Why does Israel ask Samuel for a king, and does Samuel’s warning change the request?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The ancients cite Samuel’s age and his sons’ failure to follow his ways, asking for a king to judge them like other nations. Samuel warns of what a king will take and of their future unheard cry, but they still insist on a king to judge them, lead them and fight their battles.

Chapter breakdown

When Samuel is old, he appoints his sons as judges over Israel. His firstborn is Joel and his second Abia; they judge in Bersabee. They do not follow his ways, instead seeking gain, taking bribes and perverting judgment. All Israel’s ancients assemble and come to Samuel in Ramatha. They point to his age and his sons’ ways and ask him to make a king to judge them as all nations have. The demand for a king displeases Samuel, and he prays to the Lord.

The Lord tells Samuel to hear all the people say, since they have rejected the Lord, not Samuel, so that he should not reign over them. Challoner separately explains that Israel’s government had been a theocracy: God immediately ruled through laws he enacted and judges he extraordinarily raised, and complains of rejection in their desire to change government. The Lord says their actions toward Samuel follow what they have done since he brought them out of Egypt until this day: forsaking him and serving strange gods. He again directs Samuel to hear them, but to testify and foretell the right of the king who will reign. Challoner separately explains right as the manner, misphat, in which the king will proceed with power in hand and no one to control him. Samuel tells all the Lord’s words to the people who asked for a king.

Samuel says the king will take their sons for his chariots, as horsemen and running footmen before the chariots. He will appoint them tribunes and centurions and set them to plough his fields, reap his corn and make arms and chariots. He will take their daughters to make ointments and serve as cooks and bakers. Their fields, vineyards and best oliveyards will be taken and given to his servants. He will take a tenth of their corn and vineyard revenues for his eunuchs and servants. He will take their servants, handmaids, goodliest young men and asses for his work. He will tithe their flocks, and they will be his servants. They will cry out that day because of the king they chose, and the Lord will not hear them that day because they desired a king for themselves.

The people refuse to hear Samuel and insist that a king must rule them. They say they will be like all nations and their king will judge them, go out before them and fight their battles. Samuel hears all their words and repeats them to the Lord. The Lord tells him to hear their voice and make them a king. Samuel tells every man of Israel to go to his city.

The story inside

Samuel’s sons’ gain-seeking, bribery and distorted judgment form the setting for the ancients’ request at Ramatha. Samuel prays after finding their demand displeasing. The Lord identifies rejection of his own reign, compares their conduct with past service of strange gods and directs Samuel both to listen and to warn. Samuel describes the taking of family members, work, property and tenths, ending with a future cry the Lord will not hear that day. The people insist after hearing him and repeat their desire to be like nations, with a king who judges and fights. Samuel brings their words to the Lord, receives the command to make a king and sends each man home. The chapter ends with that command and departure.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The request has stated grounds and a stated divine response. The ancients name Samuel’s age and his sons’ conduct; the Lord says they have rejected his reign. Keeping both avoids replacing their words with an invented hidden strategy.
2
The warning is concrete. Sons, daughters, servants, handmaids, young men, asses, fields, vineyards, best oliveyards and flocks are named, with tasks, recipients and tenths. Those details explain what the people hear before insisting.
3
The ending follows the warning rather than canceling it. The people still ask for a king to judge, go before them and fight. The Lord orders Samuel to make one, but no king is yet named here and no predicted exaction is reported as already carried out.

Test your recall

How do Joel and Abia’s conduct lead to the ancients’ request, what taking and future consequence does Samuel warn of, and what happens when the people still insist?

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 28831–28852
1 Kings Chapter 8 Samuel growing old, and his sons not walking in his ways, the people desire a king. 8:1. And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. 8:2. Now the name of his firstborn son was Joel: and the name of the second was Abia, judges in Bersabee. 8:3. And his sons walked not in his ways: but they turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. 8:4. Then all the ancients of Israel being assembled came to Samuel to Ramatha. 8:5. And they said to him: Behold thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: make us a king, to judge us, as all nations have. 8:6. And 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.
Lines 28854–28876
8:7. And the Lord said to Samuel: Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say to thee. For they have not rejected thee, but me, that I should not reign over them. Rejected, etc.... The government of Israel hitherto had been a theocracy, in which God himself immediately ruled, by laws which he had enacted, and by judges extraordinarily raised up by himself; and therefore he complains that his people rejected him, in desiring a change of government. 8:8. According to all their works, they have done from the day that I brought them out of Egypt until this day: as they have forsaken me, and served strange gods, so do they also unto thee. 8:9. Now, therefore, hearken to their voice: but yet testify to them, and foretell them the right of the king, that shall reign over them. The right.... That is, the manner (misphat) after which he shall proceed, having no one to control him, when he has the power in his hand. 8:10. Then Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people that had desired a king of him,
Lines 28878–28903
8:11. And said: This will be the right of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and put them in his chariots, and will make them his horsemen, and his running footmen, to run before his chariots, 8:12. And he will appoint of them to be his tribunes, and his centurions, and to plough his fields, and to reap his corn, and to make him arms and chariots. 8:13. Your daughters also he will take to make him ointments, and to be his cooks, and bakers. 8:14. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your best oliveyards, and give them to his servants. 8:15. Moreover he will take the tenth of your corn, and of the revenues of your vineyards, to give to his eunuchs and servants. 8:16. Your servants also, and handmaids, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, he will take away, and put them to his work. 8:17. Your flocks also he will tithe, and you shall be his servants. 8:18. And you shall cry out in that day from the face of the king, whom you have chosen to yourselves: and the Lord will not hear you in that day, because you desired unto yourselves a king.
Lines 28905–28918
8:19. But the people would not hear the voice of Samuel, and they said, Nay: but there shall be a king over us, 8:20. And we also will be like all nations: and our king shall judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles for us. 8:21. And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. 8:22. And the Lord said to Samuel: Hearken to their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel: Let every man go to his city.