Christian Standard Bible
1 Samuel 12:19
19They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so we won’t die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of requesting a king for ourselves.”
1 Samuel 12:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.
- New International Version (NIV)The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And all the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.”
Context of 1 Samuel 12:19
17Isn’t the wheat harvest today? I will call on the Lord, and he will send thunder and rain so that you will recognize what an immense evil you committed in the Lord’s sight by requesting a king for yourselves.” 18Samuel called on the Lord, and on that day the Lord sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so we won’t die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of requesting a king for ourselves.” 20Samuel replied, “Don’t be afraid. Even though you have committed all this evil, don’t turn away from following the Lord. Instead, worship the Lord with all your heart. 21Don’t turn away to follow worthless things that can’t profit or rescue you; they are worthless.
Read all of 1 Samuel 121 Samuel 12:19 word by word
וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ כָל־הָעָ֜ם אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל הִתְפַּלֵּ֧ל בְּעַד־עֲבָדֶ֛יךָ אֶל־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ וְאַל־נָמ֑וּת כִּֽי־יָסַ֤פְנוּ עַל־כָּל־חַטֹּאתֵ֙ינוּ֙ רָעָ֔ה לִשְׁאֹ֥ל לָ֖נוּ מֶֽלֶךְ׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלshemû'êl · SamuelH8050
- Prayפָּלַלpâlal · to prayH6419
- for thy servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- that we dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- not: for we have addedיָסַףyâsaph · to addH3254
- unto all our sinsחַטָּאתchaţţâ'âh chaţţâ'th · sinH2403
- evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
- to askשָׁאַלshâ'al shâ'êl · to askH7592
- us a kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 12:19
- 1 Samuel 7:5Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.”
- Genesis 20:7Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours.”
- Exodus 9:28Make an appeal to the Lord. There has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don’t need to stay any longer.”
- Exodus 10:17Please forgive my sin once more and make an appeal to the Lord your God, so that he will just take this death away from me.”
- Job 42:8Now take seven bulls and seven rams, go to my servant Job, and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. Then my servant Job will pray for you. I will surely accept his prayer and not deal with you as your folly deserves. For you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.”
- Psalms 78:34When he killed some of them, the rest began to seek him; they repented and searched for God.
- Isaiah 26:16Lord, they went to you in their distress; they poured out whispered prayers because your discipline fell on them.
- Malachi 1:9“And now plead for God’s favor. Will he be gracious to us? Since this has come from your hands, will he show any of you favor?” asks the Lord of Armies.
- Acts 8:24“Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon replied, “so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
- James 5:15The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
- 1 John 5:16If anyone sees a fellow believer committing a sin that doesn’t lead to death, he should ask, and God will give life to him — to those who commit sin that doesn’t lead to death. There is sin that leads to death. I am not saying he should pray about that.
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 12:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19Pray for thy servants - that we die not - As they knew they had rebelled against God, they saw that they had every thing to fear from his justice and power. We have added unto all our sins this evil - It is no sin to have a king; a good king is one of the greatest blessings of God's providence; but it is a sin to put a man in the place of God. Is it not strange that they did not now attempt to repair their fault? They might have done it, but they did not…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-25Verses 16-25 At Samuel's word, God sent thunder and rain, at a season of the year when, in that country, the like was not seen. This was to convince them they had done wickedly in asking a king; not only by its coming at an unusual time, in wheat harvest, and on a clear day, but by the prophet's giving notice of it before. He showed their folly in desiring a king to save them, rather than God, or Samuel; promising themselves more from an arm of flesh…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19The people asked Samuel to pray for them (see also 1 Samuel 7:8) instead of praying themselves, likely because they were not close to God (notice they say "your God" instead of "our God"). added to all our sins: Their sins included idol worship (1 Samuel 12:21; see study note on 1 Samuel 8:8).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-2517-25. Is it not wheat harvest to-day?--That season in Palestine occurs at the end of June or beginning of July, when it seldom or never rains, and the sky is serene and cloudless. There could not, therefore, have been a stronger or more appropriate proof of a divine mission than the phenomenon of rain and thunder happening, without any prognostics of its approach, upon the prediction of a person professing himself to be a prophet of the Lord, and giving…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 12:19
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Christian Standard Bible — © 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Commentaries