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Joseph Benson’s Bible Commentary

1 Samuel 12:2

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 of you, the law is now open against them; any of you may accuse them, your king can punish them, I do not intercede for them. Walked before you That is, been your guide and governor; partly, as a prophet; and partly, as a judge.

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See also 1 Samuel 12:2 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 1 Samuel 12:2. _MY SONS_ ARE _WITH YOU_] It is generally agreed that these words intimate that Samuel had deprived them of their public employ, and reduced them to a level with the common people...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    MY SONS ARE WITH YOU - Possibly, however, a tinge of mortified feeling at the rejection of himself and his family, mixed with a desire to recommend his sons to the favor and goodwill of the nation, is...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    5. SAMUEL'S WITNESS AND WARNING CHAPTER 12 _ 1. His witness to his own integrity (1 Samuel 12:1)_ 2. His warning (1 Samuel 12:6) 3. Heaven's answer (1 Samuel 12:16) 4. His words of co

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    1 SAMUEL 12. SAMUEL'S FAREWELL. From the Deuteronomic document, where it separated the two clauses of 1 Samuel 10:25, which see. 1 SAMUEL 12:1_ A_ (to witness). In response to a solemn adjuration fr...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _the king walketh before you_ Goes in and out in your presence in the exercise of his regal authority. _and I am old and gray-headed; and, behold my sons are with you_ Samuel refers to the two reasons...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    BEHOLD, THE KING WALKETH BEFORE YOU— When Samuel says, _and my sons are with you,_ he seems to mean that the sons of whom they complained are now in their hands, deprived of their public station, redu...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    _Samuel Reviews His Career._ 1 Samuel 12:1-5 And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, t...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND NOW, BEHOLD, THE KING WALKETH BEFORE YOU: AND I AM OLD AND GRAYHEADED; AND, BEHOLD, MY SONS ARE WITH YOU: AND I HAVE WALKED BEFORE YOU FROM MY CHILDHOOD UNTO THIS DAY._ I am old and grey-headed....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    MY SONS] cp. 1 Samuel 8:1....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    SAMUEL RESIGNS HIS JUDGESHIP This chapter is a continuation of 1 Samuel 10:17, and the scene of the events recorded is the great national assembly at Mizpeh. Notice, however, the reference to Nahash ...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ISRAEL’S FIRST KING 1 SAMUEL _HELEN POCOCK_ CHAPTER 12 SAMUEL SPEAKS TO ALL THE *ISRAELITES FOR THE LAST TIME V1 Samuel said to all the *Israelites, ‘I have done everything that you wanted me t...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    AND NOW, BEHOLD, THE KING WALKETH BEFORE YOU. — No doubt, here pointing to Saul by his side. The term “walketh before you implied generally that the kingly office included the guiding and governing th...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ עַתָּ֞ה הִנֵּ֥ה הַ מֶּ֣לֶךְ ׀ מִתְהַלֵּ֣ךְ...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER XVI. _ SAMUEL'S VINDICATION OF HIMSELF._ 1 Samuel 12:1. IT was a different audience that Samuel had to address at Gilgal from either that which came to him to Ram ah to ask for a king, or th...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    SAMUEL'S LAST MESSAGE TO ISRAEL 1 Samuel 12:1 An end must come to the longest and most useful service. “Before his long sleep Samuel made protestation of his innocence before God and the people.” Yes...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    At the confirmation of the king appointed by God by the consent of the nation, Samuel delivered what was practically his last address to them. It was of the nature of a farewell message, in which was...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And now, behold, the king walketh (b) before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons [are] with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. (b) To govern you in...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Goeth, as your leader, according to your request. I am like a private man, (Calmet) willing to submit to his and the people's judgment, (Haydock) though it could not be required. (Menochius) --- Grey-...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (1) В¶ And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. (2) And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    We have already seen that the desire and deliberate decision of the people for a king was a direct blow at the government of God in Israel; but the time was come to permit the will of the people to ha...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Samuel (chap. 12) receives the people's testimony to his fidelity. He sets before them the ways of God towards them, their ingratitude and foolishness in having asked for a king and rejected God. Neve...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND NOW, BEHOLD, THE KING WALKETH BEFORE YOU,.... He invested with his office, and in the exercise of it, and goes in and out as the captain, commander, and leader of the people; it is expressive of h...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons [are] with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. Ver. 2. _And now, behold,...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Samuel testifieth his integritie. 6 Hee reprooueth the people of ingratitude. 16 He terrifieth them with thunder in haruest time. 20 He comforteth them in Gods mercy. 1 AND Samuel saide vnto all...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    SAMUEL PROTESTS HIS INTEGRITY...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And now, behold, the king walketh before you, having charge of the entire government of the people in peace and in war; AND I AM OLD AND GRAY-HEADED, Cf 1 Samuel 8:5; AND, BEHOLD, MY SONS ARE WITH YOU...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    This chapter intervenes in the history as a solemn reproof to Israel and a warning of the dangers to which they had exposed themselves by asking for a king The voice of the prophet is not to be put in...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-5 Samuel not only cleared his own character, but set an example before Saul, while he showed the people their ingratitude to God and to himself. There is a just debt which all men to their own good...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    WALKETH BEFORE YOU; goeth out and cometh in before you, i.e. ruleth over you, as that phrase signifies, NUMBERS 27:17 DEUTERONOMY 31:2 2 CHRONICLES 1:10. To him I have fully resigned all my power and...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Samuel 12:2 king H4428 walking H1980 (H8693) before H6440 old H2204 (H8804) grayheaded H7867 (H8804) sons...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    SAMUEL MAKES A CLEAN BREAK FROM HIS CIVIC RESPONSIBILITIES (1 SAMUEL 12:1). In his farewell speech Samuel begins by making clear that he is now free from all civil responsibility for Israel. He wants...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Samuel's proclamation of the kingdom. Deliverances of God rehearsed. The sign of thunder and rain. CHARACTERS: God, Samuel. CONCLUSION: Religion has reason on its side (1 Samuel 12:7) whic...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    1 Samuel 12:2. _I am old and grey-headed._ Some think Samuel was now seventy three or eighty years of age; others think he was but sixty three. Usher's chronology is much embarrassed here. 1 Samuel 12...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _I am now old and grey-headed._ A GOOD OLD AGE A good old age has been cynically defined as “an age at which a man is good for nothing;” but it is our own fault if we are good for nothing in old age...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _And Samuel said unto all Israel._ A STATESMAN’S RETROSPECT The closing years in the life of Samuel, the last and greatest of the judges, witnessed a transition in the method of governing the nation...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 12:1 The setting of this address is not clear, though it was probably a different occasion than ch. 1 Samuel 11:1. From now on, Samuel will no longer be the judge of all Is

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXPOSITORY NOTES.— 1 Samuel 12:1. “AND SAMUEL SAID,” etc. “The time and place of the following address are not given, but it is evident from the connection with the preceding chapter, and...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION SAMUEL'S EXHORTATION TO THE PEOPLE AT GILGAL. This speech of Samuel is not to be regarded as a farewell address made upon his resignation of his office; for though a new power had been intr...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now in the twelfth chapter Samuel is now sort of stepping down because they have now proclaimed the king. So his career as the judge over Israel has pretty much come to an end, as the reigns of govern...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Samuel 2:22; 1 Samuel 2:29; 1 Samuel 3:13; 1 Samuel 3:16; 1 Samuel 3:

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Walketh — Ruleth over you. To him I have fully resigned my power, and own myself one of his subjects. Old — And therefore unable to bear the burden of government. My sons — Or, among you, in the same...

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