1 Samuel 8:15-22

15 He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants.

16 He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use.

17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves.

18 When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the LORD will not help you.”

19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said.

20 “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”

21 So Samuel repeated to the LORD what the people had said,

22 and the LORD replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.

1 Samuel 8:15-22 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

• [a]. As in Greek version; Hebrew reads young men.