Christian Standard Bible
1 Samuel 8:7
7But the Lord told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king.
1 Samuel 8:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
- New International Version (NIV)And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the Lord said to Samuel, "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.
Context of 1 Samuel 8:7
5They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.” 6When they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” Samuel considered their demand wrong, so he prayed to the Lord. But the Lord told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king. 8They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to me, since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning me and worshiping other gods. 9Listen to them, but solemnly warn them and tell them about the customary rights of the king who will reign over them.”
Read all of 1 Samuel 81 Samuel 8:7 word by word
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל שְׁמַע֙ בְּק֣וֹל הָעָ֔ם לְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמְר֖וּ אֵלֶ֑יךָ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א אֹֽתְךָ֙ מָאָ֔סוּ כִּֽי־אֹתִ֥י מָאֲס֖וּ מִמְּלֹ֥ךְ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלshemû'êl · SamuelH8050
- Hearkenשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: obeyH8085
- unto the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
- of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- unto thee: for they have not rejectedמָאַסmâ'as · to rejectH3988
- me, that I should not reignמָלַךְmâlak · to reignH4427
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 8:7
- Numbers 22:20God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “Since these men have come to summon you, get up and go with them, but you must only do what I tell you.”
- Psalms 81:11“But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel did not obey me.
- Isaiah 66:4So I will choose their punishment, and I will bring on them what they dread because I called and no one answered; I spoke and they did not listen; they did what was evil in my sight and chose what I did not delight in.
- Hosea 13:10Where now is your king, that he may save you in all your cities, and the rulers you demanded, saying, “Give me a king and leaders”?
- 1 Samuel 10:19But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions. You said to him, ‘You must set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.”
- 1 Samuel 12:17Isn’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.”
- Exodus 16:8Moses continued, “The Lord will give you meat to eat this evening and all the bread you want in the morning, for he has heard the complaints that you are raising against him. Who are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord.”
- Matthew 10:24A disciple is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master.
- Luke 10:16Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
- Luke 19:14“But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to rule over us.’
- John 13:16“Truly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him.
- John 15:20Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 8:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7They have rejected me - They wish to put that government in the hands of a mortal, which was always in the hands of their God. But hearken unto their voice - grant them what they request. So we find God grants that in his displeasure which he withholds in his mercy.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-9Verses 4-9 Samuel was displeased; he could patiently bear what reflected on himself, and his own family; but it displeased him when they said, Give us a king to judge us, because that reflected upon God. It drove him to his knees. When any thing disturbs us, it is our interest, as well as our duty, to show our trouble before God. Samuel is to tell them that they shall have a king. Not that God was pleased with their request, but as sometimes he opposes us…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7Listen to the voice of the people: God rarely told a prophet to listen to the misguided people. The people's desires and God's will would align with King David (see 2 Samuel 7:8–17). they have rejected Me: By rejecting judges, they were actually rejecting God's rule and authority (see also 1 Samuel 12:1–17).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-106-10. the thing displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to judge us--Personal and family feelings might affect his views of this public movement. But his dissatisfaction arose principally from the proposed change being revolutionary in its character. Though it would not entirely subvert their theocratic government, the appointment of a visible monarch would necessarily tend to throw out of view their unseen King and Head. God intimated, through…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 8:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 8
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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