1 Samuel 8:3

3 The sons didn't follow their father's example but turned to dishonest ways of making money. They took bribes and denied people justice.

1 Samuel 8:3 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 8:3

And his sons walked not in his ways
The meaning of which is not that they did not go the circuit he did, which is too low a sense of the words some Jewish writers give; but they did not walk in the fear of God, in the paths of religion and righteousness, truth and holiness; they neither served God, nor did justice to men, as Samuel had done:

but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment;
indulged to covetousness, sought to get riches at any rate, took bribes, which blind the eyes of judges; and so passed wrong judgment, and gave the cause to those that gave the largest gifts, right or wrong.

1 Samuel 8:3 In-Context

1 When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel; the name of his second son was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.

3 The sons didn't follow their father's example but turned to dishonest ways of making money. They took bribes and denied people justice.

4 Then all the leaders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.

5 They told him, "You're old, and your sons aren't following your example. Now appoint a king to judge us so that we will be like all the other nations."