1 Samuel 8:14-22

14 And he will take your fields and your vineyards and your good oliveyards and give them to his slaves.

15 And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards to give to his officers and to his slaves.

16 And he will take your menslaves and your maidslaves and your good young men and your asses and do his work with them.

17 He will also take the tenth of your sheep, and finally ye shall be his slaves.

18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you, and the LORD will not hear you in that day.

19 Nevertheless, the people refused to hear the voice of Samuel, and they said, No, but we will have a king over us

20 that we also may be like all the Gentiles and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.

21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.

22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and place a king over them. Then Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go each one unto 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.