1 Samuel 12:13-18

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 12:6-15

Samuel, having sufficiently secured his own reputation, instead of upbraiding the people upon it with their unkindness to him, sets himself to instruct them, and keep them in the way of their duty, and then the change of the government would be the less damage to them. I. He reminds them of the great goodness of God to them and to their fathers, gives them an abstract of the history of their nation, that, by the consideration of the great things God had done for them, they might be for ever... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 12:16-25

Two things Samuel here aims at:? I. To convince the people of their sin in desiring a king. They were now rejoicing before God in and with their king (1 Sam. 11:15), and offering to God the sacrifices of praise, which they hoped God would accept; and this perhaps made them think that there was no harm in their asking a king, but really they had done well in it. Therefore Samuel here charges it upon them as their sin, as wickedness, great wickedness in the sight of the Lord. Note, Though we... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 12:13

Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired ,.... For though God chose their king for them, it was at their request; they chose to have a king, and desired one, and they approved of and consented to, and confirmed the choice he had made, and so it was in effect their own: and, behold, the Lord hath set a king over you ; he gratified them in their desires; though he did not suffer them to make themselves a king, he suffered them to have one, and he gave... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 12:14

If ye will fear the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice ,.... All worship and service of God, and obedience to his word and ordinances, should spring from fear and reverence of him; and therefore the whole of worship, both external and internal, is sometimes expressed by the fear of the Lord: and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord ; break it, and thereby exasperate him, and provoke him to wrath and bitterness: then shall both ye, and also the king that reigneth over you... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 12:15

But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord ,.... They and their king, by sinning, disregarding his precepts, both affirmative and negative: then shall the hand of the Lord be against you ; by sending some judgments upon them, as famine, sword, or pestilence, particularly captivity and subjection to their enemies: as it was against your fathers ; who had no king; and it is suggested that their case, who had one, would be no better than... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 12:16

Now therefore stand ,.... Which does not so much respect the position of their bodies as the fixed attention of their minds: and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes ; meaning the storm of thunder and rain which presently followed; which coming at a time when such things were not usual, and on a day when there was no appearance or likelihood of anything of this kind, and suddenly, at once, upon the prayer of Samuel, it was no less than a miracle, and might be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 12:17

Is it not wheat harvest today ?.... Of the time of wheat harvest; see Gill on 1 Samuel 6:13 . Rain usually fell in Judea only twice a year, called the former and the latter rain; and from the seventeenth of Nisan or March, to the sixteenth of Marchesvan or October, it was not usual for rain to fall, and so not in harvest, at that time especially, see Proverbs 26:1 . R. Joseph Kimchi says, in the land of Israel rain never fell all the days of harvest; and this is confirmed by Jerom, who... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 12:18

So Samuel called unto the Lord ,.... Not in an authoritative way, or by way of command, but by prayer; so the Targum renders the clause in the preceding verse,"I will pray before the Lord:" and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day ; immediately, though there was no appearance of it; it was harvest time, and a fine harvest day. Josephus says F16 Antiqu. l. 6. c. 5. sect. 6. he sent thunder, lightning, and hail, a terrible storm and tempest it was: and all the people greatly... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 12:14

If ye will fear the Lord , etc. - On condition that ye rebel no more, God will take you and your king under his merciful protection, and he and his kingdom shall be confirmed and continued. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 12:16

This great thing - This unusual occurrence. read more

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