1 Samuel 12:20

1 Samuel 12:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart;
• New International Version (NIV)“Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.

Context of 1 Samuel 12:20

18So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. 19Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants, so that we do not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, by asking for ourselves a king.” Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21Indeed, you must not turn aside, for then you would go after useless things which cannot benefit or save, because they are useless. 22For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.

1 Samuel 12:20 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֤ל אֶל־הָעָם֙ אַל־תִּירָ֔אוּ אַתֶּ֣ם עֲשִׂיתֶ֔ם אֵ֥ת כָּל־הָרָעָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את אַ֗ךְ אַל־תָּס֙וּרוּ֙ מֵאַחֲרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וַעֲבַדְתֶּ֥ם אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה בְּכָל־לְבַבְכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

• Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלshemû'êl · SamuelH8050
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• Do not fearיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
• You have committedעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• thisזֶהzeh · thisH2088
• yetאַךְ'ak · surelyH389
• do not turnסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: turn asideH5493
• asideסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: turn asideH5493
• from followingאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• but serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
• your heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 12:20

• Exodus 20:19Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but do not have God speak to us, or we will die!”
• 1 Peter 3:16and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who disparage your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.
• Deuteronomy 11:16Beware that your hearts are not easily deceived, and that you do not turn away and serve other gods, and worship them.
• Deuteronomy 31:29For I know that after my death you will behave very corruptly and turn from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will confront you in the latter days, because you will do that which is evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger with the work of your hands.”
• Joshua 23:6Be very determined, then, to keep and do everything that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, so that you will not turn aside from it to the right or to the left,
• Psalms 40:4How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who become involved in falsehood.
• Psalms 101:3I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.
• Psalms 125:5But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways, The Lord will lead them away with those who practice injustice. Peace be upon Israel.
• Jeremiah 3:1God says, “If a husband divorces his wife And she leaves him And becomes another man’s wife, Will he return to her again? Would that land not be completely defiled? But you are a prostitute with many lovers; Yet you turn to Me,” declares the Lord.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 12:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Ye have done all this wickedness - That is, although ye have done all this wickedness: what was past God would pass by, provided they would be obedient in future.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. 6-25In 1 Samuel 12:1–5, Samuel examined himself and was found innocent. In 1 Samuel 12:6–25, he examined the nation and found it guilty.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 12:20

• Decision
• Repentance

In the dictionaries

• Samuel
• Reason
• Samuel, Books of
• Judges, Period of
• Samuel, Books of

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