Bible Gateway passage: 1 Samuel 8 - New International Version (2024)

FAQs

What is the main point of 1 Samuel 8? ›

The elders of Israel gather to ask Samuel to appoint a king for them. Samuel doesn't like it, but he takes the request to the Lord. The Lord tells Samuel to do it, even though the people are rejecting Him as their king. Samuel warns the elders of all the things a king will take from them to serve himself.

What displeased Samuel was why Israel wanted a king: “That we may also be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles” (1 Sam. 8:20). They had set their hearts on an earthly king to lead them in battle and give them a sense of national identity, security, and unity.

In 1 Samuel 8, we find Israel rejecting their God, the One who rescued them from slavery, provided for them in the desert, and gave them victory over their enemies. Israel instead demanded a king who would judge them, go before them, and fight their battles (1 Samuel 8:20).

1 Samuel 8:5-7 New Living Translation (NLT)

“Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the LORD for guidance.

First Samuel 8:10–18 describes a solemn, legal warning Samuel gives the elders of Israel. He cautions about all the things a human king will take from them. He will take their sons and daughters as his servants, their land for his officials, and a percentage of their crops and flocks.

Through this Bible story, the children learn that they are not too young to be used by God and that they must listen carefully when God speaks, because he communicates in many ways.

In a “republican” account of this story we see Samuel warning the people that they should be careful what they wish for, that if he appoints someone as King this king will eventually confiscate their property, conscript their sons and daughters, and impose a 10% tax on everything.

The divine right was an ancient idea that began with Europe's medieval kings. They claimed that they had been chosen by God and were his representatives on Earth. These kings had absolute power and could do as they liked. They expected total obedience from the people they ruled.

In 1 Samuel 8:4-22, the Israelites declare that they want to have a king because all of the surrounding people groups had their own kings. The people of Israel declared to Samuel, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have” (

In its depiction of Elkanah's two wives, the Bible contrasts Peninnah, who had children, and Hannah, who was barren. The Rabbis state that Hannah was Elkanah's first wife; after they had been married for ten years, and he saw that Hannah bore him no children, he also took Peninnah as a wife (Pesikta Rabbati 43). The.

Who did God choose to be the first king of Israel? ›

Saul (flourished 11th century bce, Israel) was the first king of Israel (c. 1021–1000 bce). According to the biblical account found mainly in 1 Samuel, Saul was chosen king both by the judge Samuel and by public acclamation. Saul was similar to the charismatic judges who preceded him in the role of governing.

God agrees that asking for a king is a bad idea because it amounts to a rejection of God himself, as king.

The devil is, as ever, the prince of this world, and he will have his seat at the table.

When enumerated separately, one of the seven nations is called Canaanites, while the others are called the Amorites, the Girgash*tes, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Jebusites and the Perizzites. Brian R. Doak argues that the seven nations embody the "symbol(s) of the religious practices Israel should avoid".

The story emphasizes God's faithfulness despite Saul and David's failures and God's promise of a future king who, unlike both Saul and David, will come and perfectly fulfill God's good purposes on Earth.

The book of 1 Samuel focuses on three characters: Samuel, Saul, and David. A poem near the start of the book reveals the book's key themes: God's opposition to the proud, exultation of the humble, faithfulness in spite of evil, and the promise of a messianic king.

1 Samuel 1-8 teaches us we are unfaithful, but God is eternally faithful. God reveals His righteous judgment and merciful power by preserving the Ark of the Covenant for Israel's possession amidst their enemies. Samuel teaches the people then and now: God delivers those who repent, so they may walk humbly before Him.

1 Samuel Key Themes

God is King of the universe and always has been. No human king can assume kingship except as a deputy of the divine King. God providentially and individually guided the lives of chosen people such as Hannah, Samuel, and David. Even the life of Saul was in God's providential care (see 1 Samuel 9:16).