1 Samuel 8:20

1 Samuel 8:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
• New International Version (NIV)Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles."
• New King James Version (NKJV)that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

Context of 1 Samuel 8:20

18“When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king whom you have chosen for yourselves. The Lord will not answer you when that day comes.” 19But the people refused to listen to Samuel. They said, “No, we want a king! Then we, too, will be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us, lead us out ⌞to war⌟, and fight our battles.” 21When Samuel heard everything the people had to say, he reported it privately to the Lord. 22The Lord told him, “Listen to them, and give them a king.” Then Samuel told the people of Israel, “Go ⌞back⌟ to your own cities.”

1 Samuel 8:20 word by word

וְהָיִ֥ינוּ גַם־אֲנַ֖חְנוּ כְּכָל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם וּשְׁפָטָ֤נוּ מַלְכֵּ֙נוּ֙ וְיָצָ֣א לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ וְנִלְחַ֖ם אֶת־מִלְחֲמֹתֵֽנוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• That we also may be like all the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• and that our kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• may judgeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
• us, and go outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• us, and fightלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898
• our battlesמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 8:20

• 1 Samuel 8:5They told him, “You’re old, and your sons aren’t following your example. Now appoint a king to judge us so that we will be like all the other nations.”
• Exodus 33:16How will anyone ever know you’re pleased with your people and me unless you go with us? Then we will be different from all other people on the face of the earth.”
• Leviticus 20:24I have told you that you will take their land. I will give it to you as your own. It is a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God who separated you from other people.
• Numbers 23:9I see them from the top of rocky cliffs, I look at them from the hills. I see a nation that lives by itself, people who do not consider themselves to be like other nations.
• Deuteronomy 7:6You are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. He chose you to be his own special possession out of all the nations on earth.
• Psalms 106:35Instead, they intermarried with other nations. They learned to do what other nations did,
• John 15:19If you had anything in common with the world, the world would love you as one of its own. But you don’t have anything in common with the world. I chose you from the world, and that’s why the world hates you.
• Romans 12:12Be happy in your confidence, be patient in trouble, and pray continually.
• 2 Corinthians 6:17The Lord says, “Get away from unbelievers. Separate yourselves from them. Have nothing to do with anything unclean. Then I will welcome you.”
• Philippians 3:20We, however, are citizens of heaven. We look forward to the Lord Jesus Christ coming from heaven as our Savior.
• 1 Peter 2:9However, you are chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, people who belong to God. You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 8:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20May judge us - This appears to be a rejection of Samuel. Go out before us - Be in every respect our head and governor. And fight our battles - Be the general of our armies.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Fight our battles - It appears from 1 Samuel 12:12, that the warlike movements of Nahash had already begun to excite alarm.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-22Verses 10-22 If they would have a king to rule them, as the eastern kings ruled their subjects, they would find the yoke exceedingly heavy. Those that submit to the government of the world and the flesh, are told plainly, what hard masters they are, and what tyranny the dominion of sin is. The law of God and the manner of men widely differ from each other; the former should be our rule in the several relations of life; the latter should be the measure of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20God had set Israel apart from other nations (Leviticus 20:26; Numbers 23:9). By wanting a king and wishing to be like other nations, they were rejecting God's plan (see 1 Samuel 8:5–7; compare Deuteronomy 17:14). to judge us, to go out before us, and to fight our battles.”: Kings had three main roles: waging wars, both offensive and defensive, enforcing laws, and ensuring economic stability.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-2219-22. Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel--They sneered at Samuel's description as a bugbear to frighten them. Determined, at all hazards, to gain their object, they insisted on being made like all the other nations, though it was their glory and happiness to be unlike other nations in having the Lord for their King and Lawgiver (Nu 23:9; De 33:28). Their demand was conceded, for the government of a king had been provided for in…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 8:20

• Government
• Israel
• Samuel
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• Manner
• Samuel
• Samuel, Books of
• Saul
• Sharpen
• Army
• Israel, History of
• Judah, Kingdom of
• Judges, Period of
• Judging Judgment

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