Israel Demands a King
1 Samuel 8:1-22
1 S.8.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- כאשר: CONJ
- זקן: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- שמואל: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- וישם: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- בניו: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- שפטים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לישראל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 7:15-17 (structural): Immediate narrative context: describes Samuel’s established role as judge who traveled circuit before the account that he appointed his sons.
- 1 Samuel 8:3 (structural): Direct continuation/contrast within the same chapter: reports that Samuel’s sons did not follow his ways and accepted bribes, which precipitates Israel’s demand for a king.
- Exodus 18:13-26 (thematic): Jethro’s counsel to Moses to appoint able judges as delegates provides a precedent and model for delegating judicial authority in Israel.
- Deuteronomy 16:18-20 (thematic): Legal instruction to appoint honest judges and administer justice — a normative background for the institution of judges in Israel.
- Judges 2:16 (thematic): Portrays judges as leaders raised up by the LORD to deliver Israel, offering a theological contrast to Samuel’s familial appointment of his sons.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he appointed his sons judges over Israel.
- And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.
1 S.8.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- שם: ADV
- בנו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- הבכור: NOUN,m,sg,def
- יואל: NOUN,m,sg,proper
- ושם: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- משנהו: NOUN,m,sg,poss
- אביה: NOUN,m,sg,suff
- שפטים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- בבאר: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שבע: NUM,card
Parallels
- 1 Sam 8:3 (structural): Immediate context: continues the report about Samuel's sons, explaining their misconduct (taking bribes) and thereby motivates Israel's demand for a king.
- 1 Sam 12:1-3 (thematic): Samuel defends his own integrity and addresses accusations about his sons' conduct—parallel concern with the behavior of a leader's offspring and the leader's responsibility.
- Deut 16:18 (thematic): Law for appointing judges and officers to administer justice in the towns—connects to the role and expectation of local judges like Samuel's sons in Beersheba.
- Exod 18:21-22 (thematic): Jethro's instruction to Moses to appoint capable judges to share judicial duties—parallels the institution of delegated local justice represented by judges in Beersheba.
- 1 Sam 2:12,17 (thematic): Description of Eli's sons as corrupt priests (Hophni and Phinehas) echoes the motif of a leader's sons failing in office, providing a literary precedent for criticizing officials' offspring.
Alternative generated candidates
- Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abiah; they were judges in Beersheba.
- Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abiah; they were judges in Beersheba.
1 S.8.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ולא: CONJ
- הלכו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- בניו: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- בדרכיו: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,suff3ms
- ויטו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- אחרי: PREP
- הבצע: NOUN,m,sg,abs,def
- ויקחו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- שחד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויטו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- משפט: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Exodus 23:8 (verbal): Explicit prohibition against taking bribes that 'blind the clear-sighted' and subvert justice; closely parallels the charge that Samuel's sons 'took bribes and perverted justice.'
- Deuteronomy 16:19 (verbal): Commands judges not to pervert justice or accept bribes—echoes the moral/legal failures of Eli's sons who 'perverted judgment' for gain.
- Proverbs 17:23 (verbal): States that the wicked accepts a bribe to pervert ways of justice, a concise proverbial formulation of the wrongdoing attributed to Samuel's sons.
- Micah 3:11 (thematic): Condemns leaders and priests who 'judge for a bribe' and 'teach for pay,' paralleling the social and religious corruption represented by the sons' conduct.
- Amos 5:12 (thematic): Speaks of justice being turned to bitterness and righteousness trampled down—echoes the broader theme of judicial corruption and loss of righteous leadership found in 1 Sam 8:3.
Alternative generated candidates
- But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.
- But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.
1 S.8.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויתקבצו: VERB,hitp,impf,3,m,pl
- כל: DET
- זקני: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויבאו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- שמואל: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- הרמתה: NOUN,prop,f,sg,abs+3,f,sg
Parallels
- Exodus 3:16 (verbal): God tells Moses to 'assemble the elders of Israel' (or bring the elders), a close verbal/procedural parallel to 'all the elders of Israel gathered and came to Samuel.'
- Numbers 11:16-17 (structural): Moses is instructed to gather seventy elders to share leadership—an analogous instance of the community elders assembling to consult with their leader.
- Deuteronomy 17:14-15 (thematic): This law anticipates the people's desire for a king and prescribes how a king is to be chosen—a thematic background to the elders' coming to Samuel to request a king.
- 1 Samuel 12:1-3 (thematic): Samuel stands before the assembled leaders and people to address the kingship issue; this passage reflects the same gathered assembly and the political/theological consequences of their demand.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
- Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
1 S.8.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמרו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,pl
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- הנה: PART
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- זקנת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ובניך: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs,suff:2,ms
- לא: PART_NEG
- הלכו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- בדרכיך: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs,suff,2,m,sg
- עתה: ADV
- שימה: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- לשפטנו: PREP+VERB,qal,inf,suff,1,pl
- ככל: PREP
- הגוים: NOUN,m,pl,def
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 17:14-15 (verbal): Explicitly anticipates the people saying 'I will set a king over me like all the nations around me'; law governs Israelite monarchy and echoes the phrasing and concern of 1 Sam 8:5.
- Judges 8:22-23 (thematic): The Israelites request a human ruler (Gideon) after deliverance, paralleling the people's demand for a king and reflecting recurring tension between charismatic/tribal leadership and desire for monarchy.
- 1 Samuel 8:6-9 (structural): Immediate narrative response: Samuel conveys YHWH’s rebuke ('they have rejected me') and instructions, directly connected to the elders' petition in v.5 and showing God's perspective on the request.
- 1 Samuel 12:12-13 (thematic): Later rehearing of Israel's demand for a king and Samuel's reminder of the consequences—reiterates the theme of popular rejection of divine rule and the establishment of a human monarch.
- 2 Samuel 7:8-16 (allusion): God’s promise to David to establish a dynastic kingship provides a theological counterpoint: whereas 1 Sam 8 records a human-initiated request for a king, 2 Sam 7 frames monarchy as part of YHWH’s covenantal plan.
Alternative generated candidates
- And they 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.”
- They 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.”
1 S.8.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וירע: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- הדבר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בעיני: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- שמואל: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- כאשר: CONJ
- אמרו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- תנה: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- לשפטנו: PREP+VERB,qal,inf,NA,NA,NA
- ויתפלל: VERB,hitpael,imperfect,3,m,sg
- שמואל: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Judges 8:22-23 (thematic): The people ask Gideon to rule over them as king; Gideon refuses. Highlights a recurring Israelite impulse to appoint a human ruler and a contrasting response to such requests.
- Deuteronomy 17:14-15 (structural): Legal provision for Israel's future request for a king ('when you come into the land... and say,
- 1 Samuel 12:19 (thematic): After the people demand a king, they ask Samuel to pray for them ('Pray for thy servants'); parallels Samuel’s prayer in 8:6 and his role as intercessor.
- 1 Samuel 8:7 (verbal): Immediate divine response to the people's request, explaining that asking for a king is a rejection of Yahweh; directly follows and interprets Samuel’s displeasure and prayer in v.6.
Alternative generated candidates
- The thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD.
- And it displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the LORD.
1 S.8.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- שמואל: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- שמע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בקול: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לכל: PREP
- אשר: PRON,rel
- יאמרו: VERB,qal,imprf,3,m,pl
- אליך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- אתך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- מאסו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- כי: CONJ
- אתי: PRON,1,sg
- מאסו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- ממלך: VERB,qal,inf
- עליהם: PREP,3,m,pl
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 12:12-13 (thematic): Same narrative theme—Samuel and the people’s demand for a human king; 12:12-13 reiterates that the people asked for a king and God conceded, echoing the judgment that they have rejected Yahweh as their king.
- Hosea 8:4 (verbal): Uses near-verbal language: 'They set up kings, but not by me'—a direct prophetic complaint that Israel appointed rulers apart from Yahweh’s authority, paralleling 1 Sam 8:7’s 'they have rejected Me from being king over them.'
- Deuteronomy 17:14-15 (structural): Legal provision for Israel’s monarchy—permits appointment of a king but specifies the king must be instituted under Yahweh’s rule, providing the covenantal background and contrast to the people’s unilateral request in 1 Samuel 8.
- Isaiah 1:2-4 (thematic): Isaiah indicts Israel for rejecting and rebelling against Yahweh ('children have rebelled'), reflecting the theological theme of 1 Samuel 8:7 where the people’s request for a king is characterized as a rejection of God’s kingship.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from reigning over them.
- And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for it is not you they have rejected, but me — that I should not reign over them.”
1 S.8.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ככל: PREP
- המעשים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- עשו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- מיום: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- העלתי: VERB,hiph,perf,1,ms,sg
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- ממצרים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ועד: CONJ+PREP
- היום: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הזה: DEM,m,sg
- ויעזבני: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- ויעבדו: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,pl
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אחרים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- כן: ADV
- המה: PRON,3,m,pl
- עשים: VERB,qal,inf
- גם: ADV
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 8:7 (verbal): God tells Samuel the people have not rejected Samuel but have rejected God—same idea phrased immediately before v.8 (their request for a king is an act of forsaking Yahweh).
- 1 Samuel 12:12-19 (thematic): Samuel reviews Israel’s demand for a king and characterizes it as adding to their sins and rejecting the LORD, echoing the judgmental tone of 1 Sam 8:8.
- Judges 2:11-15 (thematic): Describes the recurring pattern: Israel forsook the LORD and served Baalim/other gods, which parallels the charge in 1 Sam 8:8 that asking for a king mirrors their prior idolatry and abandonment of God.
- Jeremiah 2:11-13 (verbal): Jeremiah condemns Israel for exchanging the true God for worthless substitutes and for 'forsaking the fountain of living waters,' language that closely parallels 'forsaking me and serving other gods' in 1 Sam 8:8.
- 2 Kings 17:7-12 (thematic): Narrates Israel’s covenant breaches—refusing God's statutes and worshiping other gods—resulting in exile; this consequence-theme echoes the indictment in 1 Sam 8:8 about abandoning God to pursue other authority.
Alternative generated candidates
- According to all the deeds 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 doing to you also.
- According to all the deeds they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day — forsaking me and serving other gods — so they are doing to you also.
1 S.8.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ועתה: CONJ
- שמע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בקולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,pl
- אך: PART
- כי: CONJ
- העד: NOUN,m,sg,def
- תעיד: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- בהם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- והגדת: VERB,hif,impf,2,m,sg
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- משפט: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- ימלך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- עליהם: PREP,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 17:14-20 (thematic): Gives the law concerning a king for Israel—limits, responsibilities, and warnings about royal power—providing the legal/background framework echoed by Samuel's admonition to warn the people.
- 1 Samuel 8:11-18 (verbal): Immediate continuation of 8:9: these verses contain the specific warning Samuel was to announce about what a king will do (taxation, conscription, loss of rights).
- 1 Samuel 12:13-18 (structural): Samuel's later address recounts the people's request for a king and includes a public warning and prophetic consequences, paralleling the function of the warning Samuel was commanded to deliver in 8:9.
- 1 Kings 12:13-17 (thematic): Narrates the people's rejection of harsh royal policy and the resulting political fallout—illustrates concrete consequences of kingship and leadership decisions similar to the cautions Samuel presents.
- Ezekiel 34:23-24 (allusion): Promises God will set up a proper shepherd/king (a Davidic figure) over Israel—offers a theological counterpoint to human kingship and points to the ideal leadership Samuel’s warning implicitly contrasts with failed rulers.
Alternative generated candidates
- Now therefore listen to their voice; only solemnly warn them and declare to them the ordinance of the king who shall reign over them.”
- Now therefore listen to their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them, and tell them the rule of the king who will reign over them.
1 S.8.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שמואל: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- השאלים: PARTCP,qal,act,pl,m,def
- מאתו: PREP
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
Parallels
- Deut.17.14-20 (thematic): Prescribes rules for Israel’s future kings and frames the expectation/limits of monarchy—background law relevant to the people’s request for a king in 1 Samuel 8.
- Judg.8.22-23 (thematic): The people of Israel ask Gideon to rule over them and he refuses; a parallel episode where Israelites request a human ruler, highlighting recurring tension about kingship.
- 1Sam.8.7 (verbal): Immediate divine instruction to Samuel to 'listen to the voice of the people'—directly connected to Samuel’s act of reporting God’s words in 8:10.
- 1Sam.12.1-6 (structural): Samuel later confronts the people about their demand for a king and recounts the events; this speech functions as a retrospective commentary on the episode recorded in 8:10.
Alternative generated candidates
- So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked of him a king.
- So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking of him a king.
1 S.8.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- זה: PRON,dem,m,sg
- יהיה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- משפט: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- ימלך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- עליכם: PREP+PRON,2mp
- את: PRT,acc
- בניכם: NOUN,m,pl,const+2mp
- יקח: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- ושם: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- במרכבתו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs,3,m,sg
- ובפרשיו: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs,3,m,pl
- ורצו: VERB,qal,impf,3,pl
- לפני: PREP
- מרכבתו: NOUN,f,sg,suf
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 17:14-17 (verbal): Deuteronomy gives regulations for an Israelite king and specifically warns against multiplying horses (and returning to Egypt for them), directly echoing Samuel’s warning about a king’s chariots and horsemen.
- 1 Kings 10:26-29 (thematic): Solomon’s accumulation of chariots and horses illustrates the royal practice Samuel describes — the concrete outcome of a king’s raising of chariots and horsemen.
- Isaiah 31:1 (thematic): Isaiah condemns reliance on horses and chariots (and Egypt) rather than the LORD, thematically paralleling the critique implicit in Samuel’s portrait of royal militarization.
- Judges 8:22-23 (structural): When Israel asks Gideon to rule, he refuses; the episode parallels the larger narrative tension in 1 Samuel between popular demand for a human king and the prophetic/judicial critique of kingship.
- 1 Samuel 8:17 (verbal): The immediate continuation of Samuel’s speech lists additional exactions (daughters, fields, servants, tithe), completing the catalogue of what a king will take and directly parallel to 8:11’s claim about sons and chariots.
Alternative generated candidates
- He said, “This will be the manner of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons and set them for himself, for his chariots and for his horsemen, and they will run before his chariots.
- He said, “This will be the custom of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and set them for himself to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and they will run before his chariots.
1 S.8.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ולשום: VERB,qal,inf
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- שרי: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- אלפים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ושרי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- חמשים: NUM,card,pl
- ולחרש: VERB,qal,inf
- חרישו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- ולקצר: VERB,qal,inf
- קצירו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,3,m,sg
- ולעשות: CONJ+VERB,qal,inf
- כלי: NOUN,m,pl,const
- מלחמתו: NOUN,f,sg,const,poss:3,m,sg
- וכלי: NOUN,m,pl,const
- רכבו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 1 Sam.8.17-18 (verbal): Immediate continuation of the same oracle against the monarchy listing further conscription and exactions (sons for chariots and ploughs, daughters as cooks/maids, seizure of property) — same vocabulary and theme of royal burdens.
- Deut.17.14-17 (thematic): Law concerning Israelite kings warns against multiplying horses, taking the people back to Egypt, and accumulating many wives and wealth — an explicit legal/covenantal counterpart to Samuel’s warning about royal accretions and military burdens.
- 1 Kings 5.13-18 (thematic): Solomon’s use of forced labor and many workmen for building projects (stonecutters, carriers, and officials) parallels the earlier promise that a king will appoint officers, plowmen, reapers and commandeer labor for royal needs.
- 1 Kings 10.26-29 (verbal): Description of Solomon’s vast number of chariots, horsemen, and the procurement of horses and chariots (including imports from Egypt and Kue) echoes 1 Sam 8:12’s reference to making war-instruments and chariot-equipment under a king.
Alternative generated candidates
- He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and will set some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war and the chariotry of his horses.
- He will appoint commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties for himself, and will make them plow his ground and reap his harvest, and make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
1 S.8.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואת: CONJ
- בנותיכם: NOUN,f,pl,abs+2mp
- יקח: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- לרקחות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ולטבחות: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ולאפות: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- 1 Sam 8:11-12 (verbal): Immediate context of Samuel's warning: a parallel clause listing what ‘he will take’ (sons for chariots/horsemen), using the same formula and rhetoric as ‘he will take your daughters.’
- 1 Sam 8:14-17 (structural): Continuation of the same catalogue of royal exactions (fields, servants, a tenth of produce), reinforcing the pattern of the king ‘taking’ from the people begun in v.13.
- Deut 17:14-17 (allusion): Deuteronomy's instructions and cautions about Israelite kingship provide a legal-theological background to the demand for a king and to concerns about royal power and appropriation.
- Ezek 34:2-4 (thematic): Prophetic denunciation of leaders who feed themselves at the flock’s expense; thematically parallels Samuel’s warning about a king exploiting Israel’s families and resources.
Alternative generated candidates
- He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.
- He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.
1 S.8.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואת: CONJ
- שדותיכם: NOUN,m,pl,abs,poss,2,m,pl
- ואת: CONJ
- כרמיכם: NOUN,m,pl,abs,poss,2,m,pl
- וזיתיכם: NOUN,m,pl,abs,poss,2,m,pl
- הטובים: ADJ,m,pl,def
- יקח: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- ונתן: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לעבדיו: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs,poss,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 1 Sam 8:11-18 (structural): The full royal warning in which this clause appears; vv.11–18 enumerate the burdens a king will impose (sons for service, daughters for service, best fields/vineyards/olive orchards given to his officers).
- Deut 17:14-20 (thematic): Regulation and caution about Israelite kingship — anticipates concerns about royal power and accumulation of wealth and resources by a monarch and his court.
- Micah 2:1-2 (thematic): Condemns those who covet and seize fields and houses, echoing the social injustice implicit in a king who takes the best land for his servants.
- Isaiah 5:8 (thematic): Woe against those who 'join house to house' and 'add field to field' — a prophetic critique of land consolidation by elites that parallels the king’s appropriation of fields and vineyards.
- Ezekiel 34:2-4 (thematic): Prophetic denunciation of 'shepherds' (leaders) who feed themselves and take the choice parts for themselves — analogous to rulers taking the best produce and giving it to their officers.
Alternative generated candidates
- He will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your oliveyards, and give them to his servants.
- He will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants.
1 S.8.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וזרעיכם: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs+ps2mp
- וכרמיכם: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs+ps2mp
- יעשר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ונתן: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לסריסיו: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs+ps3ms
- ולעבדיו: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs+ps3ms
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 17:16-17 (verbal): Speaks of the king acquiring horses and multiplying silver and gold—language and concerns about royal appropriation of military resources and wealth echo Samuel’s warning that a king will take sons for chariots and appropriate property.
- Judges 8:22-23 (thematic): The Israelites offer Gideon a kingship and he refuses, saying the LORD shall rule over you—this contrasts Samuel’s warning about human kingship and its burdens by presenting an alternative rejection of monarchy.
- Exodus 1:11-14 (thematic): Pharaoh sets taskmasters over Israel and imposes forced labor, taking the people’s sons for service—parallels the theme of a ruler conscripting sons and burdening the community under royal authority.
- 1 Kings 12:4-11 (structural): The account of Rehoboam’s harsh policies and the ‘heavy yoke’ placed on the people illustrates the social and political consequences Samuel warns about—royal demands leading to oppression and national fracture.
Alternative generated candidates
- He will tithe your seed and your vineyards, and give them to his officers and to his servants.
- He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give them to his officers and to his servants.
1 S.8.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואת: CONJ
- עבדיכם: NOUN,m,pl,abs+SUFF:2,pl
- ואת: CONJ
- שפחותיכם: NOUN,f,pl,abs,2,mp
- ואת: CONJ
- בחוריכם: NOUN,m,pl,abs,2,mp
- הטובים: ADJ,m,pl,def
- ואת: CONJ
- חמוריכם: NOUN,m,pl,abs,2,mp
- יקח: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- ועשה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- למלאכתו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs,3,ms
Parallels
- Exodus 1:11 (thematic): Pharaoh imposes forced labor and slave overseers on Israel—parallels the king’s taking of servants and conscripting people for his work (theme of coerced service).
- Deuteronomy 17:14-17 (thematic): Instructions and limits concerning Israelite kingship (selection and royal behavior); thematically related as the legal/prophetic background to warnings about what a king will take and do.
- Judges 8:22-23 (thematic): Israel’s request that a leader rule over them and the leader’s refusal (Gideon) parallels the broader narrative concern about human kingship and its burdens.
- 1 Samuel 8:17 (verbal): Immediate parallel within the same speech: the next verse continues the list of exactions (tithes, fields, servants) and repeats the theme of the king taking people and produce for his officials and servants.
- 1 Kings 12:4-5 (thematic): Rehoboam’s vow to increase the people’s burden (“add to your yoke”) echoes the consequence of monarchy described in 1 Samuel 8—royal imposition of heavier service and taxation.
Alternative generated candidates
- He will take your male servants and your female servants, your best young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
- He will take your male servants and your female servants, and the best of your young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
1 S.8.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- צאנכם: NOUN,m,sg,suff
- יעשר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ואתם: CONJ+PRON,2,pl
- תהיו: VERB,qal,imf,2,pl
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- לעבדים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 8:11-18 (structural): Immediate context — Samuel's full warning about the king's exactions (sons, daughters, fields, vineyards, a tenth of seed and flocks) and that the people will become his servants; this verse is part of that speech.
- Deuteronomy 17:14-17 (thematic): Law concerning Israel's future king: the text frames kingship and anticipates royal accumulation and potential abuse of power, thematically paralleling Samuel's warning about royal exactions and dominance over the people.
- Judges 8:22-27 (thematic): After Gideon's victory the Israelites ask him to rule; Gideon refuses kingship yet takes spoils and makes an ephod that becomes a snare — a parallel example of leadership accruing wealth and creating dependency/exploitation of the people.
- Ezekiel 34:2-4, 8-10 (allusion): Prophetic denunciation of shepherds (leaders/kings) who feed themselves and exploit the flock rather than care for it. Echoes the motif that rulers will appropriate resources and reduce the people to servitude.
Alternative generated candidates
- He will tithe your flocks, and you shall be his servants.
- He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his servants.
1 S.8.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וזעקתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- ביום: PREP
- ההוא: DEM,ms,sg
- מלפני: PREP
- מלככם: NOUN,m,sg,abs+SUFF,2,m,pl
- אשר: PRON,rel
- בחרתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- לכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- ולא: CONJ
- יענה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אתכם: PRT+PRON,2,m,pl
- ביום: PREP
- ההוא: DEM,ms,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 1:24-28 (verbal): The rejected warning motif: Wisdom says, 'I called and you refused... then they will call upon me, but I will not answer'—closely parallels Israel's cry for a king and God's refusal to answer (same promise-formula).
- Isaiah 1:15 (verbal): God declares that when people spread out their hands in prayer He will hide His eyes and not listen—language and theological idea echo 1 Sam 8:18's assertion that God will not answer when they cry out.
- Hosea 5:6 (thematic): When Israel seeks the LORD 'they will not find him; he has withdrawn himself'—themes of divine withdrawal and absent help mirror the promise that the LORD will not answer their cries for a king.
- Jeremiah 7:16 (thematic): God instructs Jeremiah not to pray or intercede for the people, saying 'I will not hear you'—a related motif of divine silence/refusal in response to Israel's unfaithfulness, resonant with 1 Sam 8:18.
Alternative generated candidates
- And in that day you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves; and the LORD will not answer you in that day.”
- And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves; and the LORD will not answer you in that day.”
1 S.8.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וימאנו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לשמע: INF,qal,infc
- בקול: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שמואל: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ויאמרו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,pl
- לא: PART_NEG
- כי: CONJ
- אם: CONJ
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- יהיה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- עלינו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 8:6-7 (structural): Immediate context: Samuel reacts to the people's request and God instructs Samuel how to respond — shows the same episode and explains the divine perspective on the people's demand for a king.
- 1 Samuel 8:20 (verbal): Direct verbal parallel: the people's reiteration that they want 'a king over us' echoes 8:19 and records their insistence on replacing Yahwistic rule with a human monarch.
- 1 Samuel 12:12-13 (thematic): Samuel later recounts Israel's demand for a king and its consequences; this passage revisits the theme of Israel rejecting Samuel/God's direct rule in favor of a king.
- Deuteronomy 17:14-15 (allusion): Legal precedent for Israel appointing a king 'from among your brothers' — provides background for the situtation in Samuel and frames how a monarchy should be instituted under Torah law.
- 1 Samuel 12:19-20 (thematic): The people's fear and Samuel's rebuke after their demand for a king reflect the moral and theological implications of rejecting prophetic leadership, continuing the theme introduced in 8:19.
Alternative generated candidates
- But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No; but there shall be a king over us,”
- But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and said, “No; but there shall be a king over us.”
1 S.8.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והיינו: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,1,pl
- גם: ADV
- אנחנו: PRON,1,pl
- ככל: PREP
- הגוים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ושפטנו: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,pl
- מלכנו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,suff_1pl
- ויצא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לפנינו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- ונלחם: VERB,qal,impf,1,c,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- מלחמתנו: NOUN,f,sg,abs,suff_1pl
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 17:14-15 (verbal): Deuteronomy anticipates the people's demand for a king 'like all the nations' and prescribes rules for an Israelite king — the language and concept are explicitly parallel to Israel's request in 1 Sam 8:20.
- 1 Samuel 8:5 (structural): The elders' original petition to 'set a king over us' is the immediate narrative antecedent to v.20; 8:5 states the request that 8:20 repeats and explains.
- 1 Samuel 8:7 (allusion): God's response that the people have rejected Him as king (rather than Samuel) provides the theological counterpoint to the people's claim in 8:20 that a human king should 'go out before us and fight our battles.'
- Judges 8:23 (thematic): Gideon's refusal to rule — 'I will not rule over you' — contrasts with the later demand for a human king, highlighting differing responses to leadership and kingship in Israel's history.
- 1 Samuel 12:12-13 (structural): Samuel's later summary of the people's demand and God's granting of a king (Saul) reflects back on the request in 8:20 and treats its consequences, linking the demand for a king with God's sovereign allowance.
Alternative generated candidates
- “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.”
- 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.
1 S.8.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישמע: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- שמואל: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- וידברם: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- באזני: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,cstr
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Exodus 32:11 (thematic): Moses hears Israel's sin (the golden calf) and appeals to the LORD on their behalf—an instance of a leader receiving the people's words/actions and bringing them before God, parallel to Samuel reporting the people's request.
- Numbers 11:11-15 (thematic): Moses voices to the LORD the people's complaints and the burden of leadership; like Samuel in 1 Sam 8:21, a leader relays the people's words to God and seeks divine response.
- 1 Samuel 8:6-7 (structural): Immediate context of 1 Sam 8:21: these verses describe the people's demand for a king, Samuel's distress, and God's instruction—showing the same episode in which Samuel hears and reports the people's words to the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 12:19-25 (thematic): After the establishment of the monarchy the people fear and ask Samuel to intercede; Samuel prays and instructs them to serve the LORD—illustrating Samuel's mediatorial role between the people and God reflected in 8:21.
- 1 Samuel 15:11 (allusion): God tells Samuel He regrets making Saul king—an explicit divine response tied to Israel's demand for a king (the event Samuel reported to the LORD in ch. 8), linking the people's request and divine displeasure.
Alternative generated candidates
- Samuel heard all the words of the people and he told them in the hearing of the LORD.
- And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the hearing of the LORD.
1 S.8.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- שמואל: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- שמע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בקולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs,3,m,pl
- והמלכת: VERB,hiph,perf,1,_,sg
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שמואל: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- אנשי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לכו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לעירו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 1 Sam.8.7 (verbal): Same divine command to Samuel—’Hear their voice’ (שמע בקולם) occurs earlier in the chapter, showing continuity in God’s instruction to accede to the people’s request.
- 1 Sam.10.24-25 (verbal): After Saul is presented, Samuel tells the people to return to their homes (לכו איש לעירו), echoing the closing instruction in 8:22.
- 1 Sam.12:13 (thematic): Samuel’s later summary: ‘Here is the king you chose… the LORD has set a king over you,’ linking God’s allowance of the people’s demand in 8:22 with the establishment of the monarchy.
- Deut.17:14-15 (thematic): Provision for Israel’s future monarchy—rules for appointing a king—provides legal/theological background to the people’s request and God’s permission in 1 Samuel 8.
- Judg.21:25 (thematic): ‘In those days there was no king in Israel…’ contrasts the period of judges with the new demand for a king, highlighting the political-theological shift that 1 Sam 8 records.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and appoint them a king.” Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go each to his city.”
- And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and make them a king.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Return every man to his city.”
When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abiah; they judged at Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, they took bribes and perverted justice.
Then all the elders of Israel assembled and came to Samuel at Ramah.
They said to him, “Behold, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king over us to judge us, like all the nations.” And the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from reigning over them.
As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day—forsaking me and serving other gods—so they are doing to you also. Now therefore listen to their voice; only solemnly warn them, and show them the ordinance of the king who shall reign over them.” So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king.
He said, “This will be the practice of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and set them for himself, for his chariots and for his horsemen; they will run before his chariots.
He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and will set them to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and his chariots.
He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.
He will take your fields and your vineyards and your best olive groves, and give them to his servants.
He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.
He will take your male servants and your female servants, and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
He will take a tenth of your flocks; and you yourselves shall be his servants. And in that day you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.” But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No—there shall be a king over us.”
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.”
Samuel heard all the words of the people and spoke them before the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice; make them a king.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Each of you go to his town.”