1 And Samuel H8050 said H559 unto all Israel, H3478 Behold, I have hearkened H8085 unto your voice H6963 in all that ye said H559 unto me, and have made H4427 a king H4428 over you.
2 And now, behold, the king H4428 walketh H1980 before H6440 you: and I am old H2204 and grayheaded; H7867 and, behold, my sons H1121 are with you: and I have walked H1980 before H6440 you from my childhood H5271 unto this day. H3117
3 Behold, here I am: witness H6030 against me before the LORD, H3068 and before his anointed: H4899 whose ox H7794 have I taken? H3947 or whose ass H2543 have I taken? H3947 or whom have I defrauded? H6231 whom have I oppressed? H7533 or of whose hand H3027 have I received any bribe H3724 to blind H5956 mine eyes H5869 therewith? and I will restore H7725 it you.
4 And they said, H559 Thou hast not defrauded H6231 us, nor oppressed H7533 us, neither hast thou taken H3947 ought H3972 of any man's H376 hand. H3027
5 And he said H559 unto them, The LORD H3068 is witness H5707 against you, and his anointed H4899 is witness H5707 this day, H3117 that ye have not found H4672 ought H3972 in my hand. H3027 And they answered, H559 He is witness. H5707
6 And Samuel H8050 said H559 unto the people, H5971 It is the LORD H3068 that advanced H6213 Moses H4872 and Aaron, H175 and that brought H5927 your fathers H1 up H5927 out of the land H776 of Egypt. H4714
7 Now therefore stand still, H3320 that I may reason H8199 with you before H6440 the LORD H3068 of all the righteous acts H6666 of the LORD, H3068 which he did H6213 to you and to your fathers. H1
8 When Jacob H3290 was come H935 into Egypt, H4714 and your fathers H1 cried H2199 unto the LORD, H3068 then the LORD H3068 sent H7971 Moses H4872 and Aaron, H175 which brought forth H3318 your fathers H1 out of Egypt, H4714 and made them dwell H3427 in this place. H4725
9 And when they forgat H7911 the LORD H3068 their God, H430 he sold H4376 them into the hand H3027 of Sisera, H5516 captain H8269 of the host H6635 of Hazor, H2674 and into the hand H3027 of the Philistines, H6430 and into the hand H3027 of the king H4428 of Moab, H4124 and they fought H3898 against them.
10 And they cried H2199 unto the LORD, H3068 and said, H559 We have sinned, H2398 because we have forsaken H5800 the LORD, H3068 and have served H5647 Baalim H1168 and Ashtaroth: H6252 but now deliver H5337 us out of the hand H3027 of our enemies, H341 and we will serve H5647 thee.
11 And the LORD H3068 sent H7971 Jerubbaal, H3378 and Bedan, H917 and Jephthah, H3316 and Samuel, H8050 and delivered H5337 you out of the hand H3027 of your enemies H341 on every side, H5439 and ye dwelled H3427 safe. H983
12 And when ye saw H7200 that Nahash H5176 the king H4428 of the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 came H935 against you, ye said H559 unto me, Nay; but a king H4428 shall reign H4427 over us: when the LORD H3068 your God H430 was your king. H4428
13 Now therefore behold the king H4428 whom ye have chosen, H977 and whom ye have desired! H7592 and, behold, the LORD H3068 hath set H5414 a king H4428 over you.
14 If ye will fear H3372 the LORD, H3068 and serve H5647 him, and obey H8085 his voice, H6963 and not rebel H4784 against the commandment H6310 of the LORD, H3068 then shall both ye and also the king H4428 that reigneth H4427 over you continue following H310 the LORD H3068 your God: H430
15 But if ye will not obey H8085 the voice H6963 of the LORD, H3068 but rebel H4784 against the commandment H6310 of the LORD, H3068 then shall the hand H3027 of the LORD H3068 be against you, as it was against your fathers. H1
16 Now therefore H1571 stand H3320 and see H7200 this great H1419 thing, H1697 which the LORD H3068 will do H6213 before your eyes. H5869
17 Is it not wheat H2406 harvest H7105 to day? H3117 I will call H7121 unto the LORD, H3068 and he shall send H5414 thunder H6963 and rain; H4306 that ye may perceive H3045 and see H7200 that your wickedness H7451 is great, H7227 which ye have done H6213 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 in asking H7592 you a king. H4428
18 So Samuel H8050 called H7121 unto the LORD; H3068 and the LORD H3068 sent H5414 thunder H6963 and rain H4306 that day: H3117 and all the people H5971 greatly H3966 feared H3372 the LORD H3068 and Samuel. H8050
19 And all the people H5971 said H559 unto Samuel, H8050 Pray H6419 for thy servants H5650 unto the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 that we die H4191 not: for we have added H3254 unto all our sins H2403 this evil, H7451 to ask H7592 us a king. H4428
20 And Samuel H8050 said H559 unto the people, H5971 Fear H3372 not: ye have done H6213 all this wickedness: H7451 yet turn not aside H5493 from following H310 the LORD, H3068 but serve H5647 the LORD H3068 with all your heart; H3824
21 And turn ye not aside: H5493 for then should ye go after H310 vain H8414 things, which cannot profit H3276 nor deliver; H5337 for they are vain. H8414
22 For the LORD H3068 will not forsake H5203 his people H5971 for his great H1419 name's H8034 sake: because it hath pleased H2974 the LORD H3068 to make H6213 you his people. H5971
23 Moreover as for me, H595 God forbid H2486 that I should sin H2398 against the LORD H3068 in ceasing H2308 to pray H6419 for you: H1157 but I will teach H3384 you the good H2896 and the right H3477 way: H1870
24 Only fear H3372 the LORD, H3068 and serve H5647 him in truth H571 with all your heart: H3824 for consider H7200 how great things he hath done H1431 for you.
25 But if ye shall still H7489 do wickedly, H7489 ye shall be consumed, H5595 both ye and your king. H4428
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Samuel 12
Commentary on 1 Samuel 12 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 12
1Sa 12:1-5. Samuel Testifies his Integrity.
1-4. Samuel said unto all Israel—This public address was made after the solemn re-instalment of Saul, and before the convention at Gilgal separated. Samuel, having challenged a review of his public life, received a unanimous testimony to the unsullied honor of his personal character, as well as the justice and integrity of his public administration.
5. the Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness—that, by their own acknowledgment, he had given them no cause to weary of the divine government by judges, and that, therefore, the blame of desiring a change of government rested with themselves. This was only insinuated, and they did not fully perceive his drift.
1Sa 12:6-16. He Reproves the People for Ingratitude.
7-16. Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you—The burden of this faithful and uncompromising address was to show them, that though they had obtained the change of government they had so importunely desired, their conduct was highly displeasing to their heavenly King; nevertheless, if they remained faithful to Him and to the principles of the theocracy, they might be delivered from many of the evils to which the new state of things would expose them. And in confirmation of those statements, no less than in evidence of the divine displeasure, a remarkable phenomenon, on the invocation of the prophet, and of which he gave due premonition, took place.
11. Bedan—The Septuagint reads "Barak"; and for "Samuel" some versions read "Samson," which seems more natural than that the prophet should mention himself to the total omission of the greatest of the judges. (Compare Heb 11:32).
1Sa 12:17-25. He Terrifies Them with Thunder in Harvest-time.
17-25. Is it not wheat harvest to-day?—That season in Palestine occurs at the end of June or beginning of July, when it seldom or never rains, and the sky is serene and cloudless. There could not, therefore, have been a stronger or more appropriate proof of a divine mission than the phenomenon of rain and thunder happening, without any prognostics of its approach, upon the prediction of a person professing himself to be a prophet of the Lord, and giving it as an attestation of his words being true. The people regarded it as a miraculous display of divine power, and, panic-struck, implored the prophet to pray for them. Promising to do so, he dispelled their fears. The conduct of Samuel, in this whole affair of the king's appointment, shows him to have been a great and good man who sank all private and personal considerations in disinterested zeal for his country's good and whose last words in public were to warn the people, and their king, of the danger of apostasy and disobedience to God.