1 Samuel 8:7

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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer.

Context of 1 Samuel 8:7

5They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” 6But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 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. 8As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 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.”

1 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 22:20That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”
• Psalms 81:11“But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me.
• Isaiah 66:4so I also will choose harsh treatment for them and will bring on them what they dread. For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.”
• Hosea 13:10Where is your king, that he may save you? Where are your rulers in all your towns, of whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes’?
• 1 Samuel 10:19But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your disasters and calamities. And you have said, ‘No, appoint a king over us.’ So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.”
• 1 Samuel 12:17Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call on the Lord to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king.”
• Exodus 16:8Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”
• Matthew 10:24“The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.
• Luke 10:16“Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
• Luke 19:14“But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’
• John 13:16Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
• John 15:20Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

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

• God
• Government
• Ingratitude
• Israel
• Samuel
• Theocracy

In the dictionaries

• Samuel
• King
• Manner
• Samuel, Books of
• Saul
• Sharpen
• Theocracy
• Army
• Israel, History of
• Judah, Kingdom of

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