1 Samuel 12:13

13 And now behold, the king whom ye have chosen, whom ye have asked for! and behold, Jehovah has set a king over you.

1 Samuel 12:13 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 12:13

Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye
have desired
For though God chose their king for them, it was at their request; they chose to have a king, and desired one, and they approved of and consented to, and confirmed the choice he had made, and so it was in effect their own:

and, behold, the Lord hath set a king over you;
he gratified them in their desires; though he did not suffer them to make themselves a king, he suffered them to have one, and he gave them one; this power he reserved to himself of setting up and pulling down kings at his pleasure.

1 Samuel 12:13 In-Context

11 And Jehovah sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies round about, so that ye dwelt in safety.

12 But when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said to me, Nay, but a king shall reign over us; when Jehovah your God was your king.

13 And now behold, the king whom ye have chosen, whom ye have asked for! and behold, Jehovah has set a king over you.

14 If ye fear Jehovah, and serve him, and hearken to his voice, and rebel not against the commandment of Jehovah, then both ye and the king also that reigns over you shall continue following Jehovah your God.

15 But if ye will not hearken to the voice of Jehovah, and if ye rebel against the commandment of Jehovah, then will the hand of Jehovah be against you, as against your fathers.