Sāmǔĕrjìshàng 8

1 Sǎmǔĕr niánjì lǎomaì , jiù lì tā érzi zuò Yǐsèliè de shì shī .

2 Zhǎngzǐ míng jiào Yuēĕr, cì zǐ míng jiào yà bǐ yà . tāmen zaì Bièshìbā zuò shì shī .

3 Tā érzi bù xíng tāde dào , tāntú cái lì , shōu shòu huìlù , qū wǎng zhèngzhí .

4 Yǐsèliè de zhǎnglǎo dōu jùjí , lái dào Lāmǎ jiàn Sǎmǔĕr ,

5 Duì tā shuō , nǐ niánjì lǎomaì le , nǐ érzi bù xíng nǐde dào . xiànzaì qiú nǐ wèi wǒmen lì yī gè wáng zhìlǐ wǒmen , xiàng liè guó yíyàng .

6 Sǎmǔĕr bù xǐyuè tāmen shuō lì yī gè wáng zhìlǐ wǒmen , tā jiù dǎogào Yēhéhuá .

7 Yēhéhuá duì Sǎmǔĕr shuō , bǎixìng xiàng nǐ shuō de yīqiè huà , nǐ zhǐguǎn yīcóng . yīnwei tāmen bú shì yànqì nǐ , nǎi shì yànqì wǒ , búyào wǒ zuò tāmende wáng .

8 Zì cóng wǒ lǐng tāmen chū Āijí dào rújīn , tāmen chángcháng lí qì wǒ , shìfèng bié shén . xiànzaì tāmen xiàng nǐ suǒ xíng de , shì zhào tāmen sùlái suǒ xíng de .

9 Gùcǐ nǐ yào yīcóng tāmende huà , zhǐshì dāng jǐngjiè tāmen , gàosu tāmen jiānglái nà wáng zĕnyàng guǎnxiá tāmen .

10 Sǎmǔĕr jiāng Yēhéhuá de huà dōu chuán gĕi qiú tā lì wáng de bǎixìng , shuō ,

11 Guǎnxiá nǐmen de wáng bì zhèyàng xíng , tā bì paì nǐmen de érzi wèi tā gǎn chē , gēn mǎ , bēnzǒu zaì chē qián .

12 Yòu paì tāmen zuò qiā fú zhǎng , wǔ shí fú zhǎng , wèi tā gēngzhòng tiándì , shōugē zhuāngjia , dá zào jūn qì hé chē shàng de qìxiè .

13 Bì qǔ nǐmen de nǚér wèi tā zhìzào xiānggāo , zuò fàn kǎo bǐng .

14 Yĕ bì qǔ nǐmen zuì hǎo de tiándì , pútaóyuán , gǎnlǎn yuán cìgĕi tāde chénpú .

15 Nǐmen de liángshi hé pútaóyuán suǒ chū de , tā bì qǔ shí fēn zhīyī gĕi tāde taì jiān hé chénpú .

16 Yòu bì qǔ nǐmen de púrén bìnǚ , jiànzhuàng de shàonián rén hé nǐmen de lü , gōng tāde chāiyì .

17 Nǐmen de yáng qún , tā bì qǔ shí fēn zhīyī , nǐmen yĕ bì zuò tāde púrén .

18 Nàshí nǐmen bì yīn suǒ xuǎn de wáng āi qiú Yēhéhuá , Yēhéhuá què bù yīngyún nǐmen .

19 Bǎixìng jìng bù kĕn tīng Sǎmǔĕr de huà , shuō , bù rán . wǒmen déng yào yī gè wáng zhìlǐ wǒmen ,

20 Shǐ wǒmen xiàng liè guó yíyàng , yǒu wáng zhìlǐ wǒmen , Tǒng lǐng wǒmen , wèi wǒmen zhēng zhàn .

21 Sǎmǔĕr tīngjian bǎixìng zhè yīqiè huà , jiù jiāng zhè huà chén míng zaì Yēhéhuá miànqián .

22 Yēhéhuá duì Sǎmǔĕr shuō , nǐ zhǐguǎn yīcóng tāmende huà , wèi tāmen lì wáng . Sǎmǔĕr duì Yǐsèliè rén shuō , nǐmen gè guī gè chéng qù ba .

Sāmǔĕrjìshàng 8 Commentary

Chapter 8

The evil government of Samuel's sons. (1-3) The Israelites ask for a king. (4-9) The manner of a king. (10-22)

Verses 1-3 It does not appear that Samuel's sons were so profane and vicious as Eli's sons; but they were corrupt judges, they turned aside after lucre. Samuel took no bribes, but his sons did, and then they perverted judgment. What added to the grievance of the people was, that they were threatened by an invasion from Nahash, king of the Ammonites.

Verses 4-9 Samuel was displeased; he could patiently bear what reflected on himself, and his own family; but it displeased him when they said, Give us a king to judge us, because that reflected upon God. It drove him to his knees. When any thing disturbs us, it is our interest, as well as our duty, to show our trouble before God. Samuel is to tell them that they shall have a king. Not that God was pleased with their request, but as sometimes he opposes us from loving-kindness, so at other times he gratifies us in wrath; he did so here. God knows how to bring glory to himself, and serves his own wise purposes, even by men's foolish counsels.

Verses 10-22 If they would have a king to rule them, as the eastern kings ruled their subjects, they would find the yoke exceedingly heavy. Those that submit to the government of the world and the flesh, are told plainly, what hard masters they are, and what tyranny the dominion of sin is. The law of God and the manner of men widely differ from each other; the former should be our rule in the several relations of life; the latter should be the measure of our expectations from others. These would be their grievances, and, when they complained to God, he would not hear them. When we bring ourselves into distress by our own wrong desires and projects, we justly forfeit the comfort of prayer, and the benefit of Divine aid. The people were obstinate and urgent in their demand. Sudden resolves and hasty desires make work for long and leisurely repentance. Our wisdom is, to be thankful for the advantages, and patient under the disadvantages of the government we may live under; and to pray continually for our rulers, that they may govern us in the fear of God, and that we may live under them in all godliness and honesty. And it is a hopeful symptom when our desires of worldly objects can brook delay; and when we can refer the time and manner of their being granted to God's providence.

Chapter Summary

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.