Samuel’s review of God’s faithfulness 12:6-12Neither had God given the people occasion to demand a king. He had delivered them in the past from all their enemies when they confessed their sins, repented, and sought His help. They had been unfaithful to God and had disobeyed His Law, but He remained faithful to His commitment and promises to them. read more
Samuel resigns his JudgeshipThis chapter is a continuation of 1 Samuel 10:17-24, and the scene of the events recorded is the great national assembly at Mizpeh. Notice, however, the reference to Nahash (1 Samuel 11) in 1 Samuel 10:12.2. My sons] cp. 1 Samuel 8:1-5. 3. His anointed] i.e. Saul the anointed king. This becomes the regular title of the king: cp. 1 Samuel 24:6-10; 1 Samuel 26:9-11, etc. The word is identical with ’Messiah’ or (in its Gk. form) ’Christ.’6. It is the Lord] LXX reads’... read more
(9) And when they forgot the Lord their God.—The idolatry of Israel, and the immorality and shame less wickedness which ever attended it, was simply an act of rebellion against the pure government of the invisible King, and was punished by the withdrawal of the Divine protection. The instances which are here adduced of the people being given up into the hands of strange hostile nations are prominent ones, quoted as they occurred to him, without any careful attention being paid to the order of... read more
(10) And they cried unto the Lord.—As soon as they were convinced of their sin and rebellion, and accused themselves, and returned to their old allegiance, their invisible King, ever full of pity and tender compassion, forgave them, and sent them quick deliverance.And have served Baalim and Ashtaroth.—Baal and Ashtaroth were the well-known leading Phœnician deities; the worship, with most of its details, was imported probably from Carthage, the great Phœnician centre. The temple of... read more
(11) And the Lord sent Jerubbaal.—Again the speaker only names a few of the God-sent deliverers, just the most prominent of their great and famous heroes. Gideon was surnamed Jerubbaal out of scorn and derision for the Phœnician deity: “Let Baal then strive or contend with me, Gideon.”Bedan.—This name does not occur in the record of the “judges.” We meet with it only in 1 Chronicles 7:17, as a name of one of the descendants of Machir the Manassite, but this Bedan of the Chronicles seems to have... read more
Samuel's Dismissal 1 Samuel 12:12-15 Some one has said, 'In addition to other graces a good man ought to pray for is the grace to resign his office when his work is done'. Samuel was the last of the judges and prophets. He had ruled with conspicuous ability, justice, success. Under his control, it is true, the people had suffered from the attacks of the neighbouring tribes, but defeat had not been due to Samuel's holding the rein of government. I. Samuel himself might be good, righteous, just,... read more
CHAPTER XVII.SAMUEL’S DEALINGS WITH THE PEOPLE.1 Samuel 12:6-25.2. HAVING vindicated himself (in the first five verses of this chapter, 1 Samuel 12:1-5), Samuel now proceeds to his second point, and takes the people in hand. But before proceeding to close quarters with them, he gives a brief review of the history of the nation, in order to bring out the precise relation in which they stood to God, and the duty resulting from that relation (1 Samuel 12:6-12 vers.). First, he brings out the... read more
5. Samuel’s Witness and Warning CHAPTER 12 1. His witness to his own integrity (1 Samuel 12:1-5 ) 2. His warning (1 Samuel 12:6-15 ) 3. Heaven’s answer (1 Samuel 12:16-19 ) 4. His words of comfort (1 Samuel 12:20-25 ) What a scene! The man of God, the man of prayer, now advanced in years, stands before them. “I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.” Here was not a Nazarite who had failed like Samson, but one who had lived out his Nazariteship in the fullest sense of... read more
12:9 And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, {e} captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.(e) Captain of Jabin’s host, king of Hazor. read more
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Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Samuel 12:1-25
Samuel’s second warning to the people ch. 12The writer wrote chapters 12-15 very skillfully to parallel chapters 8-11. Each section begins with Samuel warning the people about the dangers of their requesting a king (chs. 8 and 12). Each one also follows with a description of Saul’s exploits (chs. 9-10 and 13-14) and ends with Saul leading Israel in battle (chs. 11 and 15). This parallel structure vividly sets off the contrast between Saul’s early success as Israel’s king and his subsequent... read more