1 Samuel 8:9

Contextual Overview

⁴ Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah; ⁴ Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. ⁴ Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah: ⁴ So all the elders came together and met Samuel at Ramah. ⁴ So all the elders of Israel gathered together and approached Samuel at Ramah. ⁴ Then all the elders of Israel assembled, and came to Samuel to Ramah, ⁴ Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah; ⁴Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah ⁴ Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah ⁴ Therfor alle the grettere men in birthe of Israel weren gaderid, and camen to Samuel in to Ramatha.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

hearken unto: or, obey

howbeit: etc. or, notwithstanding when thou hast solemnly protested against them, then thou shalt shew, etc. Ezekiel 3:18

the manner: 1 Samuel 8:11-18, 1 Samuel 2:13, 1 Samuel 10:25, 1 Samuel 14:52, Ezekiel 45:7, Ezekiel 45:8, Ezekiel 46:18

Reciprocal: Genesis 21:12 - hearken 1 Samuel 10:1 - captain 2 Kings 17:26 - know not Jeremiah 11:7 - I earnestly 1 Corinthians 15:31 - protest

Cross-References

Deuteronomy 28:65
And among these nations you shall find no respite, and there shall be no resting place for the sole of your foot, but the Lord will give you there a trembling heart and failing eyes and a languishing soul.

Deuteronomy 28:65
And among these nations you shall find no ease, and there shall be no rest for the sole of your foot: but Yahweh will give you there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and pining of soul;

Deuteronomy 28:65
And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, and there shall be no rest for the sole of thy foot: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and pining of soul:

Deuteronomy 28:65
You will have no rest among those nations and no place that is yours. The Lord will make your mind worried, your sight weak, and your soul sad.

Deuteronomy 28:65
Among those nations you will have no rest nor will there be a place of peaceful rest for the soles of your feet, for there the Lord will give you an anxious heart, failing eyesight, and a spirit of despair.

Deuteronomy 28:65
And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:

Deuteronomy 28:65
Among these nations shall you find no ease, and there shall be no rest for the sole of your foot: but Yahweh will give you there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and pining of soul;

Deuteronomy 28:65
"Among those nations you will find no peace (rest), and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot; but there the LORD will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and a despairing soul.

Deuteronomy 28:65
Also thou schalt not reste in tho folkis, nether rest schal be to the step of thi foot. For the Lord schal yyue to thee there a ferdful herte, and iyen failynge, and lijf waastyd with morenyng.

Deuteronomy 28:65
`And among those nations thou dost not rest, yea, there is no resting-place for the sole of thy foot, and Jehovah hath given to thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and grief of soul;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now therefore hearken unto their voice,.... And appoint them a king as they desire:

howbeit, yet protest solemnly unto them; not against the thing itself, which was permitted, but against the evil of their request, as to the unseasonable time, ill manner, and unjustifiable reason, in and for which it was made; the Lord would have Samuel lay before them their evil in requesting it, and the evils that would follow upon it to them, and faithfully represent them to them, that they might be left without excuse, and have none to blame but themselves when they, should come upon them:

and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them: or the right or judgment z; not a legal right or form of government, but an assumed, arbitrary, and despotic power, such as the kings of the east exercised over their subjects, a king like whom the Israelites desired to have; namely, what unbounded liberties he would take with them, what slaves he would make of them, and what of their property he would take to himself at pleasure, as is after related. The word signifies, not a divine law, according to which the king should govern, but a custom, or a custom he would introduce, as the word is rendered, 1 Samuel 2:13 and is different from that in 1 Samuel 10:25.

z משפט המלך "jus regis", V. L. Tigurine version, Munster; "judicium regis", Vatablus, Drusius.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 8:9. Show them the manner of the king — The word משפט mishpat, which we here render manner, signifies simply what the king would and might require, according to the manner in which kings in general ruled; all of whom, in those times, were absolute and despotic.

The whole of this manner of the king is well illustrated by Puffendorf. "Hitherto," says he, "the people of Israel had lived under governors raised up of God, who had exacted no tribute of them, nor put them to any charge; but, little content with this form of government. they desire to have a king like other nations, who should live in magnificence and pomp, keep armies, and be able to resist any invasion. Samuel informs them what it was they desired; that when they understood it, they might consider whether they would persist in their choice If they would have a king splendidly attended, he tells them that he would take their sons for his chariots, c. if they would have him keep up constant forces, then he would appoint them for colonels and captains, and employ those in his wars who were accustomed to follow their family business; and since, after the manner of other kings, he must keep a stately court, they must be content that their daughters should serve in several offices, which the king would think below the dignity of his wives and daughters, 1 Samuel 8:13. Many ministers also, in several departments, both of war and peace, must have salaries to support them, which must be paid out of their fields and vineyards, 1 Samuel 8:14. In one word, that to sustain his dignity their king would exact the tenth of all they possessed, and be maintained in a royal manner out of their estates,"

It is perfectly vain in Grotius, or any one else, to state that this shows what a king, as king, may any where in virtue of his office, claim and exact; and that he can take the property and persons of his subjects, and dispose of them as he may judge necessary for the exigence of the state. This was the manner of Saul, but Saul was not a king of God's choosing: "He gave him in his wrath, and took him away in his displeasure;" and the manner of such a king should not be arrogated by any potentate who affects to rule jure divino, by Divine right. The manner of the king of God's choice is distinctly detailed, Deuteronomy 17:15-20, to which the reader will do well to refer, that he may have an impartial statement of the subject.