1 Samuel 8:16

16 And he will take your menservants and maidservants and your best cattle [a] and donkeys and put them to his own use.

1 Samuel 8:16 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 8:16

And he will take your manservants, and your maidservants,
&c.] Into his own family, for his own use and service, if he wants them, or likes them better than what he has:

and your goodliest young men:
that are tall and lusty, comely and beautiful, of a proper stature and good aspect; and such in all countries used to be chosen for officers in courts, or attendants there; and so the Turks to this day pitch upon young men to attend on great personages, who are of a comely form, have admirable features, and are well shaped, (See Gill on Daniel 1:4),

and your asses, and put them to his work;
employ them in ploughing his fields, drawing his carriages, or bearing his burdens; and so any other cattle that would serve the same purposes, as oxen, camels

1 Samuel 8:16 In-Context

14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his servants.
15 He will take a tenth of your grain and grape harvest and give it to his officials and servants.
16 And he will take your menservants and maidservants and your best cattle and donkeys and put them to his own use.
17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.
18 When that day comes, you will beg for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you on that day.”

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. LXX; Hebrew your best young men
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