1 Samuel 8:3

3 But his sons didn't take after him; they were out for what they could get for themselves, taking bribes, corrupting 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 got to be an old man, he set his sons up as judges in Israel.

2 His firstborn son was named Joel, the name of his second, Abijah. They were assigned duty in Beersheba.

3 But his sons didn't take after him; they were out for what they could get for themselves, taking bribes, corrupting justice.

4 Fed up, all the elders of Israel got together and confronted Samuel at Ramah.

5 They presented their case: "Look, you're an old man, and your sons aren't following in your footsteps. Here's what we want you to do: Appoint a king to rule us, just like everybody else."