1 Samuel 12:21

21 Don't turn away to follow worthless^[a] things that can't profit or deliver you; they are worthless.^[b]

1 Samuel 12:21 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 12:21

And turn ye not aside
From his worship: for then; if they turned aside from that:

should ye go after vain things;
idols, which are vanity, and less than vanity:

which cannot profit nor deliver;
neither bestow good things on their votaries, nor deliver them from evils, or from the hands of their enemies

for they are vain;
empty, useless, and unprofitable; an idol is nothing in the world, ( 1 Corinthians 8:4 ) .

1 Samuel 12:21 In-Context

19 They pleaded with Samuel, "Pray to the Lord your God for your servants, so we won't die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of requesting a king for ourselves."

20 Samuel replied, "Don't be afraid. Even though you have committed all this evil, don't turn away from following the Lord. Instead, worship the Lord with all your heart.

21 Don't turn away to follow worthless things that can't profit or deliver you; they are worthless.

22 The Lord will not abandon His people, because of His great name and because He has determined to make you His own people.

23 "As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way.

Footnotes

• [a]. LXX reads away after empty
• [b]. Isa 44:9-20; Jr 2:8,11; Hab 2:18