Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. New Living Translation Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the LORD for guidance. English Standard Version But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. Berean Standard Bible But when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” their demand was displeasing in the sight of Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. King James Bible But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. New King James Version But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the LORD. New American Standard Bible But the matter was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. NASB 1995 But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. NASB 1977 But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. Legacy Standard Bible But the thing was evil in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to Yahweh. Amplified Bible But their demand displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge and rule over us.” So Samuel prayed to the LORD. Christian Standard Bible When they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” Samuel considered their demand wrong, so he prayed to the LORD. Holman Christian Standard Bible When they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” Samuel considered their demand sinful, so he prayed to the LORD. American Standard Version But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto Jehovah. Contemporary English Version Samuel was upset to hear the leaders say they wanted a king, so he prayed about it. English Revised Version But the thing displeased Samuel; when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. GOD'S WORD® Translation But Samuel considered it wrong for them to request a king to judge them. So Samuel prayed to the LORD. Good News Translation Samuel was displeased with their request for a king; so he prayed to the LORD, International Standard Version Samuel was displeased when they said, "Give us a king to govern us." So Samuel prayed to the LORD. Majority Standard Bible But when they said, ?Give us a king to judge us,? their demand was displeasing in the sight of Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. NET Bible But this request displeased Samuel, for they said, "Give us a king to lead us." So Samuel prayed to the LORD. New Heart English Bible But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." Samuel prayed to the LORD. Webster's Bible Translation But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us: and Samuel prayed to the LORD. World English Bible But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” Samuel prayed to Yahweh. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd the thing is evil in the eyes of Samuel when they have said, “Give a king to us, to judge us”; and Samuel prays to YHWH. Young's Literal Translation And the thing is evil in the eyes of Samuel, when they have said, 'Give to us a king to judge us;' and Samuel prayeth unto Jehovah. Smith's Literal Translation And the word will be evil in the eyes of Samuel when they said, Give to us a king to judge us: and Samuel will pray to Jehovah. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd the word was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, that they should say: Give us a king, to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord. Catholic Public Domain Version And the word was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, for they had said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. New American Bible Samuel was displeased when they said, “Give us a king to rule us.” But he prayed to the LORD. New Revised Standard Version But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to govern us.” Samuel prayed to the LORD, Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleBut the thing displeased Samuel, when they said to him, Give us a king to judge us like all the nations. And Samuel prayed before the LORD. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And the response was displeasing in the eyes of Shemueil when they said to him, “Give us a King, that he would judge us as all the nations”, and Shemueil prayed before LORD JEHOVAH OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said: 'Give us a king to judge us.' And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. Brenton Septuagint Translation And the thing was evil in the eyes of Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us: and Samuel prayed to the Lord. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Israel Demands a King…5“Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.” 6But when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” their demand was displeasing in the sight of Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 7And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king.… Cross References Deuteronomy 17:14-20 When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” / you are to appoint over yourselves the king whom the LORD your God shall choose. Appoint a king from among your brothers; you are not to set over yourselves a foreigner who is not one of your brothers. / But the king must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire more horses, for the LORD has said, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’ ... Hosea 13:10-11 Where is your king now to save you in all your cities, and the rulers to whom you said, “Give me a king and princes”? / So in My anger I gave you a king, and in My wrath I took him away. Judges 8:23 But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you.” 1 Samuel 10:19 But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions, and you have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans.” 1 Samuel 12:12-17 But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king to rule over us’—even though the LORD your God was your king. / Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you requested. Behold, the LORD has placed a king over you. / If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and if you do not rebel against the command of the LORD, and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the LORD your God, then all will be well. ... 1 Samuel 12:19 They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for a king.” 1 Samuel 12:20-25 “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “Even though you have committed all this evil, do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. / Do not turn aside after worthless things that cannot profit you or deliver you, for they are empty. / Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own. ... 1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.” 1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.” 1 Samuel 19:4 Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you. 1 Samuel 24:6 So he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed. May I never lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed.” 1 Samuel 24:10 Behold, this day you have seen with your own eyes that the LORD delivered you into my hand in the cave. I was told to kill you, but I spared you and said, ‘I will not lift my hand against my lord, since he is the LORD’s anointed.’ 1 Samuel 26:9 But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can extend a hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?” 1 Samuel 26:11 But the LORD forbid that I should extend my hand against the LORD’s anointed. Instead, take the spear and water jug by his head, and let us go.” 1 Samuel 26:23 May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. For the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not extend my hand against the LORD’s anointed. Treasury of Scripture But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the LORD. 1 Samuel 12:17 Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king. prayed 1 Samuel 15:11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night. Exodus 32:21,32 And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? … Numbers 16:15,22,46 And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them… Jump to Previous Displeased Displeasing Evil Eyes Judge Lead Pleased Prayed Prayer Prayeth Samuel SightJump to Next Displeased Displeasing Evil Eyes Judge Lead Pleased Prayed Prayer Prayeth Samuel Sight1 Samuel 8 1. By occasion of the ill government of Samuel's sons, the Israelites ask a king6. Samuel praying in grief is comforted by God 10. He tells the manner of a king 19. God wills Samuel to yield unto the importunity of the people But when they said This phrase introduces the pivotal moment when the Israelites vocalize their desire for a monarchy. The Hebrew root for "said" is "אָמַר" (amar), which often implies not just speaking but declaring or commanding. This reflects the assertiveness of the people's request, indicating a shift from seeking divine guidance to demanding human leadership. Historically, this marks a significant transition in Israel's governance, moving from a theocracy to a monarchy. Give us a king to judge us their demand displeased Samuel so he prayed to the LORD The displeasure of the prophet-judge was very natural. He felt--this we see from the comforting words his Master addressed to him (see 1Samuel 8:7)--that the people, notwithstanding the vast claims he possessed to their gratitude, craved another and a different ruler, and were dissatisfied with his government. Samuel too was conscious that Israel by its request declined the direct sovereignty of the Eternal. The change to an earthly sovereign had been foreseen, foretold, even arranged for, by Moses, but, in spite of all this, to one like Samuel it was very bitter. It seemed to remove the people from that solitary platform which they alone among nations had been allowed to occupy. They had found by sad experience, as Moses,--"their Rabbi," as the old teachers loved to style him--had predicted, that such a form of government was, alas! unsuited to them, and that they must descend here to the level of ordinary peoples. But though all this was undisputably true, it was very bitter for the hero patriot to give up for ever the splendid Hebrew ideal that his people were the subjects of the Eternal King, ruled directly by Him. Verse 6. - But the thing displeased Samuel, and justly so. For, in the first place, they had determined to have a king without consulting the will of God. Granting that it would give them the security necessary for the nation's welfare and progress, yet so weighty a matter ought not to have been decided without an appeal to Jehovah. Samuel did make it a matter of prayer; the elders were actuated solely by political motives. And, secondly, they undervalued their own religious privileges. They wanted a king such as the heathen had, whereas something far better and higher was possible for them, namely, a king who would be the representative of Jehovah, as the shophet had hitherto been. The nation's real need was not a new power, but the permanent organisation of what up to this time had been a casual authority. And it was Samuel's high office to give the nation this, while he also changed the outward form of prophecy, and made it too into an orderly institution. A king to judge us. I.e. to govern us, as the shophet or, judge had done, only in a more regularly constituted manner. And Samuel prayed unto Jehovah. There had been no such submission to the will of God on the part of the elders; but deeply as Samuel must have been hurt by this determination of the nation to take the government out of the hands of himself and his sons, yet he leaves the decision to Jehovah. Moreover, we must note that it was as prophet that he thus acted as mediator between the people and God; and he gave them his services in this his highest capacity as faithfully when the question was one injurious to himself as he had ever done on more pleasing occasions.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew But whenכַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר (ka·’ă·šer) Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that they said, אָמְר֔וּ (’ā·mə·rū) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 559: To utter, say “Give תְּנָה־ (tə·nāh-) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular Strong's 5414: To give, put, set us a king מֶ֖לֶךְ (me·leḵ) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 4428: A king to judge us,” לְשָׁפְטֵ֑נוּ (lə·šā·p̄ə·ṭê·nū) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common plural Strong's 8199: To judge, pronounce sentence, to vindicate, punish, to govern, to litigate their demand הַדָּבָר֙ (had·dā·ḇār) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause was displeasing וַיֵּ֤רַע (way·yê·ra‘) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 7489: To spoil, to make, good for, nothing, bad in the sight בְּעֵינֵ֣י (bə·‘ê·nê) Preposition-b | Noun - cdc Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain of Samuel; שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל (šə·mū·’êl) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 8050: Samuel -- 'name of God', a prophet of Israel so he שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל (šə·mū·’êl) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 8050: Samuel -- 'name of God', a prophet of Israel prayed וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל (way·yiṯ·pal·lêl) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 6419: To judge, to intercede, pray to אֶל־ (’el-) Preposition Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to the LORD. יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel Links 1 Samuel 8:6 NIV1 Samuel 8:6 NLT 1 Samuel 8:6 ESV 1 Samuel 8:6 NASB 1 Samuel 8:6 KJV 1 Samuel 8:6 BibleApps.com 1 Samuel 8:6 Biblia Paralela 1 Samuel 8:6 Chinese Bible 1 Samuel 8:6 French Bible 1 Samuel 8:6 Catholic Bible OT History: 1 Samuel 8:6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa) |
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