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
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 8:4-22
We have here the starting of a matter perfectly new and surprising, which was the setting up of kingly government in Israel. Perhaps the thing had been often talked of among them by those that were given to change and affected that which looked great. But we do not find that it was ever till now publicly proposed and debated. Abimelech was little better than a titular king, though he is said to reign over Israel (Jdg. 9:22), and perhaps his fall had for a great while rendered the title of king... read more