1 Samuel 12:1-15

Samuel’s Farewell Address

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 ^[a] 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.

6 Then Samuel said to the people, “The LORD is the One who ^[b] appointed Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

7 Now present yourselves, so that I may confront you before the LORD with all the righteous acts He has done for you and your fathers.

8 When Jacob went to Egypt, ^[c] your fathers cried out to the LORD, and He sent them Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

9 But they forgot the LORD their God, and He sold them into the hand of Sisera the commander of the army of Hazor, ^[d] and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them.

10 Then they cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and Ashtoreths. Now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, that we may serve You.’

11 So the LORD sent Jerubbaal, ^[e] Barak, ^[f] Jephthah, and Samuel, ^[g] and He delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, and you dwelt securely.

12 But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king to rule over us’—even though the LORD your God was your king.

13 Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you requested. Behold, the LORD has placed a king over you.

14 If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and if you do not rebel against the command of the LORD, and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the LORD your God, then all will be well. ^[h]

15 But if you disobey the LORD and rebel against His command, then the hand of the LORD will be against you as it was against your fathers. ^[i]

1 Samuel 12:1-15 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes

• [a] Hebrew And I will restore it; LXX Testify against me, and I will restore it
• [b] Hebrew; LXX The LORD is the witness who
• [c] Hebrew; LXX includes and the Egyptians oppressed them
• [d] LXX the army of Jabin king of Hazor
• [e] Jerubbaal is another name for Gideon and probably means let Baal contend; see Judges 6:32.
• [f] LXX and Syriac; Hebrew Bedan
• [g] LXX and Syriac Samson
• [h] then all will be well is implied; Literally If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and if you do not rebel against the command of the LORD, (then) both you and the king who rules over you will follow the LORD your God.
• [i] Hebrew; LXX against your king