Chapter Eight
Samuel's Sons are Rejected so Israel Demands a King
8:1 When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.
As Samuel aged he brought up his sons, Joel and Abijah, to be judges for Israel. But unlike Samuel, they did not follow in his ways as they sought profit, not God. We are told they took (Hebrew yiq’·ḥû, grasping or seizing, in context they required) bribes and did not decide cases honestly.
8:4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD.
The elders of Israel came to Ramah to inform Samuel that his sons were not walking in his ways and that they believe the best solution would be to appoint a king to judge Israel like all the nations around them. This request disappointed Samuel and so he prayed to YHWH.
8:7 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8 According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. 9 Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”
When Samuel prayed, God replied, that he should obey the request of the people. He further stated that they have rejected Him, not Samuel, as they have been doing since the day He brought them out of Egypt. They continue to forsake (Hebrew yǎ·’ǎz·ḇǔ’, to abandon) Him and serve other gods, and now they are abandoning Samuel (although the Septuagint finishes verse eight with “to me” instead of “to you”). God tells Samuel to do as they want, but first warn and inform them on how an earthly kingdom works.
Considerations
The Theocracy Ends
The definition of a theocracy is one where a deity is recognized as the supreme ruler, with the laws and regulations to be interpreted by those appointed by the deity as authorities on earth. When YHWH brought the Israelites out of Egypt into the Promised Land, He appointed judges and prophets to lead them. But from the beginning with Moses in the wilderness, and later when Joshua and the people of Israel entered the land, they were disobedient (for example not clearing out the various people groups in the land) and repeatedly pursued worshiping false gods and idolatry, which they continued to do.
All of the nations around the people of Israel had some form of monarchy. Since in their eyes they could only see benefits in the concept, the people of Israel thought serving a king would benefit their nation. Samuel will now give them a brief look as to how kingdoms are built and maintained.
Nonetheless a King was Coming
It should be noted that God told Moses that the people of Israel would desire a king over them even before they entered the Promised Land. We read, “When you come to the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ you may indeed set a king over you whom the LORD your God will choose.” (Deuteronomy 17:14-15a, ESV) But there were several stipulations and regulations that had to be followed found in the following verses: “One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.” (Deuteronomy 17:15b-20, ESV) Which will prove to be a problem for several future kings.
Samuel Warns Israel Regarding Kings
8:10 So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking for a king from him. 11 He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.
Samuel tells the elders what YHWH told him, that there will be a “price to pay,” that an earthly kingdom requires significant resources from its people. First point is that they will reign over them, this is not a unilateral relationship. The monarchy requires a line of defense, which is nothing new, but it will be required, the word that is translated as ’take’ (Hebrew yin·qāḥ’) is a variation of the Hebrew yiq’·ḥû (see verse three), referring to shamelessly grasping and snatching away (a reoccurring theme in this chapter), in these two verses, their sons. And appoint them to be charioteers, horsemen, or those that will run before the horses (to serve as bodyguards, for example see 2 Samuel 15:1). This the first of seven “he will take” statements in this chapter.
8:12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
The king will create a command structure and appoint for his army commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties. In addition to his defense force, the king will appoint some of their sons to plow his fields and reap his harvest to feed his army and everyone that works for him (which cuts down on the available labor for their own farms). Plus, the king will need weapons and hardware for when they go into war. Their sons will be conscripted to serve the king at his whim.
8:13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
The king will also take their daughters to be perfumers (Hebrew rǎq·qāḥ, a female skilled at making various aromatic ointments and perfumes), cooks, and bakers.
8:14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants.
In addition to their children, the king will also choose and confiscate the best of their fields (wheat, barley, etc.), vineyards, and olive tree orchards, and charge his servants to take care of them.
8:15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.
The king will require a tenth of any grain harvest and vineyard production and give it to his administration to consume. This would be in addition to the tenth required by the law that supports the Levites, priests, and eventually the Temple (see Deuteronomy 14:22-29; 26:12-14).
8:16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
The king will take both their men and women servants, the best young adult children, and donkeys (the Septuagint reads cattle instead of young men), and put them to work for the kingdom.
8:17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.
The king will also take a tenth of their flocks (Hebrew ṣō(’)n, sheep, goats, small cattle) and the people will be his slaves, required to do as he says.
8:18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.”
Samuel relays the somber warning from YHWH, when that day comes the people will cry out for relief from the king that they are demanding to put over them, but YHWH will not answer that plea. As it is God’s leadership that is being rejected.
Considerations
Nearsighted Ignorance
God gave Samuel an excellent road map of how earthly kingdoms progress. He told them that since the king reigns over them, what is theirs is his also. He told them that kings will take and take and take. Not much will be left for the person or family, all given to the king, for what? Protection? Who will protect them from their own kings? God tells them He will not answer that call.
YHWH Grants Israel’s Request
8:19 But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
At the conclusion of all those points regarding kingdom operation, the people refused to listen to what Samuel was saying. They respond by saying, “No!” They made up their minds and they want a king. They give their reasons as: 1) So that they will be like the other nations; 2) to have a king that will judge them; and 3) to go out before them and fight their battles. (See further below)
8:21 And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the LORD. 22 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”
God tells Samuel to obey and make them a king. So Samuel dismisses everyone to go back to their homes.
Considerations
Adding Insult to Injury
If this occurred to anyone else other than God, this classic idiomatic phrase would seem to be appropriate, but since He is Omniscient, He knew this was coming. Sadly each of these three reasons point to what could have been a nation greater than anything they could have imagined if they only obeyed God. His covenant with them would have provided for everything they needed.
1. The people wanted to be like other nations, but God wanted them to be holy, set apart from others (see Exodus 19:6; Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:21; 26:19). So that the other nations could see His provision and seek Him.
2. Being judged by God-fearing people would provide fair and equitable decisions. Understanding that this issue is largely responsible for moving towards wanting a king, a lack of tolerance for corruption within Israel would have likely minimized the promotion of corrupt individuals in places of authority.
3. If they kept the covenant they made at Mount Sinai many years earlier, they would never had any enemy incursions (see Deuteronomy 32:11-12; 33:29).