1 Samuel 8:12-22

12 He will make some of them officers in charge of a thousand men, and others in charge of fifty men. Your sons will have to plow his fields, harvest his crops, and make his weapons and the equipment for his chariots.
13 Your daughters will have to make perfumes for him and work as his cooks and his bakers.
14 He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his officials.
15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your grapes for his court officers and other officials.
16 He will take your servants and your best cattle and donkeys, and make them work for him.
17 He will take a tenth of your flocks. And you yourselves will become his slaves.
18 When that time comes, you will complain bitterly because of your king, whom you yourselves chose, but the Lord will not listen to your complaints."
19 The people paid no attention to Samuel, but said, "No! We want a king,
20 so that we will be like other nations, with our own king to rule us and to lead us out to war and to fight our battles."
21 Samuel listened to everything they said and then went and told it to the Lord.
22 The Lord answered, "Do what they want and give them a king." Then Samuel told all the men of Israel to go back home.

1 Samuel 8:12-22 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.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. [One ancient translation] cattle; [Hebrew] young men.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.