1 Samuel 8:5 kjv
And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
1 Samuel 8:5 nkjv
and said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."
1 Samuel 8:5 niv
They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have."
1 Samuel 8:5 esv
and said to him, "Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations."
1 Samuel 8:5 nlt
"Look," they told him, "you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have."
1 Samuel 8 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference ||------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|| Deut 17:14 | "When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee... and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like all the nations..." | Prophecy of Israel's future kingly desire; warnings. || Deut 17:15 | "Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose..." | God's specific requirements for a king for Israel. || 1 Sam 8:6 | "But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us..." | Samuel's immediate negative reaction to the people's demand. || 1 Sam 8:7 | "And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people... for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me..." | God reveals the underlying spiritual rejection. || 1 Sam 12:12| "when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us..." | Recalls their demand stemmed from fear and rejection of God as protector. || 1 Sam 12:17| "Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great..." | Samuel highlights the great sin in demanding a king "like the nations". || Hos 13:10 | "I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?" | God questions their choice and human rulers' inability to save. || Isa 7:14 | "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." | Foreshadows the ultimate, divinely appointed King from God. || Jer 23:5 | "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper..." | Prophecy of the Messiah, the perfectly righteous King. || Jdg 2:16-19| "Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them." | The established pattern of God raising up judges to lead Israel. || Jdg 21:25 | "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes." | Describes the anarchy during the judge period, highlighting perceived need for stronger leadership. || Ex 19:5-6 | "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me... a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." | Israel's unique calling, contrasting with desiring to be "like all the nations." || Deut 7:6 | "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself..." | Israel's distinctiveness, rejected by their desire to conform. || Psa 78:40-41| "How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel." | Israel's recurring pattern of rebellion and lack of faith in God's provision. || Mk 10:42 | "But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them..." | Christ contrasts Gentile (nations') kingship with true servant leadership. || Lk 19:14 | "But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us." | Parable illustrating rejection of a rightful ruler, mirroring Israel's rejection of God. || Lk 19:27 | "But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me." | Consequences for rejecting rightful kingship and authority. || Jdg 10:14 | "Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation." | God's frustration with Israel's tendency to rely on foreign gods/systems. || Heb 4:15 | "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." | Implies Christ's perfect rule as opposed to the inevitable flaws of human kings. || Rev 11:15 | "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." | The ultimate, divine and eternal kingship contrasted with earthly demands. || Rom 12:2 | "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind..." | The principle of not conforming to "the nations" but to God's will. || 1 Jn 2:15 | "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." | Further warning against embracing worldly ways or values. |
1 Samuel 8 verses
1 Samuel 8 5 Meaning
The elders of Israel approached Samuel, voicing their dissatisfaction with his leadership's future and, specifically, with his sons' corruption. They demanded a king to rule over them, like all the surrounding nations, thereby rejecting God's unique direct rule through His appointed judges and prophets.
1 Samuel 8 5 Context
1 Samuel chapter 8 marks a pivotal transition in Israel’s governmental structure. For centuries, since their entrance into the promised land, Israel had been governed as a theocracy, led directly by God through divinely appointed judges. Samuel was the last of these judges, a revered prophet who had successfully led Israel. However, as Samuel aged, he appointed his sons, Joel and Abiah, as judges in Beersheba. Unlike their father, Joel and Abiah were corrupt, perverting justice, taking bribes, and operating unrighteously (1 Sam 8:2-3). This provided the immediate impetus for the elders of Israel, gathering at Ramah, to approach Samuel with their demand. Their request, as stated in verse 5, to "make us a king to judge us like all the nations," was not just a complaint about Samuel’s sons, but a profound rejection of the unique covenantal relationship Israel had with God as their true King, desiring instead to conform to the surrounding pagan cultures with their centralized monarchies. This request led directly to the anointing of Saul as the first king of Israel.
1 Samuel 8 5 Word analysis
And said unto him, Behold, thou art old:
- And said unto him (ויאמרו אליו, vayyomru elayv): This phrase signifies a formal and collective address. The elders represent the voice of the nation, indicating the gravity and broad support for their petition.
- Behold (הנה, hinneh): An emphatic particle drawing immediate attention. It highlights the directness and the perceived undeniable truth of their observation and subsequent demand.
- thou art old (אתה זקנת, attah zaqanta): While a factual statement about Samuel’s age, it serves as the diplomatic and immediate justification for their request. It hints at anxiety over the future leadership given the perceived fragility of an aging leader, contrasting with God's perpetual presence. This masks their deeper discontent and lack of faith in divine succession.
and thy sons walk not in thy ways:
- and thy sons (ובניך, uvaneykha): Refers to Joel and Abiah, Samuel’s appointed judges. Their documented corruption (1 Sam 8:3) provided a valid, immediate grievance.
- walk not in thy ways (לא הלכו בדרכיך, lo halakhū bidrakhekha): This idiom means they did not follow Samuel's righteous example or principles. Samuel was known for his integrity and obedience to God. His sons’ actions were a public and clear deviation, but this served as a pretext for the elders to push for a complete overhaul of Israel's divinely-instituted governance. This also signifies a deviation from God's way of righteous rule.
now make us a king to judge us:
- now (ועתה, ve'attah): An imperative suggesting urgency and resolution. It reflects the elders' immediate expectation for change.
- make us (שימה־לנו, sīmāh-lānū): An imperative command to Samuel to "appoint" or "set over" them. It displays the elders' assertiveness in dictating a radical shift in leadership, asserting their perceived right over the divine pattern.
- a king (מלך, melekh): The pivotal term, denoting a centralized, hereditary monarchy common to the surrounding cultures. This request represented a direct departure from Israel's unique theocratic structure where God was the ultimate King, ruling through Spirit-anointed judges and prophets.
- to judge us (לשפֿטנו, lishfotenu): The stated role of the desired king. While kings do judge, this implies a desire for a consistent, permanent, human political ruler, unlike the sporadic, charismatically raised judges, and distinct from God's direct, personal "judging" through His Spirit and law.
like all the nations:
- like all the nations (ככל־הגוים, k'khol-haggoyim): This is the most crucial phrase. Goyim refers to the non-Israelite, often pagan, nations. This reveals the core motivation: a profound desire to conform to the world, shedding Israel's distinctiveness. It shows a lack of faith in God's unique system for His covenant people. Their longing was not for God's perfect design for a distinct, holy nation (Ex 19:5-6), but for the perceived security, prestige, and power of a visible human monarchy, like the idol-worshipping peoples around them. This was a direct theological polemic against their covenantal identity and the unique leadership God had provided.
1 Samuel 8 5 Bonus section
- The phrase "like all the nations" implies a fundamental lack of trust in God's providential care and unique design for Israel. It reflects a human tendency to seek security in human systems and appearances rather than divine distinctiveness.
- This passage serves as a theological precursor to warnings throughout scripture against conformity to worldly patterns (Rom 12:2; 1 Jn 2:15).
- Although a direct rejection of God's specific model, God condescended to their request, using even their sin to progress His overarching redemptive plan, ultimately bringing forth the Messiah through the lineage of kings they desired.
- This verse highlights the human desire for a tangible, visible leader rather than relying on an invisible, though all-powerful, God.
1 Samuel 8 5 Commentary
1 Samuel 8:5 represents a seminal moment in Israelite history, where the nation overtly rejected its direct theocratic governance by God. While Samuel's sons' corruption served as a convenient proximate cause, the deeper, unholy desire of the elders was for a human monarchy patterned "like all the nations" around them. This was a profound act of faithlessness, prioritizing worldly conformity, human predictability, and superficial external appearances over their unique covenantal identity as a holy nation ruled directly by the invisible God. As God himself clarifies (1 Sam 8:7), this demand was ultimately a rejection of Him as their King. Despite its origins in unbelief, God sovereignly worked through this transition, establishing the earthly monarchy which would eventually culminate in the Davidic dynasty, from which the ultimate, perfect King, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would descend, establishing a reign that is truly "not of this world" (Jn 18:36), righteous, and eternal.