1 Samuel 8

When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

1And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

NoteIn this period a "judge" was not mainly a court official. Judges were leaders who rose up in a crisis, commanded in war, and settled disputes between people; the position was not inherited, and no judge before Samuel had handed it to his sons.

2His oldest son was named Joel, and his second son was named Abiah. They served as judges in the town of Beersheba.

2Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.

NoteBeersheba was at the far southern edge of Israel's territory, a journey of some fifty miles from Samuel's home at Ramah in the central hills, far enough that Samuel could not easily oversee what his sons were doing.

3But his sons did not live the way he did. They chased after money they had no right to, took bribes, and twisted the decisions they made in court.

3And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

NoteThe King James "lucre" simply means profit or gain; the Hebrew word means gain got by crooked means. "Perverted judgment" means they bent the verdicts. Israel's law flatly forbade a judge to take a gift, on the ground that a gift blinds the eyes of those who see clearly.

4So all the leading men of Israel met together and came to Samuel at his home in Ramah.

4Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,

NoteThe "elders" were the heads of the leading families and clans, the men who spoke for their towns in any matter affecting the whole people. Their coming together as a body made this a formal national demand, not a complaint from individuals.

5They said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not live the way you do. So give us a king to rule us, like all the other nations have."

5And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

NoteThe nations around Israel (Moab, Ammon, Edom, the Philistine cities) all had kings whose sons inherited the throne, along with the standing armies, palaces, and taxation that went with them. Israel until this moment had no permanent central ruler and no capital.

6Samuel was upset when they said, "Give us a king to rule us." So Samuel prayed to the LORD.

6But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.

NoteThe Hebrew says literally that the thing "was evil in Samuel's eyes": that is, he judged it a bad thing, not merely that his feelings were hurt.

7The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to what the people are asking you for. They have not rejected you. They have rejected me, and do not want me to be their king.

7And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

8"They are treating you the way they have treated me ever since I brought them up out of Egypt, right up to today. They have turned away from me and served other gods.

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.

9"So listen to them. But give them a strong and serious warning, and tell them what the king who rules them will do."

9Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

Note"The manner of the king" translates a Hebrew word (mishpat) that also means a judgment, a ruling, or a legal custom, the same word used when the people ask for a king "to judge" them. Samuel's answer uses their own word back at them: here is the ruling practice you are asking for.

10Samuel told everything the LORD had said to the people who were asking him for a king.

10And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.

11He said, "This is what the king who rules you will do. He will take your sons and put them to work for himself. Some will drive his chariots, some will ride his horses, and some will run ahead of his chariots.

11And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.

NoteChariots were the expensive, elite arm of an ancient army, requiring trained horses, drivers, and workshops, exactly the sort of standing establishment Israel did not yet have. The men who ran ahead of the chariot were a royal escort, part guard and part display.

12"He will make some of them commanders over groups of a thousand men and groups of fifty men. He will make others plow his fields, bring in his harvest, and build his weapons and chariot gear.

12And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.

Note"Captains over thousands and over fifties" are ranks in a standing army, organized in units of a thousand down to fifty. To "ear" the ground is the old English word for plowing it, nothing to do with ears.

13"He will take your daughters to mix perfumes and ointments, and to cook and bake for him.

13And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.

NoteThe King James "confectionaries" does not mean sweet-makers. The Hebrew means women who compound perfumes and scented ointments, a specialist trade of the royal household.

14"He will take your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves. He will take the best ones and give them to the men who serve him.

14And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.

15"He will take a tenth of your grain and your grapes and give it to his officials and his servants.

15And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

NoteA tenth was the standard rate of a levy in the ancient Near East, and it was also the share Israelites already gave for the upkeep of worship. The point is that the king's claim would come on top of that, and be collected by force.

16"He will take your male and female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them all to work for himself.

16And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.

NoteThe Hebrew text here reads "your finest young men." The ancient Greek translation reads "your best cattle", the two words differ by one letter in Hebrew, and translators are divided over which is original. Donkeys were the ordinary farm animal for plowing and hauling; losing them meant losing your ability to work your own land.

17"He will take a tenth of your sheep and goats. And you yourselves will be his slaves.

17He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.

NoteThe word translated "servants" and the word for "slaves" are the same in Hebrew. Israel would stand to the king in the relation they had once stood to Egypt.

18"When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you chose for yourselves. But the LORD will not answer you then."

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.

Note"Cry out" is the same verb used of Israel's outcry under slavery in Egypt, the cry that God is said to have heard and answered. Here the same cry is raised and, Samuel says, not answered.

19Even so, the people refused to listen to Samuel. They said, "No. We want a king over us.

19Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;

20"Then we will be like all the other nations. Our king will rule us, march out at the head of our army, and fight our battles."

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.

NoteAncient kings were expected to lead their troops in person, marching at the head of the column. The people are asking for a permanent commander as much as for a ruler.

21Samuel listened to everything the people said, and he repeated it all to the LORD.

21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.

22The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to them and give them a king." Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Each of you go back to your own town."

22And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.

Note"Go every man unto his city" dismisses the assembly. The demand has been granted in principle, but no king is named here; the elders are sent home to wait.