What conditions and warnings does Samuel give Israel after it has received a king?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The people and their king must fear, serve and hear the Lord without rebelling against his words. Samuel promises to keep praying and teaching, but warns that continued wickedness will cause the people and their king to perish together.

Chapter breakdown

Samuel tells all Israel that he has heard their voice in everything they said and made a king over them. The king now goes before them. Samuel is old and greyheaded, his sons are with them, and he has been among them from his youth to that day. Before the Lord and his anointed, he asks whose ox or ass he has taken, whom he has wronged or oppressed, and from whose hand he has received a bribe. He says he will despise it that day and restore it. They answer that he has neither wronged nor oppressed them nor taken anything from any man’s hand. Samuel calls the Lord and his anointed witnesses that day that nothing has been found in his hand; they answer, He is witness.

Samuel names the Lord who made Moses and Aaron and brought their fathers from Egypt. He tells the people to stand while he pleads in judgment before the Lord about all the kindness done to them and their fathers. Jacob went into Egypt; their fathers cried to the Lord, who sent Moses and Aaron to bring them out and make them dwell in this place. They forgot their God, and he delivered them into the hands of Sisara, captain of Hasor’s army, the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them. They cried to the Lord, confessed that they had forsaken him and served Baalim and Astaroth, asked rescue from their enemies and promised to serve him. The Lord sent Jerobaal, Badan, Jephte and Samuel, rescued them from surrounding enemies and let them dwell securely. Challoner separately identifies Jerobaal as Gedeon and Badan or Bedan as Samson, because he was of Dan.

When they saw Naas, king of Ammon’s children, coming against them, they demanded a king even though the Lord their God was their king. Samuel points to the king they chose and desired, whom the Lord has given them. If they fear the Lord, serve him, hear his voice and do not provoke his mouth, both they and the king who reigns over them will follow the Lord their God. If they do not hear his voice but rebel against his words, the Lord’s hand will be against them and their fathers.

Samuel tells them to stand and see the great thing the Lord will do before their eyes. It is wheat harvest that day. He will call on the Lord for thunder and rain so they will know and see the great evil they have done before the Lord in asking for a king. Challoner separately says those countries never have thunder or rain in that season; this is the note’s statement. Samuel cries to the Lord, who sends thunder and rain that day. All the people greatly fear the Lord and Samuel. They ask him to pray for his servants so they may not die, saying they have added the evil of asking for a king to all their other sins.

Samuel tells them not to fear. They have done all this evil, yet must not depart from following the Lord and must serve him with their whole heart. They must not turn after vain things that cannot profit or deliver them, because those things are vain. The Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, because he has sworn to make them his people. Samuel says it would be sin against the Lord for him to cease praying for them; he will teach them the good and right way. They must fear the Lord and serve him in truth with their whole heart, because they have seen the great works he has done among them. If they still do wickedly, both they and their king will perish together.

The story inside

The people first answer Samuel’s public challenge about his treatment of them. Samuel then recalls rescue from Egypt, their fathers’ forgetting, confession and later deliverance through named men. Their demand for a king arose when Naas came against them, though the Lord was already their king. Samuel sets out the conditions of obedience and the consequence of rebellion. His call for thunder and rain at wheat harvest is followed by that sign and the people’s plea not to die. He answers with commands to keep serving, assurance about the Lord’s people, his own promise of prayer and teaching, and a final warning covering both people and king.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The people’s testimony answers specific charges. They deny that Samuel wronged, oppressed or took anything from them after his questions about animals and bribery. This exchange does not supply an unstated account of every part of his life.
2
Having a king leaves the command to obey in place. Samuel names fear, service, hearing and avoiding rebellion, then states a consequence if they continue wickedly. The people and king are both included in the final warning.
3
The frightening sign is followed by instruction and prayer. The people confess added evil and ask not to die; Samuel tells them to serve wholeheartedly, rejects vain things and promises to keep praying and teaching. The assurance about the Lord’s name does not erase the chapter’s conditions.

Test your recall

Why did Israel demand a king, how does the harvest sign lead to its confession, and what commands, promises and final consequence does Samuel give in reply?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 29252–29274
1 Kings Chapter 12 Samuel’s integrity is acknowledged. God sheweth by a sign from heaven that they had done ill in asking for a king. 12:1. And Samuel said to all Israel: Behold I have hearkened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you. 12:2. And now the king goeth before you: but I am old and greyheaded: and my sons are with you: having then conversed with you from my youth until this day, behold here I am. 12:3. Speak of me before the Lord, and before his anointed, whether I have taken any man’s ox, or ass: if I have wronged any man, if I have oppressed any man, if I have taken a bribe at any man’s hand: and I will despise it this day, and will restore it to you. 12:4. And they said: Thou hast not wronged us, nor oppressed us, nor taken ought at any man’s hand. 12:5. And he said to them: The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found any thing in my hand. And they said: He is witness.
Lines 29276–29302
12:6. And Samuel said to the people: It is the Lord who made Moses and Aaron, and brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt. 12:7. Now, therefore, stand up, that I may plead in judgment against you before the Lord, concerning all the kindness of the Lord, which he hath shewn to you, and to your fathers: 12:8. How Jacob went into Egypt, and your fathers cried to the Lord: and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and brought your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place. 12:9. And they forgot the Lord their God, and he delivered them into the hands of Sisara, captain of the army of Hasor, and into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. 12:10. But afterwards they cried to the Lord, and said: We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served Baalim and Astaroth: but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee. 12:11. And the Lord sent Jerobaal, and Badan, and Jephte, and Samuel, and delivered you from the hand of your enemies round about, and you dwelt securely. Jerobaal and Badan.... That is, Gedeon and Samson called here Badan or Bedan, because he was of Dan.
Lines 29304–29317
12:12. But seeing that Naas, king of the children of Ammon, was come against you, you said to me: Nay, but a king shall reign over us: whereas the Lord your God was your king. 12:13. Now, therefore, your king is here, whom you have chosen and desired: Behold the Lord hath given you a king. 12:14. If you will fear the Lord, and serve him, and hearken to his voice, and not provoke the mouth of the Lord: then shall both you, and the king who reigneth over you, be followers of the Lord your God. 12:15. But if you will not hearken to the voice of the Lord, but will rebel against his words, the hand of the Lord shall be upon you, and upon your fathers.
Lines 29319–29336
12:16. Now then stand, and see this great thing which the Lord will do in your sight. 12:17. Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call upon the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain: and you shall know, and see that you yourselves have done a great evil in the sight of the Lord, in desiring a king over you. Wheat harvest.... At which time of the year, it never thunders or rains in those countries. 12:18. And Samuel cried unto the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day. 12:19. And all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. And all the people said to Samuel: Pray for thy servants to the Lord thy God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for a king.
Lines 29338–29358
12:20. And Samuel said to the people: Fear not, you have done all this evil: but yet depart not from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 12:21. And turn not aside after vain things, which shall never profit you, nor deliver you, because they are vain. 12:22. And the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because the Lord hath sworn to make you his people. 12:23. And far from me be this sin against the Lord, that I should cease to pray for you: and I will teach you the good and right way. 12:24. Therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in truth, and with your whole heart, for you have seen the great works which he hath done among you. 12:25. But if you will still do wickedly: both you and your king shall perish together.