1 Samuel 8:14-22

14 He will expropriate your fields, vineyards and olive groves - the very best of them! - and hand them over to his servants.

15 He will take the ten-percent tax of your crops and vineyards and give it to his officers and servants.

16 He will take your male and female servants, your best young men and your donkeys, and make them work for him.

17 He will take the ten-percent tax of your flocks, and you will become his servants.

18 When that happens, you will cry out on account of your king, whom you yourselves chose. But when that happens, ADONAI will not answer you!"

19 However, the people refused to listen to what Sh'mu'el told them, and they said, "No! We want a king over us,

20 so that we can be like all the nations, with our king to judge us, lead us and fight our battles."

21 Sh'mu'el heard everything the people said and repeated them for ADONAI to hear.

22 ADONAI said to Sh'mu'el, "Do what they ask, and set up a king for them." So Sh'mu'el told the men of Isra'el, "Each of you, return to his city."

1 Samuel 8:14-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 8

This chapter relates, how that Samuel being old, and his sons behaving ill, the people desired to have a king set over them, 1Sa 8:1-5, which case Samuel laid before the Lord, and he was directed by him to yield to the people's desire, but at the same time to set before them all the disadvantages and ill consequences that would arise from thence, which he did, 1Sa 8:6-18, but they insisting upon it, nevertheless, he gave them reason to expect that their request would be granted, 1Sa 8:19-22.