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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he appointed his sons judges to 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 firstborn son was, Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah,–they were judges in Beer-sheba. |
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| 3 Howbeit his sons walked not in his ways, but stooped to extortion,–and took bribes, and perverted 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 So then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together,–and came unto Samuel, to Ramah; |
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 said unto him–Lo! thou, art old, and, thy sons, walk not in thy ways: Now, appoint for 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 But the thing was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, when they said, Give unto us a king to judge us. So Samuel prayed unto Yahweh. |
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 Yahweh said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people, in all that they shall say unto thee,–for, not thee, have they rejected, but, me, have they rejected, from being king 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 doings which they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt, even until this day, in that they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so, are they doing even unto 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 Now, therefore, hearken to their voice,–save that thou, enter protest, against them, and tell them the manner of the king who will reign over them. |
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| 10 So then Samuel spake all the words of Yahweh unto the people, who were asking of him, a king. |
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| 11 And he said, This, will be the manner of the king who will reign over you,–Your sons, will he take and appoint for himself, as his charioteers and as his horsemen, and they shall 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 and he will appoint for himself, princes of thousands, and princes of fifties,–and to plough his fields, and to reap his harvest, and to make his weapons of war, and the instruments of his chariots; |
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| 13 And, your daughters, will he take,–as perfumers and as cooks, and as bakers; |
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| 14 And, your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, the best of them, will he take, and give to his servants; |
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| 15 And, your seed, and your vineyards, will he tithe, and give to his courtiers and to his servants; |
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| 16 And, your men-servants, and your maidservants, and your oxen, even the goodliest, and your asses, will he take,–and put them to his work; |
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| 17 Your flocks, will he tithe,–and, ye yourselves, shall become his servants. |
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| 18 Then will ye make outcry, in that day, because of your king whom ye have chosen for yourselves,–and Yahweh will not answer you, in that day. |
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| 19 But the people refused to hearken unto the voice of Samuel,–and they said–Nay! but, a king, shall be 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 so shall, even we, become like all the nations,–and our king shall judge us, and go forth before us, and fight our battles. |
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| 21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people,–and spake them in the ears of Yahweh. |
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| 22 And Yahweh said unto Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel: Go ye, every man to his own city. |
Make them a king – An example of an unfavorable answer to prayer. (See Hosea 13:9-11) R3217:4
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