Shmuel Alef 12:20

20 And Shmuel said unto HaAm, Fear not; ye have done kol hara’ah hazot (all this wickedness); yet turn not aside from following Hashem, but serve Hashem with kol levavchem;

Shmuel Alef 12:20 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 12:20

And Samuel said unto the people, fear not
Being destroyed by the tempest:

ye have done all this wickedness;
in asking a king; that is, though they were guilty of so heinous a sin, yet there were grace and mercy with God, and they should not despair of it, so be it that they did not depart from him, but cordially served him; the Targum is,

``ye have been the cause of all this evil;''

the storm of thunder and rain; and though they had, he would not have them despond or indulge slavish fear;

yet turn not aside from following the Lord;
the worship of the Lord, as the Targum; provided they did not depart from the Lord, and forsake his worship, word, and ordinances, they need not fear utter ruin and destruction, though they had been guilty of this sin:

but serve the Lord with all your heart;
if their service of God was kept up, and was hearty and sincere, they might still expect things would go well with them.

Shmuel Alef 12:20 In-Context

18 So Shmuel called unto Hashem; and Hashem sent kolot and matar that day; and kol HaAm greatly feared Hashem and Shmuel.

19 And kol HaAm said unto Shmuel, Pray for thy avadim unto Hashem Eloheicha, that we die not; for we have added unto kol chattoteinu (all our sins) this ra’ah (evil), to ask for us a Melech.

20 And Shmuel said unto HaAm, Fear not; ye have done kol hara’ah hazot (all this wickedness); yet turn not aside from following Hashem, but serve Hashem with kol levavchem;

21 And turn ye not aside; for then should ye go after hatohu (the vain, empty thing, idol), which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are tohu (vain, empty).

22 For Hashem will not forsake His people for the sake of Shmo Hagedol; because it hath pleased Hashem to make you His people.