20 Then Samuel said to the people, Have no fear: truly you have done evil, but do not be turned away from the Lord; be his servants with all your heart;
But take care that your hearts are not turned to false ways so that you become servants and worshippers of other gods;
And they said to Moses, To your words we will give ear, but let not the voice of God come to our ears, for fear death may come on us. And Moses said to the people, Have no fear: for God has come to put you to the test, so that fearing him you may be kept from sin.
For I am certain that after my death you will give yourselves up to sin, wandering from the way which I have given you; and evil will overtake you in the end, because you will do evil in the eyes of the Lord, moving him to wrath by the work of your hands.
So be very strong to keep and do whatever is recorded in the book of the law of Moses, not turning away from it to the right or to the left;
Happy is the man who has faith in the Lord, and does not give honour to the men of pride or to those who are turned away to deceit.
But as for such as are turned out of the straight way, the Lord will take them away with the workers of evil. Let peace be on Israel.
They say, If a man puts away his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man's, will he go back to her again? will not that land have been made unclean? but though you have been acting like a loose woman with a number of lovers, will you now come back to me? says the Lord.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Samuel 12
Commentary on 1 Samuel 12 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 12
We left the general assembly of the states together, in the close of the foregoing chapter; in this chapter we have Samuel's speech to them, when he resigned the government into the hands of Saul, in which,
1Sa 12:1-5
Here,
1Sa 12:6-15
Samuel, having sufficiently secured his own reputation, instead of upbraiding the people upon it with their unkindness to him, sets himself to instruct them, and keep them in the way of their duty, and then the change of the government would be the less damage to them.
1Sa 12:16-25
Two things Samuel here aims at:-