1 Samuel 8:16

16 He will take your male and female servants, your best young men and your donkeys, and make them work for him.

1 Samuel 8:16 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 8:16

And he will take your manservants, and your maidservants,
&c.] 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

1 Samuel 8:16 In-Context

14 He will expropriate your fields, vineyards and olive groves - the very best of them! - and hand them over to his servants.
15 He will take the ten-percent tax of your crops and vineyards and give it to his officers and servants.
16 He will take your male and female servants, your best young men and your donkeys, and make them work for him.
17 He will take the ten-percent tax of your flocks, and you will become his servants.
18 When that happens, you will cry out on account of your king, whom you yourselves chose. But when that happens, ADONAI will not answer you!"
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.