1 Samuel 8:10-22

Warning concerning a King

10 So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to ¹the people who had asked of him a king.

11 He said, "²This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: ³he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and ⁴they will run before his chariots.

12 "⁵He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.

13 "He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers.

14 "⁶He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants.

15 "He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants.

16 "He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work.

17 "He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants.

18 "Then ⁷you will cry out in that day because * of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but ⁸the LORD will not answer you in that day."

19 Nevertheless, the people ⁹refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, "No, but there shall be a king over us,

20 ¹⁰that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles."

21 Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, ¹¹he repeated them in the LORD'S hearing.

22 The LORD said to Samuel, "¹²Listen to their voice and appoint them a king." So Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city."

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1 Samuel 8:10-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 8

This chapter relates, how that Samuel being old, and his sons behaving ill, the people desired to have a king set over them, 1Sa 8:1-5, which case Samuel laid before the Lord, and he was directed by him to yield to the people's desire, but at the same time to set before them all the disadvantages and ill consequences that would arise from thence, which he did, 1Sa 8:6-18, but they insisting upon it, nevertheless, he gave them reason to expect that their request would be granted, 1Sa 8:19-22.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 12

1. 1 Samuel 8:4
2. Deuteronomy 17:14-20; 1 Samuel 10:25
3. 1 Samuel 14:52
4. 2 Samuel 15:1
5. Numbers 31:14; 1 Samuel 22:7
6. 1 Kings 21:7; Ezekiel 46:18
7. Isaiah 8:21
8. Proverbs 1:25-28; Isaiah 1:15; Micah 3:4
9. Isaiah 66:4; Jeremiah 44:16
10. 1 Samuel 8:5
11. Judges 11:11
12. 1 Samuel 8:7

Footnotes 4

[a]. Lit "custom"
[b]. Lit "plow his plowing"
[c]. Lit "make"
[d]. Lit "cause a king to reign for them"