Old Testament Commentary - 1 Samuel 8

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 8 Samuel's sons take bribes and pervert judgement—Israel seeks for a king to rule over them—Samuel rehearses the nature and evils of kingly rule—The Lord consents to give them a king.
1 And it came to pass, when ^aSamuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel^a; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beer-sheba. 3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took ^abribes, and perverted judgment.	2^a the name of his firstborn was Joel The name of the firstborn of the Prophet Samuel is variously give in the genealogies of the family of Samuel in 1 Chronicles 6:28 as Vashni and in 1 Chronicles 6:33 as Joel in agreement with what is recorded here in the book of Samuel. And though Joel was wicked in that he accepted bribes of the people while being their judge, his son Herman was made by King David to be the chief singer of the Levite family of the Kohathites (See 1 Chronicles 6:33).
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah^a, 5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons ^awalk not in thy ways: now make us a ^bking to judge us like all the nations. Samuel Ruled from Ramah It is significant not only that Samuel ruled Israel as their Chief Judge from Mount Ephraim, Ramah, but also that it was there at that site that Israel did reject being subject unto the LORD their true King. Judge Samuel, a Levite of the family of Ephraim being so name an Ephrathite, would do all that he could to attemp to keep Israel from falling into having a king and rejecting being ruled by their one true King, Jehovah, even Jesus Christ. Another Ephrathite name Elimelech, mean God is King, would be the rightful ancestor of the House of Ephraim to the promised Messiah, even Messiah ben Joseph and Messiah ben David. He would do this through his son Mahlon and Mahlon's wife Ruth. Though Mahlon died without having any children, it would be his Jewish kinsman who would act according to the Law of Moses and act to raise up seed to the dead house of Elimelech and Mahlon. Thus the House of David, though being of the bloodline of Judah through this vicarious surrogate performance unto the house of Elimelech and Mahlon, would in truth be of the House of Joseph, that legal and rightful seed and heir of the birthright of the firstborn of Israel through his true ancestor Ephraim and Joseph of Egypt (See Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph).	4^a came to Samuel unto Ramah Samuel was of that family group of Kohathites which were seated in the cities of Ephraim. His city and land was the same as that of Arimathaea relative to Joseph of Arimathaea. Ramah, which means hill or hills or 'hill country', is most likely a shortened form of the name of Ramathaim which is the same as being of mount Ephraim (See 1 Samuel 1:1). The over all great significance of Ramah being the hillcountry of mount Ephraim and the same place of the birth of Samuel named Ramathaim comes to light when it is prophesied by Jeremiah and later revealed by the Apostle Matthew in his Gospel, that it is Rachel who is the true mother of the House of David, being her that did weep for her children when King Herod had the children of the age of two and under murdered in his attempt to rid his kingdom of the promised Messiah Jesus Christ which the signs of the heavens pronouced (See Jeremiah 31:15 and Matthew 2:16-18). Samuel's Levite family assignment to Ramathaim of the tribe of Ephraim is why his family was given the label of beith Ephrathites, that is being of the family of Ephraim.
6 ¶ But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. 7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the ^avoice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have ^brejected me, that I should not ^creign over them. 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. 9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet ^aprotest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the ^bking that shall ^creign over them.
10 ¶ And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. 11 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. 12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ^aear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters to be ^aconfectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. 14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. 15 And he will take the ^atenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. 18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your ^aking which ye shall have ^bchosen you; and the LORD will not ^chear you in that day.
19 ¶ Nevertheless the people refused to ^aobey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; 20 That we also may be like all the ^anations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. 22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.