1 Samuel 8

This chapter appears in the early part of 1 Samuel. In 1 Samuel 7, Samuel defeats the Philistines and judges Israel all the days of his life. This chapter begins the account of the transition from the period of the judges to the monarchy, that is, rule by a king.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 The aged Samuel appoints his two sons, Joel and Abiah, as judges in Beersheba. His sons, however, turn aside after gain, take bribes, and pervert judgment.
• Verses 4–5 All the elders of Israel come to Samuel at Ramah and ask him to appoint a king for them like all the nations.
• Verses 6–9 Samuel is displeased with the request and prays. The LORD tells him that the people have rejected not Samuel but the LORD himself. He commands Samuel to grant their request but to warn them solemnly about the manner of the king.
• Verses 10–18 Samuel describes the manner of the king. The king will take the people's sons for his chariots, his army, his farming, and the making of his weapons, and their daughters to be confectionaries, cooks, and bakers. He will also take their best fields, vineyards, and oliveyards, and collect a tenth of their grain and flocks. Samuel warns that in that day the people will cry out, but the LORD will not answer them.
• Verses 19–22 The people refuse the warning, wanting a king to rule over them and lead them in battle. When the LORD tells Samuel to make them a king, Samuel sends the people back, each to his own city.

Key Verses

• 1 Samuel 8:7 "They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me…" This verse expresses the chapter's judgment that the demand for a king amounted to a rejection of the LORD's rule.
• 1 Samuel 8:20 "That we also may be like all the nations…" This verse reveals the people's motive in wanting a king.

People and Places

• Samuel: the last judge of Israel and a prophet.
• Joel and Abiah: Samuel's firstborn and second sons, judges who did not walk in their father's ways.
• The elders of Israel: the men who, representing the tribes, demanded a king.
• Ramah: the town where Samuel lived.
• Beersheba: a town at the southern edge of Israel, where Samuel's sons judged.

Points for Reflection

• Deuteronomy 17:14–20 already contains regulations to be observed when a king is appointed. Many interpreters therefore hold that this chapter objects not so much to the monarchy itself as to the motive of becoming "like all the nations" and to the refusal to acknowledge the LORD as king.
• Some critical scholars hold that 1 Samuel 8–12 combines sources favorable to the monarchy with sources critical of it. Conservative interpreters, by contrast, read this section as a single continuous narrative.
• The tenth mentioned in verses 15 and 17 refers not to an offering given to the sanctuary but to a tax collected by the king.
• In the New Testament, Paul looks back on this event in his sermon in Acts 13:21. In the Old Testament, Hosea 13:11, "I gave thee a king in mine anger," is also read in connection with this event.

In the Korean Church

The phrase "like all the nations" is frequently cited in preaching as a text warning against a faith that follows the ways of the world.