1 Samuel 12

Samuel Addresses Israel

1 Then Samuel said to all Israel, "Behold, ¹I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me and I ²have appointed a king over you.

2 "Now, ³here is the king walking before you, but ⁴I am old and gray, and behold ⁵my sons are with you. And ⁶I have walked before you from my youth even to this day.

3 "Here I am; bear witness against me before the LORD and ⁷His anointed. ⁸Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or ⁹from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? I will restore it to you."

4 They said, "You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man's hand."

5 He said to them, "The LORD is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day that ¹⁰you have found nothing * ¹¹in my hand." And they said, "He is witness."

6 Then Samuel said to the people, "It is the LORD who ¹²appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt.

7 "So now, take your stand, ¹³that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD which He did for you and your fathers.

8 "¹⁴When Jacob went into Egypt and ¹⁵your fathers cried out to the LORD, then ¹⁶the LORD sent Moses and Aaron ¹⁷who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

9 "But ¹⁸they forgot the LORD their God, so ¹⁹He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and ²⁰into the hand of the Philistines and ²¹into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

10 "²²They cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned because we have forsaken the LORD and have served ²³the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but ²⁴now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.'

11 "Then the LORD sent ²⁵Jerubbaal and ²⁶Bedan and ²⁷Jephthah and ²⁸Samuel, and delivered you from the hands of your enemies all * around, so that you lived in security.

The King Confirmed

12 "When you saw ²⁹that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, '³⁰No, but a king shall reign over us,' ³¹although the LORD your God was your king.

13 "Now therefore, ³²here is the king whom you have chosen, ³³whom you have asked for, and behold, the LORD has set a king over you.

14 "³⁴If you will fear the LORD and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the LORD, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God.

15 "³⁵If you will not listen to the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the command of the LORD, then ³⁶the hand of the LORD will be against you, ³⁷as it was against your fathers.

16 "Even now, ³⁸take your stand and see this great thing which the LORD will do before your eyes.

17 "³⁹Is it not the wheat harvest today? ⁴⁰I will call to the LORD, that He may send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that ⁴¹your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the LORD by asking for yourselves a king."

18 So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and ⁴²all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

19 Then all the people said to Samuel, "⁴³Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins ⁴⁴this evil by asking for ourselves a king."

20 Samuel said to the people, "Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet ⁴⁵do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.

21 "You must not turn aside, for then you would go after ⁴⁶futile things which can not profit or deliver, because they are futile.

22 "For ⁴⁷the LORD will not abandon His people ⁴⁸on account of His great name, because the LORD ⁴⁹has been pleased * to make you a people for Himself.

23 "Moreover, as for me, ⁵⁰far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but ⁵¹I will instruct you in the good and right way.

24 "⁵²Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider ⁵³what great things He has done for you.

25 "⁵⁴But if you still do wickedly, ⁵⁵both you and your king ⁵⁶will be swept away."

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Images for 1 Samuel 12

1 Samuel 12 Commentary

Chapter 12

Samuel testifies his integrity. (1-5) Samuel reproves the people. (6-15) Thunder sent in harvest time. (16-25)

Verses 1-5 Samuel not only cleared his own character, but set an example before Saul, while he showed the people their ingratitude to God and to himself. There is a just debt which all men to their own good name, especially men in public stations, which is, to guard it against unjust blame and suspicions, that they may finish their course with honour, as well as with joy. And that we have in our places lived honestly, will be our comfort, under any slights and contempt that may be put upon us.

Verses 6-15 The work of ministers is to reason with people; not only to exhort and direct, but to persuade, to convince men's judgments, and so to gain their wills and affections. Samuel reasons of the righteous acts of the Lord. Those who follow God faithfully, he will enable to continue following him. Disobedience would certainly be the ruin of Israel. We mistake if we think that we can escape God's justice, by trying to shake off his dominion. If we resolve that God shall not rule us, yet he will judge us.

Verses 16-25 At Samuel's word, God sent thunder and rain, at a season of the year when, in that country, the like was not seen. This was to convince them they had done wickedly in asking a king; not only by its coming at an unusual time, in wheat harvest, and on a clear day, but by the prophet's giving notice of it before. He showed their folly in desiring a king to save them, rather than God, or Samuel; promising themselves more from an arm of flesh, than from the arm of God, or from the power of prayer. Could their prince command such forces as the prophet could do by his prayers? It startled them very much. Some will not be brought to see their sins by any gentler methods than storms and thunders. They entreat Samuel to pray for them. Now they see their need of him whom shortly before they slighted. Thus many who will not have Christ to reign over them, would yet be glad to have him intercede for them, to turn away the wrath of God. Samuel aims to confirm the people in their religion. Whatever we make a god of, we shall find it deceive us. Creatures in their own places are good; but when put in God's place, they are vain things. We sin if we restrain prayer, and in particular if we cease praying for the church. They only asked him to pray for them; but he promises to do more, to teach them. He urges that they were bound in gratitude to serve God, considering what great things he had done for them; and that they were bound in interest to serve him, considering what he would do against them, if they should still do wickedly. Thus, as a faithful watchman, he gave them warning, and so delivered his own soul. If we consider what great things the Lord hath done for us, especially in the great work of redemption, we can neither want motive, encouragement, nor assistance in serving him.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Cross References 56

1. 1 Sam 8:7, 9, 22
2. 1 Samuel 10:24; 1 Samuel 11:14, 15
3. 1 Samuel 8:20
4. 1 Samuel 8:1, 5
5. 1 Samuel 8:3, 5
6. 1 Sam 3:10, 19, 20
7. 1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Samuel 24:6; 2 Samuel 1:14
8. Exodus 20:17; Numbers 16:15; Acts 20:33
9. Exodus 23:8; Deuteronomy 16:19
10. Acts 23:9; Acts 24:20
11. Exodus 22:4
12. Exodus 6:26; Micah 6:4
13. Ezekiel 20:35; Micah 6:1-5
14. Genesis 46:5, 6
15. Exodus 2:23-25
16. Exodus 3:10; Exodus 4:14-16
17. 1 Samuel 10:18
18. Deuteronomy 32:18; Judges 3:7
19. Judges 4:2
20. Judges 3:31; Judges 10:7; Judges 13:1
21. Judges 3:12-30
22. Judges 10:10
23. Judges 2:13; Judges 3:7
24. Judges 10:15, 16
25. Judges 6:31, 32; Judges 7:1
26. Judges 4:6; Judges 11:1
27. Judges 11:29
28. 1 Samuel 3:20
29. 1 Samuel 11:1, 2
30. 1 Samuel 8:6, 19
31. Judges 8:23; 1 Samuel 8:7
32. 1 Samuel 10:24
33. 1 Samuel 8:5; 1 Samuel 12:17, 19; Hosea 13:11
34. Joshua 24:14
35. Leviticus 26:14, 15; Joshua 24:20; Isaiah 1:20
36. 1 Samuel 5:9
37. 1 Samuel 12:9
38. Exodus 14:13, 31
39. Proverbs 26:1
40. 1 Samuel 7:9, 10; James 5:16f
41. 1 Samuel 8:7
42. Exodus 14:31
43. Exodus 9:28; 1 Samuel 12:23; Jeremiah 15:1; 1 John 5:16
44. 1 Samuel 12:17, 20
45. Deuteronomy 11:16
46. Deuteronomy 11:16; Isaiah 41:29; Habakkuk 2:18
47. Deuteronomy 31:6; 1 Kings 6:13
48. Exodus 32:12; Numbers 14:13; Joshua 7:9; Psalms 106:8; Jeremiah 14:21
49. Deuteronomy 7:6-11; 1 Peter 2:9
50. Romans 1:9; 1 Corinthians 9:16; Colossians 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 3:10; 2 Timothy 1:3
51. 1 Kings 8:36; Psalms 34:11; Proverbs 4:11
52. Ecclesiastes 12:13
53. Deuteronomy 10:21; Isaiah 5:12
54. Isaiah 1:20; Isaiah 3:11
55. Joshua 24:20
56. 1 Samuel 31:1-5; Hosea 10:3

Footnotes 9

[a]. Lit "made"
[b]. Lit "made"
[c]. Lit "and they brought"
[d]. Gr and Syr read "Barak"
[e]. Lit "mouth"
[f]. Lit "mouth"
[g]. Lit "sounds"
[h]. Lit "sounds"
[i]. Or "reverence"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 12

In this chapter Samuel, resigning the government to Saul, asserts the integrity with which he had performed his office, and calls upon the people of Israel to attest it, who did, 1Sa 12:1-5, he then reminds them of the great and good things the Lord had done for them in times past, 1Sa 12:6-11 and whereas they had desired a king, and one was given them, it was their interest to fear and serve the Lord; if not, his hand would be against them, 1Sa 12:10-15 he terrifies them by calling for thunder in an unusual time, 1Sa 12:16-19 and then comforts and encourages them, that in doing their duty God would be with them, and not forsake them, otherwise they might expect nothing but ruin and destruction, 1Sa 12:20-25.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible