1 Samuel 8:17 kjv
He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
1 Samuel 8:17 nkjv
He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants.
1 Samuel 8:17 niv
He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.
1 Samuel 8:17 esv
He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.
1 Samuel 8:17 nlt
He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves.
1 Samuel 8 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 47:24 | "...you shall give a fifth of it to Pharaoh, and four-fifths shall be... " | Pharaoh's taxation on the land, foreshadowing a king's demands. |
| Lev 27:30 | "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or... " | God's prescribed tithe was holy to Him. |
| Num 18:21 | "And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel... " | Tithes were for the support of the Levites and the temple. |
| Deut 12:6 | "...and your tithes... " | Instruction to bring tithes to God’s chosen place. |
| Deut 14:22 | "Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed... " | Command for annual tithing, contrasting with a king's appropriation. |
| Deut 17:16-17 | "But he shall not multiply horses to himself... neither shall he multiply... " | Warnings against a king accumulating power and wealth at the people's expense. |
| 1 Sam 8:11-16 | "And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign... " | The broader list of oppressions, 1 Sam 8:17 is a summary point. |
| 1 Sam 10:19 | "And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out... " | Israel rejected God as King by asking for a human one. |
| 1 Sam 12:17-18 | "...when ye asked you a king. " | Samuel reiterates that asking for a king was great wickedness. |
| 1 Kgs 12:4 | "Thy father made our yoke grievous... " | Rehoboam's oppressive taxation and labor, fulfilling Samuel's warning. |
| 2 Chr 10:11 | "...my little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. " | Rehoboam threatens even harsher burdens. |
| Neh 9:37 | "And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us... " | Later Israelite servitude to foreign kings due to disobedience. |
| Prov 29:2 | "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the... " | Contrast between righteous and wicked rule; an oppressive king brings groaning. |
| Isa 33:22 | "For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our King; " | Yahweh as the true, righteous King, in contrast to earthly kings. |
| Jer 17:5 | "Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man... " | Warns against trusting in human strength or leaders over God. |
| Hos 13:11 | "I gave them a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath. " | God’s response to Israel’s desire for a king. |
| Zech 9:9 | "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion... thy King cometh unto thee... " | Prophecy of Messiah, a different kind of King who comes humbly, not oppressively. |
| Matt 20:25-26 | "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of... " | Jesus contrasts the oppressive rule of Gentile kings with humble servant leadership. |
| John 18:36 | "Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of... " | Jesus clarifies the nature of His heavenly kingdom, distinct from earthly powers. |
| Acts 13:21 | "And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son... " | God's reluctant allowance of a human king in response to Israel's demand. |
| Phil 2:7 | "But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant," | Christ’s humble servanthood contrasts sharply with earthly kings' self-serving ways. |
| Rom 13:1 | "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers... " | Paul’s instruction on submitting to governing authorities, despite potential abuse. |
1 Samuel 8 verses
1 Samuel 8 17 Meaning
The verse, delivered by Samuel as a warning from the Lord, outlines the oppressive consequences of having an earthly king. Specifically, it reveals that a human king will arbitrarily levy a substantial tax by taking a tenth of the people's livestock, a practice typically reserved for God’s sacred purposes. Furthermore, it prophesies that the people, who were once free under God's direct rule, will become subjects and effectively servants (or even slaves) to their human monarch, highlighting a fundamental loss of their covenant liberty.
1 Samuel 8 17 Context
First Samuel chapter 8 records the elders of Israel approaching Samuel with a demand for a king to judge them "like all the nations." This request stemmed from their disillusionment with Samuel's corrupt sons, who were serving as judges, and a desire for stability and military leadership, typical of surrounding pagan nations. This was a profound rejection of God's direct rule (theocracy) over them, established through His covenant with Abraham and confirmed at Sinai. In response, God instructed Samuel to warn the people fully about the oppressive nature of the monarchy they sought. Verse 17 is a specific part of Samuel's detailed enumeration of the king's oppressive "rights" or customs (Hebrew: mishpat ha-melekh), which included forced conscription, seizure of lands and produce, and heavy taxation, culminating in their reduced status from free subjects of God to virtual servants of a human ruler. Historically, Near Eastern monarchies were indeed characterized by autocratic rule, heavy taxation, and state control over resources, providing a cultural context for the specific warnings Samuel delivered.
1 Samuel 8 17 Word analysis
- And he will take (וְלָקַח - ve-laqakh): The Hebrew verb laqakh means "to take," "to seize," or "to acquire." Here, combined with the context of a warning about a king, it implies forced appropriation rather than a rightful request. It highlights the coercive nature of the human monarch’s actions, contrasting sharply with God's giving nature and His requirements for voluntary tithes.
- the tenth (מַעֲשֵׂר - ma'aser): This is the exact Hebrew term for "tithe." In Israel, the tithe was a sacred portion, belonging to God, primarily for the support of the Levitical priests and for the poor, a symbol of covenant loyalty and acknowledgment of God as the true owner of all blessings. The king taking a tithe, particularly of their flock, represents a usurpation of what belongs to God. It indicates not only a heavy tax but also a religious appropriation, challenging the very foundation of their faith and placing the king in God’s rightful place as the primary beneficiary of Israel's increase. This foreshadows that a human king will effectively 'tax' the divine privilege for personal gain and state apparatus.
- of your flock (צֹאן - tso'n): This term refers to "sheep" and "goats," symbolizing a primary form of wealth and sustenance in an agricultural and pastoral society. Taking a tenth of the flock represents a significant economic burden, impacting livelihoods directly and demonstrating the king’s extensive power over the people’s personal property and economic output.
- and ye shall be his servants (וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ־לוֹ לַעֲבָדִים - ve-attem tihyu-lo la'avadim): This phrase denotes a critical shift in status. Avadim (servants/slaves) carries the connotation of forced servitude or political subservience. The Israelites had been liberated by God from literal slavery in Egypt (Exod 20:2) and were commanded to remember they were God's servants (Lev 25:42). This warning predicts a return to a state of subjugation under a human ruler, exchanging divine freedom for human tyranny, highlighting the bitter irony of their desire for a king "like all the nations." This means they would not be truly free and beholden to God, but rather perpetually in servitude to a human master.
Words-group analysis
- "he will take the tenth of your flock": This phrase details the king's economic oppression. It specifically uses religious language ("the tenth" or "tithe") to describe secular, burdensome taxation, implying that the king will seize a significant portion of their productive wealth for his own benefit, in direct violation of the sanctity and purpose of the tithe which belonged to Yahweh. It forecasts systematic expropriation for the king's administration, military, and personal luxury.
- "and ye shall be his servants": This expression describes the political and personal cost of choosing a human king over divine rule. It represents a profound loss of autonomy and spiritual identity. The Israelites, meant to be servants of God alone, would find themselves reduced to servants of a human king, subject to his whims and dictates, ultimately diminishing their covenant relationship with God and replicating a form of the bondage from which God had originally freed them.
1 Samuel 8 17 Bonus section
The prophetic warning in 1 Samuel 8:10-18, including verse 17, is not merely a description of what a king might do but a declaration of the consequences of rejecting God's unique kingly authority for an earthly one. It stands as a theological commentary on human government, emphasizing its potential for corruption and self-interest when not subordinated to God's will. The irony lies in Israel seeking relief from the partial corruption of judges by embracing a system that God warned would lead to greater, institutionalized oppression. This passage profoundly influences later prophetic literature's critique of oppressive kings in Israel and Judah, seeing their tyranny as a direct fulfillment of Samuel’s warning, such as King Solomon's forced labor (1 Kgs 5:13) and King Rehoboam's harsh rule (1 Kgs 12). This verse implicitly critiques not just ancient monarchy but any human system of governance that places itself above God's law and encroaches upon the freedom and resources of its subjects.
1 Samuel 8 17 Commentary
1 Samuel 8:17 encapsulates God's prophetic warning to Israel regarding their request for an earthly king, emphasizing two key burdens: excessive taxation and a loss of personal freedom. The king’s appropriation of the "tenth" of their flock directly infringes upon the sacred tithing system, symbolizing the king's usurpation of divine prerogative and highlighting a fundamental misdirection of worship and resources. The pronouncement that "ye shall be his servants" underscores a severe forfeiture of the covenant liberty that Israel enjoyed under God's direct governance. This prophetic word illustrates that while human monarchy might appear to offer security and emulate the "strength" of other nations, it inherently carries the danger of leading to oppression and diverting allegiance from God. It highlights that trusting in human institutions above divine guidance invariably results in forms of servitude, whether economic or personal. The people desired conformity to the world, but such conformity promised oppression rather than the freedom and blessing of God's distinct rule.