Paul Kretzmann Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:10 - 8:22

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Paul Kretzmann Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:10 - 8:22


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The Disadvantages Set Forth to the People

v. 10. And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king,
thereby exhorting them to repentance.

v. 11. And he said, This will be the manner of the king,
the way in which he would probably comport himself, that shall reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for himself, press them into his own service, for his chariots, namely, as drivers, and to be his horsemen, to make up the cavalry in his army or in his body-guard; and some shall run before his chariots, as runners, or heralds. It is a description of the usual Oriental royal cavalcade on state occasions.

v. 12. And he will appoint him,
simply press into service, captains over thousands and captains over fifties, men for every position in his army, from the highest to the lowest; and will set them to ear his ground, to till the soil of the royal dominion, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war and instruments of his chariots, the tools, vessels, and vehicles which he used in peace times.

v. 13. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries,
to prepare fine oils and ointments for perfumery, and to be cooks, and to be bakers, for the household of an Oriental prince was organized on a gigantic scale, with a great deal of luxury and pomp.

v. 14. And he will take your fields and your vineyards and your olive yards, even the best of them,
the choicest land for agricultural and horticultural purposes,and give them to his servants, to his courtiers.

v. 15. And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give to his officers,
the eunuchs of the Oriental courts, and to his servants.

v. 16. And he will take your men-servants and your maid-servants,
the very slaves whom they had purchased for their own work, and your goodliest young men, rather, your oxen, and your asses, and put them to his work.

v. 17. He will take the tenth of your sheep,
the small cattle, including goats; and ye shall be his servants, they would lose all their political and social freedom and place a yoke upon their necks which they would not be able to remove.

v. 18. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you;
finding their condition unbearable, they would pray for deliverance; and the Lord will not hear you in that day, all their lamentation would be unavailing, as a just punishment of the Lord; the yoke once assumed they must bear forever. The description given by Samuel summarizes the tyranny and despotism of the average Oriental monarch, especially in ancient times, and some of the oppressions mentioned were later experienced by Israel in full measure.

v. 19. Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel,
they would not be dissuaded from their intention; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us,

v. 20. that we also may be like all the nations,
like all the heathen people surrounding them; they no longer wanted the proud distinction of being ruled by Jehovah only; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. Those were the duties of the king as they saw them, to be the leader and the governor of the people, in peace and in war.

v. 21. And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord,
again laying the whole matter before the Lord, after his unsuccessful dealing with the people.

v. 22. And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye, every man unto his city.
He needed some time to consider, with the Lord's advice, the necessary steps for the selection of a king. Thus the Lord, in yielding to the demand of the people, laid a punishment upon them. Sinful men cannot be kept in check but by force and oppression; that is a result of man's natural disobedience.