1 Samuel 8:11-18

11 He said, 1"These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: 2he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some 3to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
14 4He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants.
15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.
16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men[a] and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.
18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, 5but the LORD will not answer you in that day."

1 Samuel 8:11-18 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.

Cross References 5

  • 1. 1 Samuel 10:25; See Deuteronomy 17:16-20
  • 2. 1 Samuel 14:52
  • 3. See Genesis 45:6
  • 4. 1 Kings 21:7; [Ezekiel 46:18]
  • 5. Proverbs 1:28; Isaiah 1:15; Micah 3:4

Footnotes 1

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.