1 Samuel 12:12

1 Samuel 12:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the Lord your God was your king.
• New International Version (NIV)“But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’—even though the Lord your God was your king.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us,' when the Lord your God was your king.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king.

Context of 1 Samuel 12:12

10And they cried unto Yhwh, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken Yhwh, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee. 11And Yhwh sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe. And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when Yhwh your God was your king. 13Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! And, behold, Yhwh hath set a king over you. 14If ye will fear Yhwh, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of Yhwh, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following Yhwh your God:

1 Samuel 12:12 word by word

וַתִּרְא֗וּ כִּֽי־נָחָ֞שׁ מֶ֣לֶךְ בְּנֵֽי־עַמּוֹן֮ בָּ֣א עֲלֵיכֶם֒ וַתֹּ֣אמְרוּ לִ֔י לֹ֕א כִּי־מֶ֖לֶךְ יִמְלֹ֣ךְ עָלֵ֑ינוּ וַיהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם מַלְכְּכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

• And when ye sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• that Nahashנָחָשׁnâchâsh · NahashH5176
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Ammonעַמּוֹן‛ammôn · AmmonH5983
• cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• against you, ye saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• shall reignמָלַךְmâlak · to reignH4427
• over us: when Yhwhיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 12:12

• 1 Samuel 11:1Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh–gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.
• 1 Samuel 8:3And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
• Judges 9:18And ye are risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)
• 1 Samuel 8:7And Yhwh 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.
• 1 Samuel 10:19And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before Yhwh by your tribes, and by your thousands.
• Genesis 17:7And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
• Exodus 19:5Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
• Numbers 23:21He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: Yhwh his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
• Judges 8:23And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: Yhwh shall rule over you.
• Psalms 74:12For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
• Isaiah 33:22For Yhwh is our judge, Yhwh is our lawgiver, Yhwh is our king; he will save us.
• Hosea 13:10I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 12:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12When ye saw that Nahash - This was not the first time they had demanded a king; see before, 1 Samuel 8:5. But at the crisis mentioned here they became more importunate; and it was in consequence of this that the kingdom was a second time confirmed to Saul. Saul was elected at Mizpeh, he was confirmed at Gilgal.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-15Verses 6-15 The work of ministers is to reason with people; not only to exhort and direct, but to persuade, to convince men's judgments, and so to gain their wills and affections. Samuel reasons of the righteous acts of the Lord. Those who follow God faithfully, he will enable to continue following him. Disobedience would certainly be the ruin of Israel. We mistake if we think that we can escape God's justice, by trying to shake off his dominion. If we…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12when you saw that Nahash … was moving against you: Israel's trouble with Nahash likely started before the events described in 1 Samuel 11:1–11 (see 8:5, 20; 10:27).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-167-16. Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you--The burden of this faithful and uncompromising address was to show them, that though they had obtained the change of government they had so importunely desired, their conduct was highly displeasing to their heavenly King; nevertheless, if they remained faithful to Him and to the principles of the theocracy, they might be delivered from many of the evils to which the new state of things would…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 12:12

• Theocracy

In the dictionaries

• Ammon
• God
• Ammon; Ammonites
• Ammon, Ammonite
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Reason
• Samuel, Books of
• Judah, Kingdom of
• Judges, Period of
• Reign

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