Chapter Twelve
Samuel’s Last Address to the Nation
12:1 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day.
In what will be Samuel’s last address to the people of Israel, he tells them that he listened to them and now they have a king per their request. He further tells them that he removed his sons from being judges as they are now among them and that he is getting old. He reminds them that he has been of service to them from a very young age.
12:3 Here I am; testify against me before the LORD and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you.”
Samuel notes that that he is there, testifying before YHWH and His anointed (the king), that if he unknowingly taken something that he shouldn’t have, defrauded anyone, oppressed someone, or took a bribe to pretend he didn’t see something, this was the time to accuse him and he will restore whatever back to the person.
12:4 They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.” 5 And he said to them, “The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”
The people quickly responded that Samuel never did of any of these things to them. He then reminds them that YHWH is their witness, as well as the king, they are witnesses to their proclamation that they just made, that they have not found anything negative in any of his interactions with them. They acknowledge that they made this statement with YHWH as their witness.
This may sound strange to us but this would be an important concern during a change like this. Samuel being the last of God’s appointed judges transitioning to the beginning of a new kingdom, the people cannot blame Samuel for any wrongdoings, dereliction of duty, corruption, or any unresolved problems. Any problem or concern to come would not be due to any failure of Samuel.
12:6 And Samuel said to the people, “The LORD is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous deeds of the LORD that he performed for you and for your fathers.
Samuel calls YHWH to be his witness now, as he tells them just as YHWH appointed Moses and Aaron to lead their fathers out of Egypt, he is asking them to stand still (have patience) with him as he pleads with them concerning YHWH’s role in their past.
12:8 When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them, then your fathers cried out to the LORD and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. 9 But they forgot the LORD their God. And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them. 10 And they cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.’ 11 And the LORD sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety.
Samuel walks them through their history with the Egyptians and how God was instrumental in bringing them into the land. But they forgot YHWH, so He allowed Sisera the commander of Jabin’s army, the king of Canaan who reigned in Hazor (see Judges 4:1-3), to oppress them. God also used the Philistines (see Judges 3:31; 10:7; 13:1), and the Moabites (see Judges 3:12) to fight and ultimately rule over them. They cried out to YHWH in each case, acknowledging their sin of forsaking Him by serving the Baals and Ashtaroth, and each time He delivered them out of their enemies.
12:12 And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the LORD your God was your king. 13 And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the LORD has set a king over you. 14 If you will fear the LORD and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well. 15 But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your king.
Samuel now brings up the recent past when Nahash had attacked Jabesh-gilead and when they approached Samuel they asked for a king to reign over them at a time when YHWH was their king. And now they have a king, one that they chose, and one that YHWH has set over them. If they will fear, serve, and obey YHWH and not rebel against Him, as well as both them and the king follow YHWH, then all will be well. But if they disobey and rebel against Him, then His hand will be against both them and the king.
12:16 Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes. 17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the LORD, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking for yourselves a king.” 18 So Samuel called upon the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.
Now to confirm what Samuel proclaimed was true, Samuel will pray to send them a sign. He asks the rhetorical question, “Is it not wheat harvest today?” The wheat was typically harvested during early summer months (May-June) when it rarely rained. So for a sign he will ask God to send thunder and rain, so that they will know that their wickedness is great by asking for a king. At that time Samuel prays and it began to thunder and rain, and all the people greatly feared YHWH and Samuel. The people of Israel needed to know that their request for a king was a sin.
12:19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.”
The people thought that they might die as a result of their sin and now ask Samuel to pray that they not die, as they now truly understood that asking for a king was wrong and now repent of that sin.
12:20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22 For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself.
Samuel tells them not to be afraid, yes they did wrong, but if they follow YHWH and serve Him with all of their hearts, and stop pursuing “empty things” (Hebrew tō’·hû, worthless, futile, pursued in vain, in context idols) that cannot in any way be beneficial or deliver them from their enemies, for they are empty (same word, meaning worthless). Samuel adds that YHWH will not forsake His people, because of His name’s sake, His reputation (see also Exodus 32:11-13; Deuteronomy 9:25-29; Joshua 7:9), and that it pleased YHWH to make them a people for Himself.
12:23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”
Returning to their plea for him to pray, Samuel says that, far be it from me that I should sin against YHWH by ceasing to pray for you. I will continues to instruct you in the way that is good and right. He again reminds them to fear YHWH and serve Him faithfully with all of their hearts. They are to always think about the great things He has done for them. Samuel then again warns them that if they don’t, and then do “wickedly” (Hebrew hā·rēª’ tā·rē’·‛û, to do evil twice), you shall be swept away, both them and your king.
The Hebrew verb phrase is literally “to do evil you do evil,” using two different forms of the same verb. In this context the construction conveys the idea of perseverance in wrongdoing.[1]
If they chose to disobey God or choose to worship false gods and idols, they will be removed from the land. This was a very stern warning!
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[1] Omanson, R. L., & Ellington, J. (2001). A handbook on the first book of Samuel (p. 250). United Bible Societies.