1 Samuel 12:3

3 Here I am. Bear witness against me before the LORD and before His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated or oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe and closed my eyes? Tell me, and I will restore it ^[a] to you.”

1 Samuel 12:3 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 12:3

Behold, here I am
No longer the supreme governor, but a subject, and accountable for any misdemeanour charged upon me, and to which I am ready to give answer, being now at your bar to be tried and judged before you:

witness against me before the Lord, and before his anointed;
signifying, that if they had anything to lay to his charge, that they would produce it, and give proof and evidence of it in the presence of God, in whose name they met, and of Saul, anointed king, and supreme judge and ruler of the nation:

whose ox have I taken?
by force to employ in his own service in ploughing his ground, or treading out his corn:

or whose ass have I taken?
to ride about on in his circuit, or to carry any burden for him:

or whom have I defrauded?
of their money or goods, by any artifice circumventing and cheating them:

whom have I oppressed?
struck, beaten, broken, or caused to be so used wrongfully; to whose person have I been injurious any more than to their property? Some derive the word from a root which signifies favour and goodwill, and interpret it as some of the Rabbins do, of his not taking money of persons with their goodwill; or rather, that he had done nothing as a judge for favour and affection, but had acted the upright part, without regard to rich or poor, friends or foes:

or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes
therewith?
his meaning is, that he had never taken a gift or present from any person to favour his cause, that was to be brought before him, and give it for him right or wrong; to connive at any injury he had done, or to turn away his eyes from seeing where the justice of the cause lay; or that he had not received money to spare the life of a criminal that deserved to die; for the word used for a bribe signifies a ransom price, see ( Deuteronomy 16:19 )

and I will restore it to you;
the ox or ass, money or goods, gifts and presents, or bribes taken, or make compensation for any injury done to the persons or estates of men. Some render it, "I will answer you" ^F6, or give in an answer to any such charges when exhibited.

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 (Mkl byva) "respondebo vobis", Munster.

1 Samuel 12:3 In-Context

1 Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to your voice in all that you have said to me, and I have set over you a king.

2 Now here is the king walking before you, and I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day.

3 Here I am. Bear witness against me before the LORD and before His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated or oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe and closed my eyes? Tell me, and I will restore it to you.”

4 “You have not cheated us or oppressed us,” they replied, “nor have you taken anything from the hand of man.”

5 Samuel said to them, “The LORD is a witness against you, and His anointed is a witness today, that you have not found anything in my hand.” “He is a witness,” they replied.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew And I will restore it; LXX Testify against me, and I will restore it