1 Samuel 12:13

13 Now here is the king you have chosen. He's the one you asked for. The LORD has placed a king over you.

1 Samuel 12:13 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 12:13

Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye
have desired
For though God chose their king for them, it was at their request; they chose to have a king, and desired one, and they approved of and consented to, and confirmed the choice he had made, and so it was in effect their own:

and, behold, the Lord hath set a king over you;
he gratified them in their desires; though he did not suffer them to make themselves a king, he suffered them to have one, and he gave them one; this power he reserved to himself of setting up and pulling down kings at his pleasure.

1 Samuel 12:13 In-Context

11 "The LORD sent Gideon, Barak, Jephthah and me. He saved you from the hands of your enemies, who were all around you. So you lived in safety.

12 "But then you saw that Nahash, the king of Ammon, was about to attack you. So you said to me, 'No! We want a king to rule over us.' You said it even though the LORD your God was your king.

13 Now here is the king you have chosen. He's the one you asked for. The LORD has placed a king over you.

14 "But you must have respect for the Lord. You must serve him and obey him. You must not say no to his commands. Both you and the king who rules over you must follow the LORD your God. If you do, that's good.

15 But you must not disobey him. You must not say no to his commands. If you do, his powerful hand will punish you. That's what happened to your people who lived before you.