1 Samuel 8:7 kjv
And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
1 Samuel 8:7 nkjv
And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.
1 Samuel 8:7 niv
And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.
1 Samuel 8:7 esv
And the LORD said to Samuel, "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.
1 Samuel 8:7 nlt
"Do everything they say to you," the LORD replied, "for they are rejecting me, not you. They don't want me to be their king any longer.
1 Samuel 8 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sam 8:1-6 | When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges... the elders of Israel came... "appoint for us a king to govern us like all the nations." | Immediate context, people's demand |
| 1 Sam 8:8 | According to all the deeds that they have done... they have forsaken Me and served other gods, so they are doing to you. | Historical pattern of rebellion |
| 1 Sam 8:10-18 | So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking for a king from him... what the king who will reign over you will do. | Samuel warns them of consequences |
| 1 Sam 10:19 | But today you have rejected your God, who saves you out of all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said, ‘Set a king over us.’ | Samuel reaffirms their rejection of God |
| 1 Sam 12:12-19 | When you saw that Nahash... was coming against you, you said to me, ‘No! But a king shall reign over us’... "you have asked for a king for yourselves." | Reiterated sin of asking for a king |
| Deut 17:14-15 | "When you come to the land... and say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ you may indeed set a king over you..." | God anticipates a king but with caveats |
| Judg 8:23 | But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you." | Gideon affirms God's sole kingship |
| Exod 19:6 | "and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." | Israel's initial calling under God's rule |
| Num 23:21 | "He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, nor has He seen trouble in Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them." | God is their present King |
| Isa 33:22 | For the LORD is our judge; the LORD is our lawgiver; the LORD is our king; He will save us. | God as the complete Sovereign |
| Ps 99:1 | The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! | God's sovereign rule |
| Ps 146:3 | Do not put your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. | Warning against trusting human rulers |
| Jer 2:13 | For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves... | Foresaking God for human alternatives |
| Hos 13:9-11 | I will be your King. Where is any other that may save you in all your cities? ... I gave you a king in My anger, and took him away in My wrath. | God's response to rejected kingship |
| Matt 21:42 | "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." | Reference to rejected leadership/authority |
| Luke 19:14 | "But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’" | Parable illustrating rejection of rule |
| John 19:15 | They cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." | Rejecting the true King (Jesus) |
| Rev 11:15 | Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever." | God's ultimate triumphant kingship |
| 1 Tim 6:15 | He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. | Affirmation of God's supreme authority |
| Col 1:13 | He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. | Believers are under Christ's reign |
| Acts 7:39 | Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt. | Historical pattern of rejecting God's appointed |
1 Samuel 8 verses
1 Samuel 8 7 Meaning
The LORD instructs Samuel to agree to the people's request for a king. He explains that their desire is not a rejection of Samuel's leadership but a deeper spiritual rebellion against God Himself, despising His direct reign over them as their King.
1 Samuel 8 7 Context
1 Samuel Chapter 8 opens with Samuel's old age and his sons, Joel and Abijah, who were appointed judges but perverted justice by taking bribes. This corruption led the elders of Israel to approach Samuel, demanding a king "like all the nations" to govern them. Their primary concern was a stable succession and outward appearance of strength, rather than an adherence to God's unique covenant relationship. This demand distressed Samuel because he understood it as a deeper spiritual malaise. The verse in focus, 1 Samuel 8:7, reveals God's direct response to Samuel's distress, clarifying the true nature of Israel's request as an implicit rejection of God's theocratic rule. This moment marks a pivotal transition in Israel's history, moving from the period of judges to the era of monarchy, prompted by the people's misguided desire.
1 Samuel 8 7 Word analysis
- And the LORD said (וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה - vayyōʾmer YHWH):
- "LORD" (YHWH): Refers to the covenant God of Israel. It emphasizes that this is a direct, divine revelation, not Samuel's opinion.
- "said": Implies authority and a definitive declaration.
- to Samuel (אֶל-שְׁמוּאֵל - ʾel-shəmûʾēl):
- Samuel's role as God's prophet and direct communicator is reinforced.
- Obey the voice (שְׁמַע בְּקוֹלָם - shəmaʿ bəqōlām):
- shəmaʿ: Means "hear" or "listen," but here in the sense of "obey" or "grant" their request.
- bəqōlām: "in their voice" or "to their voice." God permits Samuel to concede to their demand. This is often contrary to God's usual command for Samuel to convey His voice.
- of the people (הָעָם - hāʿām):
- Refers to the collective Israel, particularly their elders who articulated the demand.
- in all that they say to you:
- A full concession to their specific request for a king. God grants their free will, even when it's misguided, to expose the consequences.
- for they have not rejected you (כִּי לֹא אֹתְךָ מָאָסוּ - kī lōʾ ʾotəḵā māʾāsû):
- māʾāsû: The root maʾas means "to reject," "despise," "spurn," "cast off." It carries a strong connotation of scorn or repudiation.
- This phrase provides personal reassurance to Samuel, alleviating his immediate distress over the perceived slight against his leadership.
- The grammatical construction "not you have they rejected" emphasizes "you" (ʾotəḵā) to contrast it with "Me" in the following clause.
- but they have rejected Me (כִּי אֹתִי מָאָסוּ - kī ʾotî māʾāsû):
- ʾotî: Emphatically "Me." The same strong verb maʾas is used.
- This is the core spiritual truth and the gravity of their sin. It's not about human politics or a simple preference for leadership style; it's a foundational breach of their covenant relationship. They were directly despising God's benevolent rule.
- from being king over them (מִמֶּלֶךְ עֲלֵיהֶם - mimmeleḵ ʿălêhem):
- Literally "from reigning over them" or "from Me being king over them."
- This clearly identifies the source and nature of the rejection: it's God's theocratic kingship they wish to remove. Israel wanted to trade divine, invisible governance for a visible, human king, just like the surrounding nations. This indicates a desire for worldly conformity rather than covenant uniqueness.
1 Samuel 8 7 Bonus section
The rejection of God's direct kingship at this moment is a pivotal point leading to a complex relationship between the human monarchy and the divine will throughout Israel's history. While God had anticipated the possibility of a king (Deut 17:14-20), Israel's motivation here (to be "like all the nations" rather than out of faithfulness) marked their request as a rebellion. This scenario highlights the concept of divine accommodation: God allows humanity's flawed choices to run their course, sometimes providing what they ask for, not as His ideal, but to bring about lessons and eventually achieve His ultimate purposes, such as the later establishment of the Davidic line from which the Messiah would come. This prefigures the ultimate rejection of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, by many of His own people who refused His spiritual kingship.
1 Samuel 8 7 Commentary
This verse is a profound revelation of God's character and Israel's spiritual state. God, seeing beyond the superficial request for a king, discerned the true intention of Israel's heart: a rejection of His sovereign authority. This was not merely a political decision but a profound theological sin. Instead of delighting in God's direct rule, which set them apart from other nations, they preferred to be assimilated, desiring a visible, earthly monarch. God's instruction to Samuel to "obey their voice" is an act of permissive will, allowing Israel to choose their path so they might experience the consequences and learn from their misguided independence. It highlights that God does not force His rule upon humanity but allows freedom of choice, even when that choice leads to rejection of Him. This act of "rejecting Me" echoes Israel's historical tendency to stray from God's perfect plan, revealing a deep-seated spiritual insecurity and a preference for human wisdom and strength over divine faithfulness. It underscores that true spiritual danger lies not in outward circumstances but in the condition of the heart that turns away from God as the ultimate King.