1 Samuel 8:3

1 Samuel 8:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
• New International Version (NIV)But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

Context of 1 Samuel 8:3

1Now it came about, when Samuel was old, that he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. 2The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba. His sons, however, did not walk in his ways but turned aside after dishonest gain, and they took bribes and perverted justice. 4Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; 5and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint us a king to judge us like all the nations.”

1 Samuel 8:3 word by word

וְלֹֽא־הָלְכ֤וּ בָנָיו֙ בִּדְרָכָ֔יו וַיִּטּ֖וּ אַחֲרֵ֣י הַבָּ֑צַע וַיִּ֨קְחוּ־שֹׁ֔חַד וַיַּטּ֖וּ מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ פRead the interlinear

• His sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• however, did not walkהָלַךְhâlak · to go: walkH1980
• in his waysדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
• but turnedנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• dishonestבֶּ֫צַעbetsa‛ · unjust-gainH1215
• tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• bribesשֹׁ֫חַדshachad · bribeH7810
• justiceמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 8:3

• 2 Samuel 15:4Moreover, Absalom would say, “Oh that someone would appoint me judge in the land, then every man who has a lawsuit or claim could come to me, and I would give him justice!”
• 1 Kings 12:6And King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?”
• 2 Kings 21:1Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hephzibah.
• Ecclesiastes 2:19And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is futility.
• Jeremiah 22:15Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar? Did your father not eat and drink And do justice and righteousness? Then it was well for him.
• Exodus 18:21Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
• Deuteronomy 16:19You shall not distort justice, you shall not show partiality; and you shall not accept a bribe, because a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and distorts the words of the righteous.
• Psalms 15:5He does not lend his money at interest, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. One who does these things will never be shaken.
• Psalms 26:10In whose hands is a wicked scheme, And whose right hand is full of bribes.
• Isaiah 33:15One who walks righteously and speaks with integrity, One who rejects unjust gain And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; One who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed And shuts his eyes from looking at evil;
• 1 Timothy 3:3not overindulging in wine, not a bully, but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money.
• 1 Timothy 6:10For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 8:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3His sons walked not in his ways - Their iniquity is pointed out in three words: They turned aside after lucre; the original (בצע batsa ) signifies to cut, clip, break off; and therefore Mr. Parkhurst thinks that it means nearly the same with our clipping of coin. It however expresses here the idea of avarice, of getting money by hook or by crook. The Targum says, "They looked after דשקר ממון mamon dishkar, the mammon of unrighteousness;" of which they did…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3his sons did not walk in his ways: They were more like Eli’s two sons (1 Samuel 2:12–17). Their corruption was a main reason the time of the judges ended.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-181Sa 8:1-18. Occasioned by the Ill- Government of Samuel's Sons, the Israelites Ask a King. 1-5. when Samuel was old--He was now about fifty-four years of age, having discharged the office of sole judge for twelve years. Unable, from growing infirmities, to prosecute his circuit journeys through the country, he at length confined his magisterial duties to Ramah and its neighborhood (1Sa 7:15), delegating to his sons as his deputies the administration of…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 8:3

• Abia
• Bribery
• Children
• Covetousness
• Judge
• Minister, Christian
• Rulers
• Samuel

In the dictionaries

• Manner
• Samuel, Books of
• Saul
• Sharpen
• Bribery
• Israel, History of
• Judah, Kingdom of
• Judges, Period of
• Lucre
• Samuel

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