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.
• New International Version (NIV)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.
• 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.

Context of 1 Samuel 8:11

9Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.” 10So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king. “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. 12Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. 13The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him.

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 10:25Then Samuel told the people what the rights and duties of a king were. He wrote them down on a scroll and placed it before the Lord. Then Samuel sent the people home again.
• Deuteronomy 17:14“You are about to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you take it over and settle there, you may think, ‘We should select a king to rule over us like the other nations around us.’
• 1 Samuel 14:52The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul’s lifetime. So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army.
• 1 Kings 9:22But Solomon did not conscript any of the Israelites for forced labor. Instead, he assigned them to serve as fighting men, government officials, officers and captains in his army, commanders of his chariots, and charioteers.
• 1 Kings 10:26Solomon built up a huge force of chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities and some near him in Jerusalem.
• 1 Kings 12:4“Your father was a hard master,” they said. “Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us. Then we will be your loyal subjects.”
• 2 Chronicles 26:10He also constructed forts in the wilderness and dug many water cisterns, because he kept great herds of livestock in the foothills of Judah and on the plains. He was also a man who loved the soil. He had many workers who cared for his farms and vineyards, both on the hillsides and in the fertile valleys.
• 2 Samuel 15:1After this, Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards to run ahead of him.
• 1 Kings 1:5About that time David’s son Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, began boasting, “I will make myself king.” So he provided himself with chariots and charioteers and recruited fifty men to run in front of him.
• 1 Kings 18:46Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of 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