed; this
he did
not before the people publicly
but in secret prayer
seeking for
direction what he should further do
or what answer he should return to them.
1 Samuel 8:22 22 So the Lord said to
Samuel
“Heed their voice
and make them a king.” And Samuel said to the men of
Israel
“Every man go to his city.”
YLT
22and Jehovah saith unto
Samuel
`Hearken to their voice
and thou hast caused to reign over them a
king.' And Samuel saith unto the men of Israel
`Go ye each to his city.'
And the Lord said to Samuel
.... an audible voice
or
by an impulse upon his mind:
hearken unto their voice
and make them a king; since they
will have a king
let them have one
and let them know that they shall have
one:
and Samuel said unto the men of Israel: the elders of
the people that addressed him on this occasion
1 Samuel 8:4.
go ye every man unto his city; signifying they might
return in peace
and be assured their request would be granted
and a king
would be appointed in a short time
and which they might report to their fellow
citizens; and they might expect to hear from him quickly
as soon as he had
instructions from the Lord who should be their king
which right he had
reserved to himself; and therefore in the mean while they might rest contented
that they would have one in a little time.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)