1 Samuel 12:12

12 But when you saw that King Nahash of Ammon was about to attack you, you rejected the Lord as your king and said to me, "We want a king to rule us.' 1

1 Samuel 12:12 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 12:12

And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon
came against you
Or "but yet" F11; however, notwithstanding though the Lord had been so kind and gracious to them, as to raise up judges one after another to deliver them, when they cried unto him, yet when they perceived that Nahash the Ammonite was preparing to make war with them, instead of applying to the Lord for his protection, they desired to have a king to go before them, and fight their battles, as follows: nay,

but a king shall reign over us;
though Samuel told them they had no need of one:

when the Lord your God was your King;
and would protect and defend them, if they applied to him, and would put their trust in him; and he himself Samuel was their judge, and would be their general and commander, and they had experience of success under him to the utter destruction of their enemies, ( 1 Samuel 7:10 ) and yet, notwithstanding all this, they insisted upon it to have a king. According to Abarbinel, this preparation of Nahash to war with them was after they had asked for a king, and was a punishment of them for their request; and yet they repented not of it, but in effect said, though Nahash, and all the enemies in the world come against us, we will not go back from our request, but insist on it, that we have a king to reign over us; such was their obstinacy and perverseness.


FOOTNOTES:

F11 (wartw) "videntes autem", V. L. "sed", Tigurine version; "et tamen", Vatablus, Piscator.

1 Samuel 12:12 In-Context

10 Then they cried to the Lord for help and said, "We have sinned, because we turned away from you, Lord, and worshiped the idols of Baal and Astarte. Rescue us from our enemies, and we will worship you!'
11 And the Lord sent Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, and finally me. Each of us rescued you from your enemies, and you lived in safety.
12 But when you saw that King Nahash of Ammon was about to attack you, you rejected the Lord as your king and said to me, "We want a king to rule us.'
13 "Now here is the king you chose; you asked for him, and now the Lord has given him to you.
14 All will go well with you if you honor the Lord your God, serve him, listen to him, and obey his commands, and if you and your king follow him.

Cross References 1

  • 1. 12.12 1 Samuel 8.19.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.