1 Samuel 12:5-15

5 He said to them, "The LORD is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day that ¹you have found nothing * ²in my hand." And they said, "He is witness."

6 Then Samuel said to the people, "It is the LORD who ³appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt.

7 "So now, take your stand, ⁴that 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 "⁵When Jacob went into Egypt and ⁶your fathers cried out to the LORD, then ⁷the LORD sent Moses and Aaron ⁸who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

9 "But ⁹they forgot the LORD their God, so ¹⁰He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and ¹¹into the hand of the Philistines and ¹²into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

10 "¹³They cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned because we have forsaken the LORD and have served ¹⁴the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but ¹⁵now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.'

11 "Then the LORD sent ¹⁶Jerubbaal and ¹⁷Bedan and ¹⁸Jephthah and ¹⁹Samuel, and delivered you from the hands of your enemies all * around, so that you lived in security.

The King Confirmed

12 "When you saw ²⁰that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, '²¹No, but a king shall reign over us,' ²²although the LORD your God was your king.

13 "Now therefore, ²³here is the king whom you have chosen, ²⁴whom you have asked for, and behold, the LORD has set a king over you.

14 "²⁵If 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 "²⁶If you will not listen to the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the command of the LORD, then ²⁷the hand of the LORD will be against you, ²⁸as it was against your fathers.

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1 Samuel 12:5-15 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 28

1. Acts 23:9; Acts 24:20
2. Exodus 22:4
3. Exodus 6:26; Micah 6:4
4. Ezekiel 20:35; Micah 6:1-5
5. Genesis 46:5, 6
6. Exodus 2:23-25
7. Exodus 3:10; Exodus 4:14-16
8. 1 Samuel 10:18
9. Deuteronomy 32:18; Judges 3:7
10. Judges 4:2
11. Judges 3:31; Judges 10:7; Judges 13:1
12. Judges 3:12-30
13. Judges 10:10
14. Judges 2:13; Judges 3:7
15. Judges 10:15, 16
16. Judges 6:31, 32; Judges 7:1
17. Judges 4:6; Judges 11:1
18. Judges 11:29
19. 1 Samuel 3:20
20. 1 Samuel 11:1, 2
21. 1 Samuel 8:6, 19
22. Judges 8:23; 1 Samuel 8:7
23. 1 Samuel 10:24
24. 1 Samuel 8:5; 1 Samuel 12:17, 19; Hosea 13:11
25. Joshua 24:14
26. Leviticus 26:14, 15; Joshua 24:20; Isaiah 1:20
27. 1 Samuel 5:9
28. 1 Samuel 12:9

Footnotes 5

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