I Samuel 8 Commentary: The People's Demand for a King
And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beer–sheba.
And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.
And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
According 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.
Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king.
And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
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.
And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
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.
Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord.
And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.
I Samuel 8 records a pivotal moment in Israel’s history. Roughly thirty years have passed since the events of the previous chapter, and Samuel, now an old man, faces a crisis of leadership and a turning point in the nation's relationship with God. This chapter details Israel's demand for a king, marking the beginning of the monarchy, a system that would profoundly affect their relationship with their sovereign King and Lord. Understanding the theological and historical reasons behind this shift is crucial for Samuel's readers, as it reveals much about God's relationship with His people and the consequences of their choices.
The Corruption of Samuel's Sons and the Elders' Request (I Samuel 8:1-5)
Samuel, following in the footsteps of those before him, appointed his sons, Joel and Abijah, as judges over Israel, stationing them in Beersheba. Unfortunately, mirroring the failings of Eli’s sons in the priesthood, Samuel’s sons proved to be dishonest, accepting bribes and perverting justice. The elders of Israel recognized this corruption as both a problem and an opportunity. The problem was obvious: Samuel was aging, and his sons were unfit to lead. The opportunity, as they saw it, was to reshape Israel's governance.
Instead of seeking to reform the existing system by removing the corrupt judges, the elders gathered in Ramah, Samuel's hometown, and presented a radical request: they wanted Samuel to appoint a king to judge the nation, “like all the other nations.” They had observed that all the other nations had kings, and they had probably wanted one for some time. This desire reflected a deeper yearning to conform to the world around them, rather than remaining distinct as God's chosen people.
This situation highlights a recurring theme: family breakdown leading to an appeal for government intervention. The elders sought a political solution to a problem rooted in moral and spiritual failure. In a way, the situation in I Samuel 8 mirrors contemporary issues. Often, problems that governments attempt to solve arise from the breakdown of the family unit. Consequently, people frequently expect the government to manage matters that rightfully belong to families. However, when civil authority extends into the realms that God has established, such as the family or the church, it surpasses its divinely sanctioned boundaries. This expansion enables the government to seize and redistribute resources that should remain untouched. This is precisely the warning God issued to Israel in I Samuel 8:10-18 as they insisted on having a human king.
Samuel's Distress and God's Response (I Samuel 8:6-7)
Samuel was deeply troubled by this request, viewing it as an act of rebellion against God. He considered their demand wrong. In his distress, Samuel did the right thing: he turned to the Lord in prayer. God confirmed Samuel’s deep concern. But, God insisted that the request was not a rejection of Samuel but a rejection of God himself as their king. The Lord revealed that the people were not rejecting Samuel, but rejecting Him as their king. They were treating Samuel in the same way they had unfaithfully treated the Lord since the day He freed them from the Egyptians. Israel already had a king—the King of kings in fact—who was also the Lord of all the earth and worthy of worship above all other gods. Israel’s rejection of God was nothing new, but still unbelievable. They preferred to be led by a fallible human.
This divine perspective underscores the gravity of Israel's decision. They already had a King – the King of Kings – who had led them, protected them, and provided for them. Yet, they were willing to trade divine sovereignty for human leadership, a choice rooted in a desire for conformity and a lack of trust in God's provision.
The Warning of the King's Demands (I Samuel 8:8-18)
Samuel must have been speechless at God’s response, knowing that Israel was standing on thin ground with this sinful request. Nevertheless, God told Samuel to anoint a king, provided that he explain to the nation the rights of the king who [would] reign over them. God instructed Samuel to warn the people about the consequences of having a king. Samuel must have been speechless at God’s response, knowing that Israel was standing on thin ground with this sinful request. Nevertheless, God told Samuel to anoint a king, provided that he explain to the nation the rights of the king who [would] reign over them.
Samuel faithfully relayed God's warning, detailing the oppressive measures a king would impose. He explained that the king would take their sons to serve in his army and work in his fields, and their daughters to be cooks and bakers. He would seize their best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, giving them to his officials. He would take a tenth of their grain and grape harvests, as well as their servants and livestock. In essence, the people would become slaves to their own king. Samuel warned that when that day comes, the Lord will not answer their cries to save them. They are choosing that future for themselves now by choosing to have a king.
This warning serves as a prophetic indictment of the dangers of unchecked power and the potential for human leadership to become tyrannical. It highlights the contrast between God's benevolent rule and the self-serving nature of earthly kings.
Importantly, it wasn’t the request for a king per se that was wrong. A king was in God’s sovereign plan for his people (see Deuteronomy 17:14-15). The issue, then, was more that they merely wanted a human ruler. Rather than being set apart as God’s own, they wanted to be like all of the other nations. But, this was not the time of God’s perfect choosing, nor were these the right circumstances for the next season of Israel’s development. Yet, his people were impatient and unwilling to wait for the Lord’s will. The irony is huge.
The People's Insistence and God's Permission (I Samuel 8:19-22)
Sadly, Israel’s people refused to listen to Samuel, meaning they refused to listen to the Lord. Despite Samuel's dire warnings, the elders of Israel remained resolute in their demand for a king. They insisted on having a king for three reasons: to be like all the other nations, to have one king to judge over all of them, and to have someone to lead them into battle. They wanted to be like the other nations, to have a king to judge them, and to lead them in battle. Their desire for conformity and security outweighed their concern for the potential consequences.
When Samuel reported this to the Lord, God, in His sovereignty, granted their request. God tells him to do as they have said and make them a king. Samuel sends the elders of Israel back to their homes. The people’s thoughts were focused on the idea that a king would be preferable to being judged by Samuel’s crooked sons. And besides, the right king could be the military leader and hero everybody wanted to lead the nation into battle. So, in spite of warnings about the heavy personal and taxation burdens their kings would inflict on them, the people went home in anticipation.
God's decision to grant their request, despite His disapproval, reveals His respect for human agency and the consequences of free will. He allowed them to experience the realities of their choice, even though it would lead to hardship and disappointment.
The events of I Samuel 8 serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of rejecting God's sovereignty and seeking worldly solutions to spiritual problems. It reminds us to trust in God's provision, to resist the temptation to conform to the world, and to recognize the potential for human leadership to become corrupt and oppressive. While a king was ultimately part of God's plan, Israel's timing and motivations were flawed, leading to a period of both glory and turmoil in their history.
And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beer–sheba.
And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.
And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
According 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.
Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king.
And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
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.
And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
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.
Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord.
And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.
I Samuel 8 records a pivotal moment in Israel’s history. Roughly thirty years have passed since the events of the previous chapter, and Samuel, now an old man, faces a crisis of leadership and a turning point in the nation's relationship with God. This chapter details Israel's demand for a king, marking the beginning of the monarchy, a system that would profoundly affect their relationship with their sovereign King and Lord. Understanding the theological and historical reasons behind this shift is crucial for Samuel's readers, as it reveals much about God's relationship with His people and the consequences of their choices.
The Corruption of Samuel's Sons and the Elders' Request (I Samuel 8:1-5)
Samuel, following in the footsteps of those before him, appointed his sons, Joel and Abijah, as judges over Israel, stationing them in Beersheba. Unfortunately, mirroring the failings of Eli’s sons in the priesthood, Samuel’s sons proved to be dishonest, accepting bribes and perverting justice. The elders of Israel recognized this corruption as both a problem and an opportunity. The problem was obvious: Samuel was aging, and his sons were unfit to lead. The opportunity, as they saw it, was to reshape Israel's governance.
Instead of seeking to reform the existing system by removing the corrupt judges, the elders gathered in Ramah, Samuel's hometown, and presented a radical request: they wanted Samuel to appoint a king to judge the nation, “like all the other nations.” They had observed that all the other nations had kings, and they had probably wanted one for some time. This desire reflected a deeper yearning to conform to the world around them, rather than remaining distinct as God's chosen people.
This situation highlights a recurring theme: family breakdown leading to an appeal for government intervention. The elders sought a political solution to a problem rooted in moral and spiritual failure. In a way, the situation in I Samuel 8 mirrors contemporary issues. Often, problems that governments attempt to solve arise from the breakdown of the family unit. Consequently, people frequently expect the government to manage matters that rightfully belong to families. However, when civil authority extends into the realms that God has established, such as the family or the church, it surpasses its divinely sanctioned boundaries. This expansion enables the government to seize and redistribute resources that should remain untouched. This is precisely the warning God issued to Israel in I Samuel 8:10-18 as they insisted on having a human king.
Samuel's Distress and God's Response (I Samuel 8:6-7)
Samuel was deeply troubled by this request, viewing it as an act of rebellion against God. He considered their demand wrong. In his distress, Samuel did the right thing: he turned to the Lord in prayer. God confirmed Samuel’s deep concern. But, God insisted that the request was not a rejection of Samuel but a rejection of God himself as their king. The Lord revealed that the people were not rejecting Samuel, but rejecting Him as their king. They were treating Samuel in the same way they had unfaithfully treated the Lord since the day He freed them from the Egyptians. Israel already had a king—the King of kings in fact—who was also the Lord of all the earth and worthy of worship above all other gods. Israel’s rejection of God was nothing new, but still unbelievable. They preferred to be led by a fallible human.
This divine perspective underscores the gravity of Israel's decision. They already had a King – the King of Kings – who had led them, protected them, and provided for them. Yet, they were willing to trade divine sovereignty for human leadership, a choice rooted in a desire for conformity and a lack of trust in God's provision.
The Warning of the King's Demands (I Samuel 8:8-18)
Samuel must have been speechless at God’s response, knowing that Israel was standing on thin ground with this sinful request. Nevertheless, God told Samuel to anoint a king, provided that he explain to the nation the rights of the king who [would] reign over them. God instructed Samuel to warn the people about the consequences of having a king. Samuel must have been speechless at God’s response, knowing that Israel was standing on thin ground with this sinful request. Nevertheless, God told Samuel to anoint a king, provided that he explain to the nation the rights of the king who [would] reign over them.
Samuel faithfully relayed God's warning, detailing the oppressive measures a king would impose. He explained that the king would take their sons to serve in his army and work in his fields, and their daughters to be cooks and bakers. He would seize their best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, giving them to his officials. He would take a tenth of their grain and grape harvests, as well as their servants and livestock. In essence, the people would become slaves to their own king. Samuel warned that when that day comes, the Lord will not answer their cries to save them. They are choosing that future for themselves now by choosing to have a king.
This warning serves as a prophetic indictment of the dangers of unchecked power and the potential for human leadership to become tyrannical. It highlights the contrast between God's benevolent rule and the self-serving nature of earthly kings.
Importantly, it wasn’t the request for a king per se that was wrong. A king was in God’s sovereign plan for his people (see Deuteronomy 17:14-15). The issue, then, was more that they merely wanted a human ruler. Rather than being set apart as God’s own, they wanted to be like all of the other nations. But, this was not the time of God’s perfect choosing, nor were these the right circumstances for the next season of Israel’s development. Yet, his people were impatient and unwilling to wait for the Lord’s will. The irony is huge.
The People's Insistence and God's Permission (I Samuel 8:19-22)
Sadly, Israel’s people refused to listen to Samuel, meaning they refused to listen to the Lord. Despite Samuel's dire warnings, the elders of Israel remained resolute in their demand for a king. They insisted on having a king for three reasons: to be like all the other nations, to have one king to judge over all of them, and to have someone to lead them into battle. They wanted to be like the other nations, to have a king to judge them, and to lead them in battle. Their desire for conformity and security outweighed their concern for the potential consequences.
When Samuel reported this to the Lord, God, in His sovereignty, granted their request. God tells him to do as they have said and make them a king. Samuel sends the elders of Israel back to their homes. The people’s thoughts were focused on the idea that a king would be preferable to being judged by Samuel’s crooked sons. And besides, the right king could be the military leader and hero everybody wanted to lead the nation into battle. So, in spite of warnings about the heavy personal and taxation burdens their kings would inflict on them, the people went home in anticipation.
God's decision to grant their request, despite His disapproval, reveals His respect for human agency and the consequences of free will. He allowed them to experience the realities of their choice, even though it would lead to hardship and disappointment.
The events of I Samuel 8 serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of rejecting God's sovereignty and seeking worldly solutions to spiritual problems. It reminds us to trust in God's provision, to resist the temptation to conform to the world, and to recognize the potential for human leadership to become corrupt and oppressive. While a king was ultimately part of God's plan, Israel's timing and motivations were flawed, leading to a period of both glory and turmoil in their history.