1 Samuel 12

1 Forsooth Samuel said to all Israel, Lo! I [have] heard your voice by all things which ye spake to me, and I [have] ordained a king upon you;

2 and now the king goeth before you. And I have waxed eld and hoary; and my sons be with you; also I have lived before you from my young waxing age unto this day.

3 And lo! I am ready; speak ye to me before the Lord, and before the christ of him/before his anointed, or king; whether I have taken any man's ox, either his ass; if I have falsely challenged any man; if I have oppressed any man; if I have taken gift of any man's hand; I shall despise it today, and I shall restore (it) to you. (And lo! I am ready; speak ye to me before the Lord, and before his anointed king; have I taken any man's ox, or his donkey; have I falsely challenged any man; have I oppressed any man; have I taken a gift from any man's hand? yea, if I have, I shall despise it today, and I shall restore it to you.)

4 And they said, Thou hast not falsely challenged us, neither thou hast oppressed us, neither thou hast taken any thing of any man's hand.

5 And he said to them, The Lord is witness against you, and his christ, or king, is witness in this day (and his anointed king is a witness this day); for ye have not found anything in mine hand. And they said, He is witness.

6 And Samuel said to the people, The Lord, that made Moses and Aaron, and that led your fathers out of the land of Egypt, is present; (And Samuel said to the people, The Lord, who made Moses and Aaron, and who led your fathers out of the land of Egypt, is present here;)

7 now therefore stand ye, that I strive by doom against you before the Lord, of all the mercies of the Lord, which he did with you, and with your fathers. (and so now stand ye up, so that I can strive in judgement against you before the Lord, and remind you of all the Lord's mercies, which he did for you, and for your fathers.)

8 How that Jacob entered into Egypt, and your fathers cried to the Lord; and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and led your fathers out of Egypt, and hath set them in this place.

9 Which forgat their Lord God; and he betook them into the hand of Sisera, master of the chivalry of Hazor, and in the hand of Philistines, and in the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them. (Who then forgot the Lord their God; and he delivered them into the hands of Sisera, the master of Hazor's cavalry, or his army, and into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the king of Moab; and they fought against them.)

10 And after this your fathers cried to the Lord, and said, We have sinned, for we forsook the Lord, and served (the) Baalim and (the) Ashtaroth; now therefore deliver thou us from the hand of our enemies, and we shall serve thee.

11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal, that is Gideon, and Bedan, that is, Samson, and Barak, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you from the hand of your enemies by compass, (or all about); and then ye dwelled securely.

12 And ye saw, that Nahash, the king of the sons of Ammon, came against you; and ye said to me, counselling you to ask none other king than God, Nay, but a king shall command to us; when your Lord God reigned in you. (And then ye saw, that Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, came against you; and ye said to me, when I counselled you to ask for no other king than God, Nay, but a king shall command us; when the Lord your God then reigned over you.)

13 Now therefore your king is ready, whom ye have chosen and asked (for); lo! the Lord hath given to you a king (lo! the Lord hath given you a king).

14 If ye dread the Lord, and serve him, and hear his voice, and wrath not the mouth of the Lord; ye and your king, that commandeth to you, shall follow your Lord God. (If ye fear the Lord/If ye revere the Lord, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and do not rebel against the Lord's commands, then ye and your king, who commandeth you, shall follow the Lord your God.)

15 Forsooth if ye hear not the voice of the Lord, but wrath his word, the hand of the Lord shall be on you, and on your fathers. (But if ye do not listen to the Lord's voice, and rebel against his commands, the hand of the Lord shall be against you, and against your fathers.)

16 But also now stand ye, and see this great thing, that the Lord shall do in your sight.

17 Whether (the) harvest of wheat is not today? I shall inwardly call (upon) the Lord, and he shall give voices, that is, thunders, and rains; and ye shall know, and see, for ye asking a king upon you, ye have done grievous evil to yourself in the sight of the Lord (and ye shall know, and see, that in asking for a king to rule over you, ye have done grievous evil to yourselves before the Lord).

18 And Samuel cried to the Lord, and the Lord gave thunders and rains in that day. And all the people dreaded greatly the Lord and Samuel; (And Samuel cried to the Lord, and the Lord gave thunder and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel;)

19 and all the people said to Samuel, Pray thou for thy servants to thy Lord God, that we die not; for we [have] added evil to all our sins, that we ask a king to us. (and all the people said to Samuel, Pray thou for thy servants to the Lord thy God, so that we shall not die; for we have added this evil to all our sins, that we asked for a king over us.)

20 And Samuel said to the people, Dread ye not; ye have done all this evil; nevertheless go ye not away from (following) the back of the Lord, but serve ye the Lord in all your heart (but serve ye the Lord with all your heart);

21 and do not ye bow after vain things, that shall not profit you, neither they shall deliver you; for those be vain things. (and do not ye worship false gods, that shall not profit you, nor can they save you; for they be false gods.)

22 And then the Lord shall not forsake his people for his great name; for the Lord hath sworn to make you a people to himself. (And then the Lord shall not forsake his people for the sake of his great name; for the Lord hath sworn to make you his own people.)

23 And this sin be far from me against the Lord, that I cease to pray for you; and I shall teach you a rightful way and a good. (And let this sin against the Lord be far from me, that I would ever cease to pray for you; yea, indeed, I shall teach you the good and the right way.)

24 Therefore dread ye the Lord, and serve ye him in truth, and of all your heart; for ye saw those great things, that he hath done to you; (And so fear ye the Lord/And so revere ye the Lord, and serve ye him in truth, and with all your heart; for ye have seen all the great things which he hath done for you;)

25 that if ye continue in malice, both ye and your king shall perish (al)together. (but if ye continue in malice, or in wickedness, both ye and your king shall altogether perish.)

1 Samuel 12 Commentary

Chapter 12

Samuel testifies his integrity. (1-5) Samuel reproves the people. (6-15) Thunder sent in harvest time. (16-25)

Verses 1-5 Samuel not only cleared his own character, but set an example before Saul, while he showed the people their ingratitude to God and to himself. There is a just debt which all men to their own good name, especially men in public stations, which is, to guard it against unjust blame and suspicions, that they may finish their course with honour, as well as with joy. And that we have in our places lived honestly, will be our comfort, under any slights and contempt that may be put upon us.

Verses 6-15 The work of ministers is to reason with people; not only to exhort and direct, but to persuade, to convince men's judgments, and so to gain their wills and affections. Samuel reasons of the righteous acts of the Lord. Those who follow God faithfully, he will enable to continue following him. Disobedience would certainly be the ruin of Israel. We mistake if we think that we can escape God's justice, by trying to shake off his dominion. If we resolve that God shall not rule us, yet he will judge us.

Verses 16-25 At Samuel's word, God sent thunder and rain, at a season of the year when, in that country, the like was not seen. This was to convince them they had done wickedly in asking a king; not only by its coming at an unusual time, in wheat harvest, and on a clear day, but by the prophet's giving notice of it before. He showed their folly in desiring a king to save them, rather than God, or Samuel; promising themselves more from an arm of flesh, than from the arm of God, or from the power of prayer. Could their prince command such forces as the prophet could do by his prayers? It startled them very much. Some will not be brought to see their sins by any gentler methods than storms and thunders. They entreat Samuel to pray for them. Now they see their need of him whom shortly before they slighted. Thus many who will not have Christ to reign over them, would yet be glad to have him intercede for them, to turn away the wrath of God. Samuel aims to confirm the people in their religion. Whatever we make a god of, we shall find it deceive us. Creatures in their own places are good; but when put in God's place, they are vain things. We sin if we restrain prayer, and in particular if we cease praying for the church. They only asked him to pray for them; but he promises to do more, to teach them. He urges that they were bound in gratitude to serve God, considering what great things he had done for them; and that they were bound in interest to serve him, considering what he would do against them, if they should still do wickedly. Thus, as a faithful watchman, he gave them warning, and so delivered his own soul. If we consider what great things the Lord hath done for us, especially in the great work of redemption, we can neither want motive, encouragement, nor assistance in serving him.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 12

In this chapter Samuel, resigning the government to Saul, asserts the integrity with which he had performed his office, and calls upon the people of Israel to attest it, who did, 1Sa 12:1-5, he then reminds them of the great and good things the Lord had done for them in times past, 1Sa 12:6-11 and whereas they had desired a king, and one was given them, it was their interest to fear and serve the Lord; if not, his hand would be against them, 1Sa 12:10-15 he terrifies them by calling for thunder in an unusual time, 1Sa 12:16-19 and then comforts and encourages them, that in doing their duty God would be with them, and not forsake them, otherwise they might expect nothing but ruin and destruction, 1Sa 12:20-25.