1 Samuel 8:15 kjv
And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
1 Samuel 8:15 nkjv
He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants.
1 Samuel 8:15 niv
He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants.
1 Samuel 8:15 esv
He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.
1 Samuel 8:15 nlt
He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants.
1 Samuel 8 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 27:30 | "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed... or of the fruit..." | God's tithe for holiness and sacred purposes. |
| Num 18:21 | "And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth..." | God's tithe for the Levites and priests. |
| Deut 14:22 | "You shall truly tithe all the increase of your seed, that the field brings forth..." | God's tithe for support of Levites, poor, and festival participation. |
| 1 Sam 8:11 | "And he said, This will be the custom of the king... He will take your sons..." | The broader warning about royal oppression and resource appropriation. |
| 1 Sam 8:14 | "He will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive yards..." | Direct parallel to this verse, detailing king's seizure of land and produce. |
| 1 Sam 8:17 | "He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants." | Expansion of the tithe to livestock, emphasizing subjugation. |
| 1 Sam 8:18 | "And you will cry out in that day because of your king..." | The predicted consequence and people's regret for choosing a human king. |
| Deut 17:14-17 | King must not multiply horses, wives, or silver and gold. | God's prescribed limits on a king, contrasted with Samuel's warning. |
| Hos 8:4 | "They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not..." | Divine displeasure at Israel's human-chosen kingship, echoing Samuel's warning. |
| Hos 13:10-11 | "I gave you a king in my anger, and took him away in my wrath." | God's ultimate permission and subsequent judgment of human monarchy. |
| 1 Kgs 12:4 | "Your father made our yoke grievous: now therefore lighten..." | Rehoboam's oppressive policies fulfilling Samuel's warning about heavy taxation. |
| 1 Kgs 12:14 | "My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke..." | Rehoboam's exacerbation of royal demands, leading to kingdom division. |
| 1 Kgs 4:7 | "And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals..." | Illustration of extensive royal administration and taxation for its support. |
| 2 Kgs 23:35 | "Jehoiakim... exacted the silver and the gold of the people..." | Example of a king levying oppressive taxes on the people. |
| Matt 22:21 | "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's..." | Principle of acknowledging civil authority's right to tribute, often contrasted with self-serving rule. |
| Rom 13:6-7 | "For for this cause pay you tribute also: for they are God's ministers..." | God's expectation for believers to respect legitimate governmental authority and taxation. |
| Gal 5:1 | "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free..." | Broader theme of spiritual freedom vs. bondage, contrasting earthly king's heavy yoke with Christ's light one. |
| Mic 7:3 | "That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asks, and the judge asks for a reward..." | Prophet criticizing corrupt officials and their unjust demands. |
| Prov 29:2 | "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." | The contrasting impact of just vs. unjust rule on the populace. |
1 Samuel 8 verses
1 Samuel 8 15 Meaning
The verse states that an earthly king, as described in Samuel’s warning, will take a significant portion—a tenth—of the produce from their agricultural endeavors, specifically their grain crops (seed) and their grape harvests (vineyards). This collected revenue will not be for the general welfare of the nation as prescribed by God's Law, but will be primarily allocated to maintain the king’s personal bureaucracy, including his officials and a vast retinue of servants. It portrays a system of taxation for the king's own sustenance and administrative needs, rather than for the community or spiritual purposes.
1 Samuel 8 15 Context
This verse is embedded within a pivotal moment in Israelite history as described in 1 Samuel chapter 8. The elders of Israel approached Samuel, demanding a king "like all the nations" to govern them, rejecting God's direct rule through judges and prophets. Samuel was distressed by their request, but the Lord assured him that their rejection was not of Samuel himself, but of God as their king. Subsequently, the Lord instructed Samuel to warn the people thoroughly about the nature and consequences of having such a king, detailing the oppressive "custom of the king" (mishpat ha-melech). Verses 11-18 delineate these burdensome aspects of monarchy, which include conscription for military and domestic service, confiscation of land and produce, and heavy taxation. Verse 15 specifically focuses on the economic burden of the king’s administrative structure and personal entourage. This warning serves as a prophetic insight into the inevitable burdens and abuses of power associated with an earthly monarchy that mimics Gentile nations, directly contrasting it with the ideal, benevolent rule of the invisible King, Yahweh, who demands devotion and worship, not personal enrichment for an earthly ruler.
1 Samuel 8 15 Word analysis
- And he will take (וְלָקַח - vĕlāqaḥ): The Hebrew verb means "to take," "to seize," or "to acquire." Here, it carries the strong connotation of extraction or appropriation by force or decree, rather than a voluntary offering. This is presented as an inherent characteristic of the king's rule.
- the tenth (מַעֲשַׂר - maʿăsar): This Hebrew term refers to "a tenth part" or "tithe." Unlike the divinely ordained tithe for the Levitical priesthood, tabernacle/temple maintenance, and the poor (e.g., Lev 27:30, Num 18:21, Deut 14:22), this "tenth" is specified as a levy by the king for his own ends. Scholars distinguish this as a royal tax, common in Ancient Near Eastern kingdoms, serving the king's personal and administrative needs. It signifies a significant economic burden transferred from communal, religious use to royal extravagance and bureaucracy.
- of your seed (זַרְעֲכֶם - zarʿăḵem): Refers to agricultural produce, specifically grain, crops planted for harvest. It highlights the primary economic basis of ancient Israelite society and the direct impact on their food supply and livelihood.
- and of your vineyards (וְכַרְמֵיכֶם - vĕkarmêḵem): "Vineyards" (kerem) represent another vital agricultural output in Israel, yielding grapes for wine and consumption. Mentioning both "seed" and "vineyards" covers the two main categories of cultivated land and their produce, indicating a comprehensive levy on all agricultural wealth.
- and give (וְנָתַן - vĕnātan): While literally meaning "and he will give," in this context it signifies the allocation or disbursement of the collected "tenth" by the king. It's not a selfless act but rather the redistribution of seized wealth for his internal needs.
- to his officers (לְסָרִיסָיו - lĕsārîsāw): The Hebrew "sārîs" (singular) can mean "eunuch" or, more broadly in a royal context, "officer" or "court official." In this verse, it indicates the high-ranking administrators and officials who would manage the king's affairs, justice, and army, and who would be sustained by the king’s resources. It points to the necessary cost of a centralized bureaucratic government.
- and to his servants (וְלַעֲבָדָיו - vĕlaʿăvādāw): The term "ʿeved" (singular) refers to "servants" or "slaves." Here, it signifies a broader category of royal attendants, laborers, guards, and anyone employed in service to the king's court. This phrase emphasizes the extensive human infrastructure required by an earthly monarch, all of whom would be supported by the taxed produce of the people.
- "take the tenth... and give to his officers and to his servants": This phrase emphasizes the transfer of resources from the general populace directly to the king's court and administrative machinery. It shows that the people’s toil would ultimately serve the king's growing retinue, reflecting a shift from a society where surplus resources supported the covenant community and the worship of God, to one where they would sustain an earthly ruler and his dependents. It highlights the financial burden and drain on the economy that such a monarchy would impose. This practice represents the king consolidating economic power, which was often a hallmark of secular rule "like all the nations," standing in stark contrast to God's vision for Israel.
1 Samuel 8 15 Bonus section
This warning by Samuel not only serves as a prediction but also as a polemic against the centralized, autocratic monarchies common in the surrounding pagan nations. In such kingdoms, the king was often seen as divine or divinely appointed to control all resources. Israel's unique identity under the Mosaic Covenant meant their primary allegiance and resource-giving (via tithes) were directed towards God. The "tenth" taken by the king in 1 Sam 8:15 is distinctly different from the tithes ordained by God in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The king's "tenth" represents a royal tax, a common form of extraction by kings in the Ancient Near East, symbolizing their control over their subjects’ livelihoods, rather than the religious tithe freely given for worship and the support of the divinely appointed Levitical system. The prophetic lament regarding "his officers" and "his servants" underscores the parasitic nature of such an administrative overhead, which primarily benefited the royal court rather than fostering societal equity or spiritual vitality, reflecting a significant shift from a theocentric to an anthropocentric societal structure.
1 Samuel 8 15 Commentary
This verse powerfully conveys a specific economic burden that the demanded earthly king would impose upon Israel. Unlike the benevolent governance of God, where tithes were for sacred purposes and the welfare of the needy, the human king would establish a compulsory "tenth" levy—a royal tax—on their fundamental agricultural production. This taxation was not primarily for national defense or public works, but pointedly for the personal enrichment and maintenance of the king’s burgeoning bureaucracy and large court. The king's officers and numerous servants signify the cost of state administration and privilege, funded directly from the common people's toil. Samuel's warning serves as a prophetic indictment against unchecked human power, revealing how quickly a desire for an earthly monarch "like other nations" would transform the divine-human covenantal relationship into one of burdensome obligation to a secular authority. It underscores the contrast between a free people under God and a subject people under a demanding ruler, setting the stage for later historical accounts of royal abuses and the cries of the people under heavy yokes, as exemplified by Rehoboam (1 Kgs 12).