_A.M. 2909. B.C. 1095._ Samuel clears himself from all imputation of abusing the power which he now resigns to Saul, 1 Samuel 12:1. He reminds them of the great things God had done, 1 Samuel 12:6. He sets before them the blessing and the curse, _1Sa 12:14, 1 Samuel 12:15. He calls upon God for thun... [ Continue Reading ]
_Samuel said unto all Israel_ While they were assembled together in Gilgal. And this is another instance of Samuel's great wisdom and integrity. He would not reprove the people for their sin, in desiring a king, while Saul was unsettled in his kingdom; lest, through their accustomed levity, they sho... [ Continue Reading ]
_The king walketh before you_ Ruleth over you. To him I have fully resigned my power, and own myself one of his subjects. _I am old_ And therefore unable to bear the burden of government. _My sons are with you_ Or, among you, in the same state, private persons, as you are; if they have injured any o... [ Continue Reading ]
_Behold, here I am_ I here present myself before the Lord, and before your king, ready to give an account of all my administrations. And this protestation Samuel makes of his integrity, not out of ostentation, but for his own just vindication, that the people might not hereafter, for the defence of... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Lord is witness_ There cannot be a stronger or more amiable picture of integrity than we have in this speech of Samuel. Who can read it without feeling his heart touched with admiration of his character? Happy Samuel, who could thus call a whole kingdom to bear witness to his uprightness! Stran... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now, therefore, stand still_ Having obtained an honourable testimony from them as to his own conduct, he would not dismiss them till he had represented to them the great benefits which they had received from God, and their ingratitude to him. _Of all the righteous acts of the Lord_ Hebrews _the rig... [ Continue Reading ]
_Made them dwell in this place_ In this land: in which Moses and Aaron are said to settle them; because they brought them into, and seated them in part of it, that without Jordan; because they were, under God, the principal authors of their entering into the land of Canaan; inasmuch as they brought... [ Continue Reading ]
_They forgat the Lord_ That is, they revolted from him, and carried themselves as if they had wholly forgotten his innumerable favours. This he says to answer an objection, that the reason why they desired a king was, because in the time of the judges they were at great uncertainties, and often exer... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Bedan_ We have no mention of Bedan in the book of Judges or elsewhere before, and therefore many commentators think this is another name for Barak. Others, however, think Samson to be the person here meant, being here called _Ben-Dan_, the son of Dan, or _Be-Dan_, that is, _in_ or _of Dan_, bec... [ Continue Reading ]
_When ye saw that Nahash came against you_, &c. From this it appears that Nahash had levied war against them some time before he came against Jabesh-gilead, as mentioned in the foregoing chapter; and that they took occasion from thence to demand a king, as being fearful and impatient of staying till... [ Continue Reading ]
_Behold the king whom ye have chosen_ Though God chose him by lot, yet the people are said to choose him; either generally, because they chose that form of government; or particularly, because they approved of God's choice, and confirmed it. _The Lord hath set a king ever you_ He hath yielded to you... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then_, &c. Hebrew, _then shall ye be_ (that is, walk, or go) _after the Lord;_ that is, God shall still go before you, as he hath hitherto done, as your leader or governor, to direct, protect, and deliver you; and he will not forsake you, as you have given him just cause to do. Sometimes this phras... [ Continue Reading ]
_As it was against your fathers_ Who lived under the judges; and you shall have no advantage by the change of government, nor shall your kings be able to protect you against God's displeasure. We mistake, if we think we can evade God's justice by shaking off his dominion. If we will not let God _rul... [ Continue Reading ]
_Is it not wheat-harvest to-day?_ At which time it was a rare thing in those parts to have thunder or rain; the weather being more constant in its seasons than it is with us, and the rain being wont to fall periodically, only in the autumn and the spring, called the former and latter rain. _He shall... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Lord sent thunder and rain_ Such was the power and favour with God that this man of God possessed! By this thunder and rain, God showed them their folly in desiring a king to save them, rather than God or Samuel, expecting more from an arm of flesh than from the arm of God, or from the power of... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Lord thy God_ Whom thou hast so great an interest in, while we are ashamed and afraid to call him our God. _Fear not_ With a desponding fear, as if there are no hope left for you. _But turn not ye aside_ After idols, as they had often done before, and, notwithstanding this warning, did afterwar... [ Continue Reading ]
_His name's sake_ That is, for his own honour, which would suffer much among men, if he should not preserve and deliver his people in imminent dangers. And this reason God allegeth, to take them off from all conceit of their own merit; and to assure them, that if they did truly repent of all their s... [ Continue Reading ]
_Only fear the Lord, and serve him with truth_, &c. Otherwise neither my prayers nor counsels will stand you in any stead. Thus we see that amidst all the changes of the Hebrew state, their prophets steadily inculcated one and the same great principle, namely, that of fearing and serving the one tru... [ Continue Reading ]