1 Samuel 12:4

4 "You haven't cheated us," they replied. "You haven't beaten us down. You haven't taken anything from anyone."

1 Samuel 12:4 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 12:4

And they said
One in the name of the rest, or they all cried out as one man:

thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us;
had done them no wrong, neither privately nor publicly, by fraud or by force:

neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand;
as a gift, present, or bribe, to fit your his cause. Some would infer hence that be took nothing of them for his support and maintenance, and that he lived upon his own substance; but that is not likely or reasonable; it was but just that they should support him and his family suitably to his character as a judge, whose whole life was spent in their service.

1 Samuel 12:4 In-Context

2 Now you have a king as your leader. But I'm old. My hair is gray. My sons are here with you. I've been your leader from the time I was young until this very day.

3 "Here I stand. Bring charges against me if you can. The LORD is a witness. And so is his anointed king. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Have I cheated anyone? Have I beaten anyone down? Have I accepted money from anyone who wanted special favors? If I've done any of those things, I'll make it right."

4 "You haven't cheated us," they replied. "You haven't beaten us down. You haven't taken anything from anyone."

5 Samuel said to them, "The LORD is a witness against you this very day. And so is his anointed king. They are witnesses that I haven't taken anything from any of you." "The LORD is a witness," they said.

6 Then Samuel said to the people, "The LORD appointed Moses and Aaron. He brought up out of Egypt your people who lived long ago.