1Sa 8:1 | Clarke | STEP | Samuel, grown old, makes his sons judges in Beer-sheba, , . They pervert judgment; and the people complain, and desire a king, . Samuel is displeased, and inquires of the Lord, . The Lord is also displeased; but directs Samuel to appoint them a king, and to show them solemnly the consequences of their choice, . Samuel does so; and shows them what they may expect from an absolute monarch, and how afflicted they should be under his administration, . The people refuse to recede from their demand; and Samuel lays the matter before the Lord, and dismisses them, . Verse 1 When Samuel was old - Supposed to be about sixty. He made his sons judges - He appointed them as his lieutenants to superintend certain affairs in Beer-sheba, which he could not conveniently attend to himself. But they were never judges in the proper sense of the word; Samuel was the last judge in Israel, and he judged it to the day of his death. See .

‏ 1 Samuel 8:1

Introduction

Samuel, grown old, makes his sons judges in Beer-sheba, 1Sam 8:1, 1Sam 8:2. They pervert judgment; and the people complain, and desire a king, 1Sam 8:3-5. Samuel is displeased, and inquires of the Lord, 1Sam 8:6. The Lord is also displeased; but directs Samuel to appoint them a king, and to show them solemnly the consequences of their choice, 1Sam 8:7-9. Samuel does so; and shows them what they may expect from an absolute monarch, and how afflicted they should be under his administration, 1Sam 8:10-18. The people refuse to recede from their demand; and Samuel lays the matter before the Lord, and dismisses them, 1Sam 8:19-22.

Verse 1

When Samuel was old - Supposed to be about sixty.

He made his sons judges - He appointed them as his lieutenants to superintend certain affairs in Beer-sheba, which he could not conveniently attend to himself. But they were never judges in the proper sense of the word; Samuel was the last judge in Israel, and he judged it to the day of his death. See 1Sam 7:16.