1 Samuel 8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:7

And the Lord said unto Samuel ,.... He appeared to him in a vision or dream, and by an articulate voice delivered to him what follows: hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee ; not as approving of what they said, but permitting and allowing what they asked, as a punishment of them for their disloyalty and ingratitude, and as resenting their ill behaviour to him; for it was in anger he assented to their request, Hosea 13:11 . for they have not rejected... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:8

According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them out of Egypt ,.... This was no new thing; all that they had done since they were wonderfully favoured of God, as to be brought out of Egyptian bondage, was all of a piece with this; one continued series of ingratitude, of rebellion against God, and against his servants, that he employed under him, as Moses, Aaron, &c.; even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods ; this is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:9

Now therefore hearken unto their voice ,.... And appoint them a king as they desire: howbeit, yet protest solemnly unto them ; not against the thing itself, which was permitted, but against the evil of their request, as to the unseasonable time, ill manner, and unjustifiable reason, in and for which it was made; the Lord would have Samuel lay before them their evil in requesting it, and the evils that would follow upon it to them, and faithfully represent them to them, that they might be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:10

And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto them ,.... How he considered this request of theirs as a rejection of him as their king, and that it was acting the same ungrateful part they had always done; and since they were so importunate to have it granted, it should be done; but that he was ordered to lay before them all the inconveniences that would attend it, and the evils that would follow upon it unto them: that asked of him a king ; which is observed, not to distinguish a part... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:11

And he said, this will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you ,.... Not in which he ought to proceed, but what he will do: and this not the manner of one king, or of the first only, but of all of them, more or less; of kings in general, who are commonly inclined to arbitrary power. So Aristotle F1 In Politicis, l. 3. c. 16. in opposition to theocracy, describes a full and absolute kingdom, as he calls it, when a king does all things according to his will: and observes,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:12

And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties ,.... Which though posts of honour, yet when they are not matter of choice, and especially being precarious, and depending on the arbitrary will of a prince, are not eligible, and less so to persons that choose another sort of life: and will set them to ear his ground ; to plough it; not the same persons made captains of thousands and fifties, but others, whom he will employ in tilling and manuring his fields,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:13

And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries ,.... Such as deal in spices, and mix them, and make them up in various forms very agreeable to the taste. Men are commonly in our countries and times employed in such arts, but it seems this was the business of women in those times and places. Some versions F4 So V. L. and Tigurine. render it "unguentariae", makers or sellers of ointments, and such there were in some nations F5 Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 5. , such was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:14

And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards ,.... Which includes the whole increase of their land, their corn, and wine, and oil; and it is these, the fruits of their fields, vineyards, and oliveyards, which are here meant; for otherwise kings might not, and did not by their absolute authority, take away those from their subjects; otherwise Ahab would have taken away Naboth's vineyard at once, nor would Jezebel have needed to have taken such a method she did, to put... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:15

And he will take the tenth of your seed ,.... When grown up and ripe, as their wheat and barley: and of your vineyards ; the tenth of the grapes they should produce: and give to his officers, and to his servants ; for the support and maintenance of them; and to pay this, besides the tithes of the priests and Levites, would make it very burdensome to them; and this was no other than what kings of other nations usually had, the like to whom they were desirous of having, and therefore... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:16

And he will take your manservants, and your maidservants ,.... Into his own family, for his own use and service, if he wants them, or likes them better than what he has: and your goodliest young men : that are tall and lusty, comely and beautiful, of a proper stature and good aspect; and such in all countries used to be chosen for officers in courts, or attendants there; and so the Turks to this day pitch upon young men to attend on great personages, who are of a comely form, have... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:14

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:15

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:16

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