1 Samuel 8:6

Easy-to-Read Version

So the elders asked for a king to lead them. Samuel thought this was a bad idea, so he prayed to the Lord .

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” Samuel considered their demand wrong, so he prayed to the Lord.

Hebrew Names Version
But the thing displeased Shemu'el, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. Shemu'el prayed to the LORD.

King James Version
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord .

Lexham English Bible
But the matter was displeasing to Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us," so Samuel prayed to Yahweh.

English Standard Version
But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the Lord .

New Century Version
When the elders said that, Samuel was not pleased. He prayed to the Lord ,

New English Translation
But this request displeased Samuel, for they said, "Give us a king to lead us." So Samuel prayed to the Lord .

Amplified Bible
But their demand displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge and rule over us." So Samuel prayed to the LORD.

New American Standard Bible
But the matter was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the LORD.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Giue vs a King to iudge vs: and Samuel prayed vnto the Lord.

Legacy Standard Bible
But the thing was evil in the sight of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to Yahweh.

Contemporary English Version
Samuel was upset to hear the leaders say they wanted a king, so he prayed about it.

Complete Jewish Bible
Sh'mu'el was not pleased to hear them say, "Give us a king to judge us"; so he prayed to Adonai .

Darby Translation
And the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to Jehovah.

George Lamsa Translation
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said to him, Give us a king to judge us like all the nations. And Samuel prayed before the LORD.

Good News Translation
Samuel was displeased with their request for a king; so he prayed to the Lord ,

Literal Translation
And the thing was evil in Samuel's eyes when they said, Give to us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to Jehovah.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The was Samuel displeased wha they sayde: Geue vs a kynge, to iudge as. And Samuel prayed before the LORDE.

American Standard Version
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto Jehovah.

Bible in Basic English
But Samuel was not pleased when they said to him, Give us a king to be our judge. And Samuel made prayer to the Lord.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, geue vs a king to iudge vs: And Samuel prayed vnto the lorde.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said: 'Give us a king to judge us.' And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.

King James Version (1611)
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Giue vs a King to iudge vs: and Samuel prayed vnto the Lord.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the thing was evil in the eyes of Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us: and Samuel prayed to the Lord.

English Revised Version
But the thing displeased Samuel; when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible
But when they said, "Give us a king to judge us," their demand was displeasing in the sight of Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the word displeside in the iyen of Samuel, for thei hadden seid, Yyue thou to vs a kyng, that he deme vs. And Samuel preiede to the Lord.

Young's Literal Translation
And the thing is evil in the eyes of Samuel, when they have said, `Give to us a king to judge us;' and Samuel prayeth unto Jehovah.

Update Bible Version
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to Yahweh.

Webster's Bible Translation
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us: and Samuel prayed to the LORD.

World English Bible
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. Samuel prayed to Yahweh.

New King James Version
But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." So Samuel prayed to the LORD.

New Living Translation
Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance.

New Life Bible
But Samuel was not pleased when they said, "Give us a king to rule over us." And Samuel prayed to the Lord.

New Revised Standard
But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to govern us." Samuel prayed to the Lord ,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But the thing was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, when they said, Give unto us a king to judge us. So Samuel prayed unto Yahweh.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the word was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, that they should say: Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord.

Revised Standard Version
But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to govern us." And Samuel prayed to the LORD.

THE MESSAGE
When Samuel heard their demand—"Give us a king to rule us!"—he was crushed. How awful! Samuel prayed to God .

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the LORD.

Contextual Overview

⁴ So all the elders of Israel met together and went to Ramah to meet with Samuel. ⁵ The elders said to Samuel, "You're old, and your sons don't live right. They are not like you. Now, give us a king to rule us like all the other nations." ⁶ So the elders asked for a king to lead them. Samuel thought this was a bad idea, so he prayed to the Lord . ⁷ The Lord told Samuel, "Do what the people tell you. They have not rejected you. They have rejected me. They don't want me to be their king. ⁸ They are doing the same thing they have always done. I took them out of Egypt, but they left me and served other gods. They are doing the same to you. ⁹ So listen to the people and do what they say. But give them a warning. Tell the people what a king will do to them. Tell them how a king rules people." ¹⁰ Those people asked for a king. So Samuel told them everything the Lord said. ¹¹ Samuel said, "If you have a king ruling over you, this is what he will do: He will take away your sons and force them to serve him. He will force them to be soldiers—they must fight from his chariots and become horse soldiers in his army. Your sons will become guards running in front of the king's chariot. ¹² "A king will force your sons to become soldiers. He will choose which of your sons will be officers over 1000 men and which will be officers over 50 men. "A king will force some of your sons to plow his fields and gather his harvest. He will force some of your sons to make weapons for war and to make things for his chariots. ¹³ "A king will take your daughters and force some of them to make perfume for him and some to cook and bake for him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

displeased: Heb. was evil in the eyes of, 1 Samuel 12:17

prayed: 1 Samuel 15:11, Exodus 32:21, Exodus 32:32, Numbers 16:15, Numbers 16:22, Numbers 16:46, Ezra 9:3-5, Psalms 109:4, Luke 6:11, Luke 6:12, Philippians 4:6, James 1:5

Reciprocal: Genesis 28:8 - pleased not Exodus 17:2 - Give us Exodus 18:23 - God Exodus 21:8 - please not Judges 8:23 - the Lord 1 Samuel 8:5 - now make 1 Samuel 12:12 - Nay 1 Kings 21:2 - seem good to thee Hosea 13:10 - thy judges Micah 5:1 - judge

Cross-References

Genesis 6:16
Make a window for the boat about 1 cubit below the roof. Put a door in the side of the boat. Make three floors in the boat: a top deck, a middle deck, and a lower deck.

Daniel 6:10
Daniel always prayed to God three times every day. Three times every day, he bowed down on his knees to pray and praise God. Even though Daniel heard about the new law, he still went to his house to pray. He went up to the upper room of his house and opened the windows that faced toward Jerusalem. Then Daniel bowed down on his knees and prayed just as he always had done.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But the thing displeased Samuel,.... Not that they called him an old man, and suggested that he was incapacitated for his office, nor for observing the unbecoming walk of his sons, but for what follows:

when they said, give us a king to judge us; what displeased him was, that they were for changing their form of government, not only to remove it from him, and his sons, but from the Lord himself, who was king over them; the ill consequences of which, many of them at least, he easily foresaw, and which gave him great uneasiness, both on account of the glory of God, and their own good; insomuch, as Josephus y says, he could neither eat nor sleep, but watched all night, and spent it in prayer, as follows:

and Samuel prayed unto the Lord; to know his mind and will, and what answer he should return unto them.

y Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 3.) sect. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the margin which implies that the thing spoken of caused anger, indignation, or some revulsion of feeling (see Genesis 21:11-12). The answer of the Lord 1 Samuel 8:7 shows that Samuel’s personal feelings had been hurt. They were soothed by being reminded of the continued ingratitude of the people to God Himself, upon whom, in fact, a greater slight was put by this very request for a king “like all the nations,” than upon Samuel (compare Matthew 10:24; John 15:18, John 15:20). For a comment on this transaction, see Hosea 13:9-11; Acts 13:21-22.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 8:6. The thing displeased Samuel — Because he saw that this amounted to a formal renunciation of the Divine government.

Samuel prayed unto the Lord — He begged to know his mind in this important business.