2 and now, lo, the king is walking habitually before you, and I have become aged and gray-headed, and my sons, lo, they `are' with you, and I have walked habitually before you from my youth till this day.
and say unto him, `Lo, thou hast become aged, and thy sons have not walked in thy ways; now, appoint to us a king, to judge us, like all the nations.'
And it cometh to pass, when Samuel `is' aged, that he maketh his sons judges over Israel.
who goeth out before them, and who cometh in before them, and who taketh them out, and who bringeth them in, and the company of Jehovah is not as sheep which have no shepherd.'
And Samuel groweth up, and Jehovah hath been with him, and hath not let fall any of his words to the earth; and all Israel know, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, that Samuel is established for a prophet to Jehovah.
And Eli `is' very old, and hath heard all that his sons do to all Israel, and how that they lie with the women who are assembling `at' the opening of the tent of meeting,
Why do ye kick at My sacrifice, and at Mine offering which I commanded `in' My habitation, and dost honour thy sons above Me, to make yourselves fat from the first part of every offering of Israel, of My people?
And Eli calleth Samuel, and saith, `Samuel, my son;' and he saith, `Here `am' I.'
And also unto old age and grey hairs, O God, forsake me not, Till I declare Thy strength to a generation, To every one that cometh Thy might.
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:-