1 Samuel 8:11

1 Samuel 8:11 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He said, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And he said, “This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots.

Context of 1 Samuel 8:11

9Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” 10Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.

1 Samuel 8:11 word by word

וַיֹּ֕אמֶר זֶ֗ה יִֽהְיֶה֙ מִשְׁפַּ֣ט הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִמְלֹ֖ךְ עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם יִקָּ֗ח וְשָׂ֥ם לוֹ֙ בְּמֶרְכַּבְתּ֣וֹ וּבְפָרָשָׁ֔יו וְרָצ֖וּ לִפְנֵ֥י מֶרְכַּבְתּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• This will be the mannerמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: customH4941
• of the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• that shall reignמָלַךְmâlak · to reignH4427
• over you: He will takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• your sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• and appointשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: appointH7760
• for himself, for his chariotsמֶרְכָּבָהmerkâbâh · chariotH4818
• his horsemenפָּרָשׁpârâsh · horseH6571
• shall runרוּץrûts · to run: runH7323
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 8:11

• 1 Samuel 10:25Samuel explained to the people the rights and duties of kingship. He wrote them down on a scroll and deposited it before the Lord. Then Samuel dismissed the people to go to their own homes.
• Deuteronomy 17:14When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,”
• 1 Samuel 14:52All the days of Saul there was bitter war with the Philistines, and whenever Saul saw a mighty or brave man, he took him into his service.
• 1 Kings 9:22But Solomon did not make slaves of any of the Israelites; they were his fighting men, his government officials, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and charioteers.
• 1 Kings 10:26Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.
• 1 Kings 12:4“Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
• 2 Chronicles 26:10He also built towers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain. He had people working his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil.
• 2 Samuel 15:1In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him.
• 1 Kings 1:5Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him.
• 1 Kings 18:46The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 8:11

• 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. 11The people wanted a king to lead them, but Samuel warned that the king would control them. They asked for a leader but got a ruler.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. This will be the manner of the king--The following is a very just and graphic picture of the despotic governments which anciently and still are found in the East, and into conformity with which the Hebrew monarchy, notwithstanding the restrictions prescribed by the law, gradually slid. He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself--Oriental sovereigns claim a right to the services of any of their subjects at pleasure. some shall run before his…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 8:11

• Footman
• Government
• Israel
• Monarchy
• Rulers
• Samuel

In the dictionaries

• Manner
• Samuel, Books of
• Saul
• Sharpen
• Taxes
• Appoint
• Army
• Games
• Israel, History of
• Jotham

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