1 Samuel 8:16

16 He will take your servants and your best cattle and 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 take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his officials.
15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your grapes for his court officers and other officials.
16 He will take your servants and your best cattle and donkeys, and make them work for him.
17 He will take a tenth of your flocks. And you yourselves will become his slaves.
18 When that time comes, you will complain bitterly because of your king, whom you yourselves chose, but the Lord will not listen to your complaints."

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. [One ancient translation] cattle; [Hebrew] young men.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.