| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| |
|
| 1 And it came to pass when Samuel was old, that he made 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
|
| 2 And the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah; they judged in Beer-sheba. |
|
| 3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice. |
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
|
| 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to 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
|
| 5 and said to him, Behold, thou art become old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now appoint 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
|
| 6 And the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to 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
|
| 7 And Jehovah said to 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. |
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
|
| 8 According to all the deeds that they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, in that they have forsaken me and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. |
I brought them up – They were evidencing a lack of faith in past providences and weariness in welldoing. R1887:2
|
| 9 And now hearken unto their voice; only, testify solemnly unto them, and declare unto them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. |
|
| |
|
| 10 And Samuel spoke all the words of Jehovah to the people that asked of him a king. |
|
| 11 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, on his chariot and among 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
|
| 12 and he will take them that he may appoint for himself captains over thousands, and captains over fifties, and that they may plough his ground, and reap his harvest, and make his instruments of war and instruments of his chariots. |
|
| 13 And he will take your daughters for perfumers, and cooks, and bakers. |
|
| 14 And your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, the best, will he take and give to his servants. |
|
| 15 And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give to his chamberlains and to his servants. |
|
| 16 And he will take your bondmen, and your bondwomen, and your comeliest young men, and your asses, and use them for his work. |
|
| 17 He will take the tenth of your sheep. And ye shall be his servants. |
|
| 18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king whom ye have chosen; and Jehovah will not answer you in that day. |
|
| |
|
| 19 And the people refused to hearken to the voice of Samuel; and they said, No, but there shall be a king over us, |
Will have a king – Instead of the republican form of government established by the Lord. A48; R5636:3,6
|
| 20 that we also may be like all the nations; and our king shall judge us, and go out before us, and conduct our wars. |
|
| 21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the ears of Jehovah. |
|
| 22 And Jehovah said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go ye every man to his city. |
Make them a king – An example of an unfavorable answer to prayer. (See Hosea 13:9-11) R3217:4
|