1 Samuel 12:8-18

8 "¹When Jacob went into Egypt and ²your fathers cried out to the LORD, then ³the LORD sent Moses and Aaron ⁴who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

9 "But ⁵they forgot the LORD their God, so ⁶He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and ⁷into the hand of the Philistines and ⁸into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

10 "⁹They cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned because we have forsaken the LORD and have served ¹⁰the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but ¹¹now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.'

11 "Then the LORD sent ¹²Jerubbaal and ¹³Bedan and ¹⁴Jephthah and ¹⁵Samuel, and delivered you from the hands of your enemies all * around, so that you lived in security.

The King Confirmed

12 "When you saw ¹⁶that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, '¹⁷No, but a king shall reign over us,' ¹⁸although the LORD your God was your king.

13 "Now therefore, ¹⁹here is the king whom you have chosen, ²⁰whom you have asked for, and behold, the LORD has set a king over you.

14 "²¹If 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 "²²If you will not listen to the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the command of the LORD, then ²³the hand of the LORD will be against you, ²⁴as it was against your fathers.

16 "Even now, ²⁵take your stand and see this great thing which the LORD will do before your eyes.

17 "²⁶Is it not the wheat harvest today? ²⁷I will call to the LORD, that He may send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that ²⁸your 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 ²⁹all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

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1 Samuel 12:8-18 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 29

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

Footnotes 6

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