1 Samuel 10:18

18 He addressed the children of Israel, "This is God's personal message to you:

1 Samuel 10:18 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 10:18

And said unto the children of Israel
In the name of the Lord, using the phrase which the prophets used when they spoke in the name of the Lord:

thus saith the Lord God of Israel;
the great Jehovah, the Being of beings, the covenant God of his people Israel:

I brought up Israel out of Egypt;
when in bondage there, with a mighty hand and outstretched arm, by means of signs and wonders done by the hands of Moses and Aaron; the Lord working mightily with them, and thereby inclining Pharaoh and his people to let them go:

and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians;
at the Red sea, drowning them in it, when they threatened Israel with an utter destruction:

and out of the hand of all kingdoms, [and] of them that oppressed you;
as the Arabic writers, the kingdoms of Og and Bashan in their way to Canaan, and the Mesopotamians, Moabites, Canaanites, Midianites, Ammonites, and Philistines, in the times of the judges; all which is observed to show their ingratitude, and aggravate their guilt.

1 Samuel 10:18 In-Context

16 Saul said, "He told us not to worry - the donkeys had been found." But Saul didn't breathe a word to his uncle of what Samuel said about the king business.
17 Samuel called the people to assemble before God at Mizpah.
18 He addressed the children of Israel, "This is God's personal message to you:
19 And now you want nothing to do with your God, the very God who has a history of getting you out of troubles of all sorts. "And now you say, 'No! We want a king; give us a king!' "Well, if that's what you want, that's what you'll get! Present yourselves formally before God, ranked in tribes and families."
20 After Samuel got all the tribes of Israel lined up, the Benjamin tribe was picked.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.