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1 SAMUEL 12

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph
2. Second paragraph
3. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 12:1-5
  ¹Then Samuel said to all Israel, "Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me and I have appointed a king over you. ²Now, here is the king walking before you, but I am old and gray, and behold my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my youth even to this day. ³Here I am; bear witness against me before the Lord and His anointed. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? I will restore it to you." ⁴They said, "You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man's hand." ⁵He said to them, "The Lord is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day that you have found nothing in my hand." And they said, "He is witness."

12:1 "Samuel said" This whole chapter is Samuel's address to the people after Saul is affirmed as king.

It is obvious there are two views, both recorded in Scripture, about the appointment of a king.

This chapter has the negative view.

1. 1 Sam. 12:12-13
2. 1 Sam. 12:17-18
3. 1 Sam. 12:19-25

Even with a king, Israel will be judged if she does not keep YHWH's revealed will (i.e., Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). Notice the "ifs" of vv. 14,15,25. The covenant with Israel was always "conditional" on obedience. This is why modern theologians call it a "performance based covenant" (i.e., Deut. 30:15,19; Ps. 1:1).

SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP

SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT

▣ "I have listened to your voice" This refers to 1 Samuel 8.

12:2 "my sons are with you" From earlier chapters we know Samuel's sons, like Eli's sons, were not faithful people (cf. 1 Sam. 8:3,5). This phrase conveys that Samuel thought

1. all Israel was sinful (v. 17)
2. his hearers all belonged to the same generation
3. he was trying to commend their leadership in the future after his death

I like option #1.

12:3 Samuel wants to make it clear that he did not use his position of leadership for personal gain.

1. never stole
2. never defrauded
3. never oppressed
4. never took a bribe

12:5 "His anointed" This was an idiom of YHWH's calling and equipping leaders (i.e., kings, priests, and possibly prophets).

SPECIAL TOPIC: "ANOINTING" IN THE BIBLE

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 12:6-11
  ⁶Then Samuel said to the people, "It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt. ⁷So now, take your stand, that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did for you and your fathers. ⁸When Jacob went into Egypt and your fathers cried out to the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place. ⁹But they forgot the Lord their God, so He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. ¹⁰They cried out to the Lord and said, 'We have sinned because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.' ¹¹Then the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around, so that you lived in security.

12:6-8 Samuel reminds Israel of the Exodus and Conquest (cf. 1 Sam. 10:18). This was the YHWH-promised origin (cf. Gen. 12:1-3; 15:12-21) of the covenant people.

SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT PROMISES TO THE PATRIARCHS

12:7 "stand" See note at 1 Sam. 12:16.

12:9-11 This describes the terrible cycles of sin and repentance and deliverance of the book of Judges. Again and again this pattern occurs.

12:9 "they forgot the Lord their God" This is imagery for Israel ignoring the writings of Moses (cf. Deut. 32:18; Ps. 78:11; 106:21). This is willful disobedience, not ignorance or forgetfulness (i.e., Jer. 23:27).

▣ "so He sold them" This VERB (BDB 569, KB 581, Qal IMPERFECT with waw) denotes YHWH's presence and protection being removed and Israel's enemies prevailing (cf. Deut. 32:30; Jdgs. 2:14; 3:8; 4:2,9; 10:7; Ps. 44:12; Isa. 50:1; 52:3; Jer. 15:13). This phrase is the theological opposite of "ransom" and "redeem" (i.e., to buy back).

▣ "into the hand" This is an idiom for power or control.

SPECIAL TOPIC: HAND

12:10 "they cried out to the Lord" This was an idiom of prayer and repentance so common in Judges (cf. Jdgs. 3:9,15; 4:3; 6:6,7; 10:10,12).

12:11 "Jerubbaal" This is Gideon (cf. Jdgs. 6:31,32; 7:1).

▣ "Bedan" Many ancient versions have "Barak" (LXX), who was Deborah's military helper (cf. Jdgs. 4:6) because the name "Bedan" does not appear anywhere in Judges or the OT.

▣ "Samuel" Samuel is obviously listed as a judge.

The Aramaic Targums list the judges in v. 11 as "Gideon, Samson, Jephthah, and Shamuel." The Peshitta has "Deborah, Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson." Why the differences is uncertain. It may be oral tradition. See John H. Walton and D. Brent Sandy, The Lost World of Scripture.

The MT has the noun (BDB 105 I) which denotes

1. quietness
2. security

It was one of the covenant promises of Lev. 25:18-19; 26:5. It was part of Moses' prayer for Israel before his death (cf. Deut. 33:28). It meant agricultural blessing and no invasions.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 12:12-18
  ¹²When you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us,' although the Lord your God was your king. ¹³Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for, and behold, the Lord has set a king over you. ¹⁴If you will fear the Lord and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the Lord, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God. ¹⁵If you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the command of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers. ¹⁶Even now, take your stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes. ¹⁷Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to the Lord, that He may send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the Lord by asking for yourselves a king." ¹⁸So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

12:12 "although the Lord your God was your king" This refers to 1 Sam. 8:7 (also note Jdgs. 8:23).

Israel must keep in mind that she is a special people, created to reveal YHWH to the nations (cf. 1 Sam. 12:22). If she acts like the nations the revelation fails.

SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN

12:13 This is sarcasm. Saul is described as the king

1. they chose
2. they asked for

12:14 Notice the conditions.

1. fear/revere YHWH, v. 24
2. serve/worship YHWH, v. 24
3. listen/obey YHWH
4. do not rebel against His revealed will

12:15 "the hand of the Lord will be against you" This refers to the covenant "curses" of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28.

12:16 "take your stand" This VERB (BDB 426, KB 427, Hiphil IMPERATIVE) was used

1. in 1 Sam. 10:19 in the sense of "present yourself before the Lord" (cf. Job 1:6; 2:1)
2. in 1 Sam. 12:7 for standing before a judge in a lawsuit
3. here, it denotes preparation for a confirming sign (i.e., thunder and rain during the dry season)

12:17-18 As Samuel gave Saul several signs in chapter 10, now he gives Israel a warning sign (i.e., rain during wheat harvest, which was the dry season).

They have already sinned by asking for a king (v. 19). Now they must be sure they do not sin again, as their fathers did, by disobeying YHWH's will (i.e., the Mosaic revelation).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 12:19-25
  ¹⁹Then all the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil by asking for ourselves a king." ²⁰Samuel said to the people, "Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. ²¹You must not turn aside, for then you would go after futile things which can not profit or deliver, because they are futile. ²²For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself. ²³Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way. ²⁴Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. ²⁵But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away."

12:20-21 Samuel lists some of the deadly sins that faced Israel in the past and now face her again.

1. turn aside from YHWH's laws
2. serve/worship with only partial devotion and allegiance, cf. v. 24
3. idolatry

The MT has a noun (BDB 1062) with several connotations (all negative).

1. formless (i.e., Gen. 1:2)
2. confusion (i.e.., Isa. 24:10)
3. unreality (i.e., Isa. 41:9; 44:9)
4. emptiness (i.e., Deut. 32:10; Job 26:7)
5. false arguments (i.e., Isa. 29:21)
6. nothing (i.e., Isa. 40:17; 49:4)

This same concept is often expressed by another word, "vanity," "emptiness" (BDB 996), which denoted idolatry.

SPECIAL TOPIC: EMPTY, VAIN, FALSE, NOTHINGNESS (BDB 996)

12:22 See note at 1 Sam. 12:12.

12:23 What a great verse on prayer!

SPECIAL TOPIC: INTERCESSORY PRAYER

SPECIAL TOPIC: EFFECTIVE PRAYER

▣ "the good and right way" "Way" is a biblical idiom of living a godly, obedient, daily faith. The concept is expressed in several ways.

1. "the good way in which they should walk" ‒ 1 Kgs. 8:36
2. "blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked" ‒ Psalm 1 ("the two ways," cf. Deut. 30:15,19)
3. "the way of life" ‒ Ps. 119:105; Pro. 6:23
4. "the everlasting way" ‒ Ps. 139:24
5. "so you will walk in the way of good men" ‒ Pro. 2:20
6. expressed negatively in Isa. 65:2
7. often it is expressed by "do not turn to the right or left" (cf. Deut. 5:32; 17:20; 28:14; Josh. 1:7; 23:6)

The MT has a FEMININE NOUN (BDB 54) which can mean

1. firmness
2. faithfulness
3. Truth

In this context #2 fits best (cf. 1 Kgs. 2:4; 3:6; 2 Kgs. 20:3; Isa. 38:3).

SPECIAL TOPIC: BELIEVE, TRUST, FAITH, AND FAITHFULNESS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

12:25 "But if you still do wickedly" This is an intensified grammatical construction ‒ an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and an IMPERFECT VERB of the same root (BDB 949, KB 1269, Hiphil).

Covenant disobedience has consequences in time and in eternity, both for the individual and the collective whole.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Why did Samuel defend himself before Israel?
2. What does anointing signify? Who was anointed?
3. Why were the Exodus and Conquest so important to Israel?
4. What does "they forgot the Lord" mean?
5. Explain the phrase, "He sold them into the hand of. . ."?
6. What is the theological implication of the "ifs" in 1 Sam. 12:14,15,25?
7. What was the purpose of the weather sign in v. 17?
8. Why is 1 Sam. 12:22 so important?
9. What does 1 Sam. 12:23 imply about prayer?

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