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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 And it cometh to pass, when Samuel [is] aged, that he maketh his sons judges over Israel. |
Made his sons judges – Their elevation to office proved detrimental to them, placing before them opportunities for dishonest gain. R1887:1
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| 2 And the name of his first-born son is Joel, and the name of his second Abiah, judges in Beer-Sheba: |
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| 3 and his sons have not walked in his ways, and turn aside after the dishonest gain, and take a bribe, and turn aside judgment. |
Perverted judgment – They were unreliable. R5636:6
Samuel's integrity is shown by the fact that when it was proven to him that his sons were guilty of accepting bribes to pervert justice he promptly removed them from office. R3216:2
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| 4 And all the elders of Israel gather themselves together, and come in unto Samuel to Ramath, |
Gathered themselves – They became fearful. They forgot that God was their real judge, their king, and that Samuel was only his mouthpiece. R3216:3
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| 5 and say unto him, 'Lo, thou hast become aged, and thy sons have not walked in thy ways; now, appoint to us a king, to judge us, like all the nations.' |
Make us a king – Judges developed the Israelites individually; the kingdom developed them along national lines. Individual development prepares better for the Messiah. R4193:2, R4201:4
Commendable human prudence, but not in Israel's case. R1887:2, R4193:1
It is thus easy to see how Moses could have firmly established himself at the head of a great empire without difficulty. HG534:4
Like all the nations – They felt they were "out of style." R3216:4
Desiring a united kingdom. R4193:1
A desire to appear great themselves. R1887:4
As exemplified in the "broad-minded" policies of Solomon to be popular with neighboring kings. R2359:2, R2069:1
They did not want to be a peculiar people. R2359:2
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| 6 And the thing is evil in the eyes of Samuel, when they have said, 'Give to us a king to judge us;' and Samuel prayeth unto Jehovah. |
Give us a king – Corresponding to the desire of the church early in the Gospel age to have an earthly head, a pope. R3217:2, R4200:1
And Samuel – Not attempting to decide the matter on his own responsibility; thereby setting us a fine example. R3216:5
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| 7 And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, 'Hearken to the voice of the people, to all that they say unto thee, for thee they have not rejected, but Me they have rejected, from reigning over them. |
In all that they say – Changed to a monarchy by the Lord's permission but without his approval. OV10:2; A48
Rejected me – They already had a powerful, invisible king, before whom none of their enemies could stand. R1887:2
The Lord's promise, "I will restore thy judges" (Isa. 1:26) intimates the superiority R4193:2, R4201:4
Reign over them – Since God was Israel's king, Saul and his successors sat upon the throne of the Lord. R1979:1
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| 8 According to all the works that they have done from the day of My bringing them up out of Egypt, even unto this day, when they forsake Me, and serve other gods so they are doing also to thee. |
I brought them up – They were evidencing a lack of faith in past providences and weariness in welldoing. R1887:2
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| 9 And now, hearken to their voice; only, surely thou dost certainly protest to them, and hast declared to them the custom of the king who doth reign over them.' |
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| 10 And Samuel speaketh all the words of Jehovah unto the people who are asking from him a king,
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| 11 and saith, 'This is the custom of the king who doth reign over you: Your sons he doth take, and hath appointed for himself among his chariots, and among his horsemen, and they have run before his chariots; |
This will be the manner – Not the Lord's idea of government, but his foretelling the actions of imperfect men exalted to power. R2046:1
Referring to Deut. 17:14-20. R1887:5
Instead of being sovereigns, the people would be the slaves of a sovereign. R5637:1
For three reasons: (1) his own imperfections; (2) his subjects' imperfections; and (3) the temptation to abuse power to maintain order. R4193:5
Immanuel's kingdom will be autocratic in the extreme. R4193:6
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| 12 also to appoint for himself heads of thousands, and heads of fifties; also to plow his plowing, and to reap his reaping; and to make instruments of his war, and instruments of his charioteer. |
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| 13 'And your daughters he doth take for perfumers, and for cooks, and for bakers; |
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| 14 and your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive-yards the best he doth take, and hath given to his servants. |
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| 15 And your seed and your vineyards he doth tithe, and hath given to his eunuchs, and to his servants. |
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| 16 And your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your young men the best, and your asses, he doth take, and hath prepared for his own work; |
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| 17 your flock he doth tithe, and ye are to him for servants. |
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| 18 And ye have cried out in that day because of the king whom ye have chosen for yourselves, and Jehovah doth not answer you in that day.' |
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| 19 And the people refuse to hearken to the voice of Samuel, and say, 'Nay, but a king is over us, |
Will have a king – Instead of the republican form of government established by the Lord. A48; R5636:3,6
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| 20 and we have been, even we, like all the nations; and our king hath judged us, and gone out before us, and fought our battles.' |
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| 21 And Samuel heareth all the words of the people, and speaketh them in the ears of Jehovah; |
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| 22 and Jehovah saith unto Samuel, 'Hearken to their voice, and thou hast caused to reign over them a king.' And Samuel saith unto the men of Israel, 'Go ye each to his city.' |
Make them a king – An example of an unfavorable answer to prayer. (See Hosea 13:9-11) R3217:4
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