But when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,”
The Israelites' request for a king marks a significant transition in their history from a theocratic system, where God was their direct ruler, to a monarchy. This request reflects their desire to be like other nations (1 Samuel 8:5, 20), which was contrary to God's unique plan for Israel as a distinct people (Exodus 19:5-6). The demand for a king can be seen as a rejection of God's leadership, as He had been their judge and king through appointed leaders like Moses, Joshua, and the judges. This request also foreshadows the eventual establishment of the Davidic line, which is significant in biblical prophecy concerning the Messiah (2 Samuel 7:12-16).

their demand was displeasing in the sight of Samuel;
Samuel, as the last judge of Israel, was displeased because the request for a king represented a rejection of the system God had established. Samuel had faithfully served as a prophet and judge, and the people's demand implied dissatisfaction with his leadership and, by extension, with God's governance. This displeasure is rooted in the understanding that Israel's identity was to be distinct from other nations, relying on divine guidance rather than human monarchy. Samuel's reaction highlights the tension between human desires and divine will, a recurring theme in Scripture.

so he prayed to the LORD.
Samuel's response to the people's demand was to seek God's guidance through prayer, demonstrating his role as a mediator between God and Israel. This act of prayer underscores the importance of seeking divine wisdom in times of crisis or decision-making. Samuel's prayer reflects a pattern seen throughout the Bible, where leaders and prophets turn to God for direction (e.g., Moses in Exodus 32:11-14, Nehemiah in Nehemiah 1:4-11). It also emphasizes the importance of maintaining a relationship with God, even when faced with challenging or disappointing circumstances. Samuel's reliance on prayer serves as a model for believers to seek God's will above human inclinations.

1. Samuel
A prophet and judge of Israel, Samuel was a pivotal figure in the transition from the period of judges to the establishment of the monarchy. He was displeased by the people's request for a king, as it signified a rejection of God's direct rule.

2. The Israelites
The people of Israel, who demanded a king to lead them like other nations, reflecting their desire to conform to worldly standards rather than maintain their unique identity as God's chosen people.

3. The LORD
The God of Israel, who had been the direct ruler and judge over His people. The request for a king was seen as a rejection of His kingship.

4. Ramah
The place where Samuel lived and where the elders of Israel came to make their request for a king.

5. The Elders of Israel
Representatives of the tribes who approached Samuel with the demand for a king, reflecting a collective decision among the people.Rejection of Divine Leadership
The Israelites' request for a king was a rejection of God's direct rule. In our lives, we must be cautious not to replace God's authority with worldly systems or leaders.

Prayer as a Response to Displeasure
Samuel's immediate response to the people's demand was to pray. When faced with situations that displease us, especially those that challenge our faith, turning to God in prayer should be our first response.

Conformity to the World
The Israelites wanted to be like other nations, which led them away from their unique calling. As Christians, we are called to be set apart and should resist the temptation to conform to worldly standards.

God's Sovereignty and Human Choice
While God allows human choice, even when it leads away from His ideal plan, He remains sovereign. We must trust in His ultimate plan and seek His guidance in our decisions.

The Role of Leadership in God's Plan
Leadership is significant in God's plan, but it must align with His will. We should pray for and support leaders who seek to honor God in their roles.(6) The thing displeased Samuel.--It is clear that it was perfectly justifiable in the elders of the people to come to the resolution contained in their petition to Samuel. The Deuteronomy directions contained in 1Samuel 17:14-20 are clear and explicit in this matter of an earthly king for the people, and Moses evidently had looked forward to this alteration in the constitution when he framed the Law. No date for the change is specified, but from the terms of the Deuteronomy words no distant period evidently was looked on to. Then, again, though Samuel was naturally displeased, he at once, as prophet and seer, carried the matter to the God-Friend of Israel in prayer, and the Eternal King at once bids His old true servant to comply with the people's desire.

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 ...


But when
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר (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


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OT History: 1 Samuel 8:6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)