The First Book of Samuel, otherwise called the First Book of the Kings
1 Samuel 8
Chapter VIII · Vol. II, pp. 640–641
1 By occasion of the ill government of Samuel's sons, the Israelites ask a king. 6 Samuel praying in grief, is comforted by God: 10 he telleth the manner of a king. 19 God directeth Samuel to yield unto the importunity of the people.
2 Now the name of his first-born was bJoel, and the name of his second Abiah: they were judges in cBeer-sheba.1
b Or, Vashni, 1 Ch.6.28,33.
c Ge.21.14,31.
1 They were deputy-judges in the southern district, most probably because that frontier was much exposed to Arab incursions, and required a stronger executive than the south-east and other parts where the Amorites were at peace.—C.
3 Andd his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto eRamah,
e ch.7.17.
5 And said unto him, fBehold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now gmake us a king to judge us, like all the nations.
6 But the thing hdispleased2 Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel iprayed unto the LORD.3
7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, kHearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for lthey have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
k Ps.81.12. Is.66.4. Ho.13.11. Nu.22.20.
l Ex.16.8. ch.10.19; 12.17,19. Jn.13.16. Mat.10.24,25. Lu.19.14,27. Ho.13.10,11.
8 Accordingm to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
9 Now therefore hearken4 unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly5 unto them,6 and show them the nmanner of the king that shall reign over them.
A.M. 2939 B.C. 1065
4 Or, obey.
5 Or, notwithstanding when thou hast solemnly protested against them, then thou shalt show, &c.
6 Why grant the desire of the people, and yet protest against its propriety? Is there not contradiction or even duplicity in this procedure? Infidels have so asserted, yet is there neither. The protest is both a warning and a prophecy: the warning was despised; the prophecy to the letter fulfilled. The grant was what occurs every day in providence—a fulfilment of wishes employed to punish unreasonable petitioners.—C.
n ch.2.13; 12.13, but not lawful, De.17.14-20. Eze.46.18; 45.7,8.
10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king7 that shall reign over you: oHe will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
7 The description of the despotism to which an unthankful and godless people submitted, is well worthy of attention, as an accurate picture of human nature mistaking experiment for principle, and change for improvement. This description contains eight particulars, viz. (1) Military conscription, compelling men to war. (2) Agricultural and mechanical conscriptions for the king's demesne lands. (3) Domestic slavery enforced upon the Israelites. (4) Violent appropriation of lands to civil or military servants. (5) A tenth part rent upon all agricultural produce. (6) Conscription for public works. (7) Tenth part rent of the sheep, which probably, according to a common mode of Scripture expression, stands for all clean animals. (8) Unlimited vassalage. C.——Very different indeed were the exactions to be enforced by many of their kings, from the rules of kingly conduct that had been prescribed by Moses, De.17.15-20. This is not a statement of the legitimate rights of monarchs, but an account no less graphic than correct of the arbitrary and tyrannical manner of eastern despots.—I.
o ch.14.52. In these verses Samuel represents not the duty of kings, but the real conduct of Saul, &c.
12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands and captains over fifties, and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
14 And he pwill take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
p 1 Ki.21.7. ch.22.7.
15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers,8 and to his servants.
8 Heb. eunuchs, whom they castrated to attend their ladies, &c.
16 And he will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep; and ye shall be his servants.
18 And ye shall qcry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
q Is.8.21; 1.15. Pr.1.26-28. Mi.3.4. Job 27.9.
19 Nevertheless rthe people refused to obey the voice of Samuel: and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
20 That swe also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he trehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.
t 1 Co.4.2. 2 Co.5.19,20. De.5.5.
Notes
[Ver. 3. Took bribes, and perverted judgment. Samuel, educated under the over-mild régime of Eli, seems to have fallen into Eli's error in the management of his sons; and though their crimes were not identical with those of Hophni and Phinehas, which arose from sensuality, and were therefore more debasing to the man, yet the crimes of Joel and Abiah, arising from unprincipled covetousness, were equally degrading to the judges.—Note, The determined honesty with which the Scriptures relate these blots in the family of Samuel, affords another of the many similar evidences of the divine origin of the Scriptures. Nothing could have been more easy than the suppression of this statement; and had the subject been in the hands of a mere secular historian, the world had never heard of the guilt of his hero's sons. But the Scriptures have no heroes; they have no narrative but truth, the whole truth; and no end but the glory of God. C.]
Ver. 7. [They have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. Neither God nor Samuel his prophet found any fault with the people for seeking a king, that being provided for in the divine law, De. 17. 14-20. The displeasure of both arose, (1) From the total want of piety in not consulting God by his high-priest or prophet. (2) From the sight of the people's folly in seeking to model their government on the plan of the wicked and idolatrous nations around them. (3) From the virtual rejection of God, both as judge and king. See ver. 19, 20. C.]
Reflections.—We had need to be busy in our proper work while we are able; old age will quickly indispose us for it. Neither the piety of parents nor the best education can render a person gracious. All men transmit corruption to their posterity; no man his virtues or graces. Many children, awed by their parents' inspection, conceal the vices which afterwards appear when the restraint is taken off. Yea, many, after promising beginnings, turn out a disgrace to their parents and a plague to their country. The love of money is a prolific root of evil, a most dangerous plague to the soul, and renders the public administrations of church and state a public nuisance and pest. It is a common thing for people to be harmonious in casting off the government of God, discovering the vilest ingratitude to his faithful servants, and studying conformity to the world: but abusive vexation from men should drive us to our prayers for ourselves and for them. God will grant us direction and comfort when others contemn and abuse us. To punish men for their sin, God often grants them what they wish: and things good in themselves become a curse when they are obtained in a wrong way. But rejection of God, when we are at ease, assuredly issues in his rejection of us when we are in trouble. However great a curse unsanctified relations may be, most men are set on obtaining them. And no reproofs or warnings will restrain the obstinate sinner; but the kindest advice is frequently misrepresented, as selfish and designing.