1 Samuel 12:11 NIV

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 12:11

And the Lord sent Jerubbaal ,.... Or Gideon, as the Targum, for Jerubbaal was the name given to Gideon, when he first became a judge, Judges 6:32 . and Bedan ; if this was one of the judges, he must have two names, or is one that is not mentioned in the book of Judges; the Targum interprets it of Samson; so Jerom F8 Heb. Trad. in lib. Reg. fol. 75. K. , for the word may be rendered "in Dan"; one in Dan, who was of the tribe of Dan, as Samson was; and it was in the camp of Dan the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 12:11

Jerubbaal - That is, Gideon. And Bedan: instead of Bedan, whose name occurs nowhere else as a judge or deliverer of Israel, the Septuagint have Barak; the same reading is found in the Syriac and Arabic. The Targum has Samson. Many commentators are of this opinion; but Calmet thinks that Jair is intended, who judged Israel twenty-two years, Judges 10:3 . Instead of Samuel the Syriac and Arabic have Samson; and it is most natural to suppose that Samuel does not mention himself in this place.... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 12:6-15

The immutable condition of well being. The facts are— 1 . Samuel, having shown his right to be heard, calls on the people to hearken to his argument. 2 . He refers to historic instances to show that trouble always came with unfaithfulness to God, and prosperity with a return to fidelity. 3 . He reminds them that their desire for a king implied distrust of God. 4 . Recognising the new order of things, he insists that the adversity or prosperity of the nation rested where it... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 12:11

Bedan . Numerous ingenious explanations of this name have been given, but the only probable account is that Bedan is a misreading for Barak. The two names are very similar in the Hebrew, and the two most ancient versions, the Septuagint and the Syriac, actually have Barak. And Samuel. This is even more puzzling than Bedan. We cannot suppose that Samuel, who hitherto had confined himself to the old deliverances, would thus suddenly introduce his own name. In mentioning only them he had... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Samuel 12:11

Bedan - No such name occurs among the Judges who delivered Israel. Some versions and commentators read “Barak,” the form of the letters of both words being in Hebrew somewhat similar.And Samuel - There is nothing improper or out of place in Samuel mentioning his own judgeship. It had supplied a remarkable instance of God’s deliverance 1 Samuel 7:12-15; and, as it was the last as well as one of the very greatest deliverances, it was natural he should do so. The passage in Hebrews 11:32 is quite... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Samuel 12:11

1 Samuel 12:11. And Bedan We have no mention of Bedan in the book of Judges or elsewhere before, and therefore many commentators think this is another name for Barak. Others, however, think Samson to be the person here meant, being here called Ben-Dan, the son of Dan, or Be-Dan, that is, in or of Dan, because he was of that tribe, and to signify that they had no reason to distrust God, who could raise so eminent a saviour out of so obscure a tribe. And ye dwelled safe So that it... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 12:1-25

Samuel’s farewell address (12:1-25)The people’s demand for a king was an insult to Samuel as well as to God. Samuel therefore called upon them to declare before God and before the king that he had been blameless in all his behaviour. He had given them no cause to be dissatisfied with his leadership (12:1-5).In the lengthy address that followed, Samuel reminded his hearers of all that God had done in giving Israel the land of Canaan for a homeland (6-8). He reminded them also that Israel’s... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 1 Samuel 12:11

and Bedan . The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic read "and Barak" (the names being much alike in Hebrew). and Samuel. The Peshito (or Revised Syriac) reads "and Samson". But, if "Samuel", these are not Samuel's words, but Jehovah's in Samuel's mouth. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - 1 Samuel 12:11

1 Samuel 12:11. The Lord sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel— Houbigant, after several of the versions, reads, Jerubbaal, Deborah and Barak, Jephthah and Samson. St. Paul seems to confirm this reading; for in Heb 11:32 he says, the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, of Barak, of Samson, of Jephtha, &c. REFLECTIONS.—1st, Before Samuel parts with the assembly, he addresses himself to them, 1. By way of appeal for his own integrity among them. He had now resigned the... read more