1 Samuel 12:22 kjv
For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.
1 Samuel 12:22 nkjv
For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people.
1 Samuel 12:22 niv
For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own.
1 Samuel 12:22 esv
For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself.
1 Samuel 12:22 nlt
The LORD will not abandon his people, because that would dishonor his great name. For it has pleased the LORD to make you his very own people.
1 Samuel 12 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 4:31 | For the LORD your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon you... | God's mercy ensures He won't abandon them. |
| Deut 7:6-8 | For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you... | God's choice is based on His love, not their size. |
| Deut 9:5 | Not because of your righteousness... but for the word which the LORD swore to... | God's action based on His oath, not human merit. |
| Josh 23:14 | You know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word has failed... | God is faithful to His promises. |
| Ps 37:28 | For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints... | God preserves His faithful ones. |
| Ps 94:14 | For the LORD will not abandon His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance. | Assurance God will not desert His chosen. |
| Ps 100:3 | Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves... | God's sovereign creation and ownership. |
| Ps 105:8-10 | He has remembered His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations... | God remembers and upholds His covenant. |
| Ps 106:44-45 | Nevertheless He regarded their distress... and remembered His covenant for them... | God's mercy despite Israel's unfaithfulness. |
| Is 41:8-10 | But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen... Do not fear... | God's personal selection and assurance. |
| Is 43:21 | The people whom I formed for Myself Will proclaim My praise. | God created them for His own glory. |
| Is 49:15-16 | Can a woman forget her nursing child... Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. | God's remembrance is more steadfast than a mother's. |
| Jer 31:3 | The LORD appeared to me from afar, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love..." | God's eternal and unconditional love. |
| Ez 36:22-23 | Not for your sake... but for My holy name's sake... | God acts to vindicate His name, not for human merit. |
| Rom 3:3-4 | What then? If some did not believe, will their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God? | God remains faithful despite human unfaithfulness. |
| Rom 9:11 | ...the children not yet born, nor having done anything good or bad, in order that God’s purpose according to election might stand... | God's election is based on His purpose, not human works. |
| Rom 11:1-2 | I ask then, God has not rejected His people, has He? Far from it! ... | God has not utterly cast away Israel. |
| Rom 11:29 | For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. | God's call and gifts to Israel are permanent. |
| Heb 13:5 | ...He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you." | God's promise not to abandon believers. |
| 2 Tim 2:13 | If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. | God's faithfulness is linked to His unchanging character. |
1 Samuel 12 verses
1 Samuel 12 22 Meaning
This verse encapsulates a profound truth about God's steadfast character and covenant faithfulness. It assures Israel that despite their sin of demanding a king, the Lord's commitment to them remains unwavering. His loyalty is rooted in His own great name and sovereign good pleasure, not in their worthiness or performance. He will uphold His relationship with them because He chose them and committed to them by His own will, demonstrating that His covenant is unconditional and His promises secure.
1 Samuel 12 22 Context
1 Samuel 12:22 is part of Samuel's farewell address to the nation of Israel, delivered after they have successfully demanded a king (Saul) and Samuel has anointed him. This speech is a pivotal moment marking Israel's transition from a theocracy led by judges to a monarchy. Samuel passionately recounts God's faithfulness from the Exodus onward, contrasting it with Israel's repeated rebellion, culminating in their request for a human king "like all the nations." He emphasizes that while God has granted their request for a king, this does not nullify His own kingship over them, nor His covenant with them. The verse specifically serves as a powerful assurance given by Samuel immediately after warning them of dire consequences should they forsake the Lord. It reassures them that despite their past and present failures, God's underlying commitment to His covenant people is unchangeable, provided they genuinely turn to Him.
1 Samuel 12 22 Word analysis
- For the LORD: Refers to
Yahweh(YHWH), the personal covenant name of God, emphasizing His steadfast, self-existent, and active nature within His covenant relationship with Israel. It signifies His absolute authority and unchanging character as the One who makes and keeps promises. - will not forsake: From the Hebrew
lo-yitosh(לֹא יִטּשׁ). The negative particlelo("not") coupled with the verbnatash("to forsake," "abandon," "cast off," "let go"). This is a strong, emphatic negation, asserting God's absolute and unwavering loyalty. It implies a perpetual commitment, ruling out any possibility of abandonment. - His people:
amow(עַמּוֹ). Refers to Israel, designated as God's chosen and cherished possession, underscoring their unique relationship and status within the covenant established at Sinai. The possessive "His" signifies God's special claim and care for them. - for His great name's sake:
lema'an shmo hagadol(לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל). This phrase signifies that God's actions are driven by the preservation of His own reputation, honor, and character. His Name represents His essence, power, and glory. If He were to abandon Israel, it would discredit His Name in the eyes of other nations, implying a failure in His power or commitment. Therefore, His faithfulness is a manifestation of His very being and integrity. - because it has pleased the LORD:
kiy ho'iyl Yahweh(כִּי הוֹאִיל יְהוָה). The Hebrew verbho'ilcan mean "to be willing," "to consent," "to resolve," or "to determine." It conveys the idea of a deliberate, sovereign, and gracious act of God's free will. This points to the purely gratuitous nature of God's choice—it was not compelled by Israel's merit but arose solely from God's good pleasure. - to make you His people:
lasum 'etkhem lo le'am(לָשׂוּם אֶתְכֶם לוֹ לְעָם). The phrase "to make you" signifies a deliberate act of divine election and establishment. God proactively took the initiative to set Israel apart and constitute them as His unique covenant community. This was a sovereign declaration, not a result of human earning, foundational to their identity and relationship with Him.
1 Samuel 12 22 Bonus section
The profound assurance in this verse is a pivotal element of Deuteronomic theology, emphasizing that God's covenant with Israel, though often tested by their unfaithfulness, possesses an enduring, gracious core. It suggests a tension between the conditional aspects of the Mosaic covenant (blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience) and the unconditional aspects of the Abrahamic covenant, which promised a people, land, and blessing based solely on God's initiative. Samuel, by reiterating this foundational truth, offers Israel a basis for hope and repentance, indicating that God's purpose for them is ultimately for His glory and their good. This enduring commitment is not a license for sin, but a foundation for renewed obedience from a heart assured of divine loyalty. It forms the theological basis for the preservation of Israel through all subsequent trials, including exile.
1 Samuel 12 22 Commentary
1 Samuel 12:22 is a beacon of hope and a profound theological statement within Samuel's challenging address. It reveals the unwavering consistency of God's nature and covenant purpose despite human waywardness. God's faithfulness is presented as inherent to who He is, rooted not in Israel's conditional obedience, but in His eternal commitment to His "great name." This means His honor and reputation are intricately tied to His relationship with Israel. Their existence and redemption glorify Him. Furthermore, the phrase "because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people" highlights the unilateral, sovereign grace of God's initial choice. Their status as His people was by divine initiative, a gracious act that He will sustain out of His own goodwill. This verse underscores that while disobedience brings consequences, God's ultimate fidelity to His promises and His people remains the ultimate truth upon which they can rely, prompting them to repent and return to Him in trust and service.