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Matthew Henry

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 12:14

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

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

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 12:14

If ye will fear, etc. This verse, like Luke 19:42 , is left unfinished, and we must supply well, as in Exodus 32:32 . For the verse cannot be translated as in the A.V but is as follows: "If ye will fear Jehovah, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment (Hebrew, the mouth) of Jehovah, and if both ye and the king that reigneth over you will follow Jehovah your God, it shall be well." Samuel piles up one upon another the conditions of their happiness, and... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Samuel 12:14

1 Samuel 12:14. Then, &c. Hebrew, then shall ye be (that is, walk, or go) after the Lord; that is, God shall still go before you, as he hath hitherto done, as your leader or governor, to direct, protect, and deliver you; and he will not forsake you, as you have given him just cause to do. Sometimes this phrase of going after the Lord, signifies a man’s obedience to God; but here it is otherwise to be understood, and denotes not a duty to be performed, but a privilege to be... 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

Thomas Constable

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

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Samuel 12:12-25

5. The confirmation of Saul as king 11:12-12:25This victory helped the Israelites perceive Saul as their king, with the result that they committed themselves to him. Samuel therefore gave the people a solemn charge in view of the change in government. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Samuel 12:13-18

Samuel’s challenge to obey God 12:13-18The Hebrew grammatical construction translated "the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for" (1 Samuel 12:13), shows that the people had not just requested a king, but demanded him out of strong self-will. The key to Israel’s future blessing would be fearing Yahweh, serving Him, listening to His voice through the Mosaic Law and the prophets, and not rebelling against His commands (1 Samuel 12:14). The major message of the Books of Samuel thus... read more

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