1 Samuel 12:22

22 Denn Jehova wird um seines großen Namens willen sein Volk nicht verlassen; denn es hat Jehova gefallen, euch sich zum Volke zu machen.

1 Samuel 12:22 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 12:22

For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's
sake.
] For the sake of himself, his honour and glory; should he forsake his people, and suffer them to come to ruin, his name would be blasphemed among the Heathens; he would be charged either with want of power to help them, or with want of faithfulness to his promise to them, and with inconstancy to himself, or want of kindness and affection for them; all which would reflect upon his honour and glory:

because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people;
it was not owing to any worth or worthiness in them that they became his people, but to his own sovereign good will and pleasure; and therefore, as it was nothing in them that was the cause of their being taken by him for his people, so nothing in them could be the cause of their being rejected by him as such; it was of free grace and favour that they were taken into covenant with him, and by the same would be retained: the Vulgate Latin version is,

``the Lord hath sworn to make you a people for himself;''

so Jarchi interprets it, he swore, and takes it to have the same sense as in ( 1 Samuel 14:24 ) .

1 Samuel 12:22 In-Context

20 Und Samuel sprach zu dem Volke: Fürchtet euch nicht! Ihr habt zwar all dieses Böse getan; nur weichet nicht ab von der Nachfolge Jehovas und dienet Jehova mit eurem ganzen Herzen;

21 und weichet nicht ab, denn ihr würdet den Nichtigen nachgehen, die nichts nützen und nicht erretten, denn sie sind nichtig.

22 Denn Jehova wird um seines großen Namens willen sein Volk nicht verlassen; denn es hat Jehova gefallen, euch sich zum Volke zu machen.

23 Auch ich fern sei es von mir, daß ich gegen Jehova sündigen, daß ich ablassen sollte, für euch zu bitten; sondern ich werde euch den guten und richtigen Weg lehren.

24 Nur fürchtet Jehova, und dienet ihm in Wahrheit mit eurem ganzen Herzen; denn sehet, welch große Dinge er an euch getan hat!