1 Samuel 12:3-13

3 "Here I am; bear witness against me before the LORD and ¹His anointed. ²Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or ³from 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 ⁴you have found nothing * ⁵in my hand." And they said, "He is witness."

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

7 "So now, take your stand, ⁷that 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 "⁸When Jacob went into Egypt and ⁹your fathers cried out to the LORD, then ¹⁰the LORD sent Moses and Aaron ¹¹who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

9 "But ¹²they forgot the LORD their God, so ¹³He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and ¹⁴into the hand of the Philistines and ¹⁵into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

10 "¹⁶They cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned because we have forsaken the LORD and have served ¹⁷the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but ¹⁸now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.'

11 "Then the LORD sent ¹⁹Jerubbaal and ²⁰Bedan and ²¹Jephthah and ²²Samuel, and delivered you from the hands of your enemies all * around, so that you lived in security.

The King Confirmed

12 "When you saw ²³that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, '²⁴No, but a king shall reign over us,' ²⁵although the LORD your God was your king.

13 "Now therefore, ²⁶here is the king whom you have chosen, ²⁷whom you have asked for, and behold, the LORD has set a king over you.

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1 Samuel 12:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

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

Cross References 27

1. 1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Samuel 24:6; 2 Samuel 1:14
2. Exodus 20:17; Numbers 16:15; Acts 20:33
3. Exodus 23:8; Deuteronomy 16:19
4. Acts 23:9; Acts 24:20
5. Exodus 22:4
6. Exodus 6:26; Micah 6:4
7. Ezekiel 20:35; Micah 6:1-5
8. Genesis 46:5, 6
9. Exodus 2:23-25
10. Exodus 3:10; Exodus 4:14-16
11. 1 Samuel 10:18
12. Deuteronomy 32:18; Judges 3:7
13. Judges 4:2
14. Judges 3:31; Judges 10:7; Judges 13:1
15. Judges 3:12-30
16. Judges 10:10
17. Judges 2:13; Judges 3:7
18. Judges 10:15, 16
19. Judges 6:31, 32; Judges 7:1
20. Judges 4:6; Judges 11:1
21. Judges 11:29
22. 1 Samuel 3:20
23. 1 Samuel 11:1, 2
24. 1 Samuel 8:6, 19
25. Judges 8:23; 1 Samuel 8:7
26. 1 Samuel 10:24
27. 1 Samuel 8:5; 1 Samuel 12:17, 19; Hosea 13:11

Footnotes 3

[a]. Lit "made"
[b]. Lit "and they brought"
[c]. Gr and Syr read "Barak"