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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

1 Samuel 8:1

When Samuel got to be an old man, he set his sons up as judges in Israel. His firstborn son was named Joel, the name of his second, Abijah. They were assigned duty in Beersheba. But his sons didn't take after him; they were out for what they could get for themselves, taking bribes, corrupting justice.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abia;   Bribery;   Judge;   Minister, Christian;   Rulers;   Samuel;   Scofield Reference Index - Israel;   Kingdom;   Thompson Chain Reference - Samuel;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Abiah;   Justice;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Samuel;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Abia;   Judges;   Philistia;   Samuel;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Beer-Sheba;   Hadad-Ezer;   Intercession;   Joel;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Government;   Israel;   King;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Joel;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Sam'uel;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Judge;   Samuel;   Saul;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Abiah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.
Hebrew Names Version
It happened, when Shemu'el was old, that he made his sons judges over Yisra'el.
King James Version
And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
Lexham English Bible
When Samuel grew old he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.
English Standard Version
When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel.
New Century Version
When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges for Israel.
New English Translation
In his old age Samuel appointed his sons as judges over Israel.
Amplified Bible
And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.
New American Standard Bible
Now it came about, when Samuel was old, that he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.
Geneva Bible (1587)
When Samuel was nowe become olde, he made his sonnes Iudges ouer Israel.
Legacy Standard Bible
And it happened when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel.
Contemporary English Version
Samuel had two sons. The older one was Joel, and the younger one was Abijah. When Samuel was getting old, he let them be leaders at Beersheba.
Complete Jewish Bible
When Sh'mu'el grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Isra'el.
Darby Translation
And it came to pass when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
Easy-to-Read Version
When Samuel was old, he appointed his sons to be judges for Israel.
George Lamsa Translation
AND it came to pass, when Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.
Good News Translation
When Samuel grew old, he made his sons judges in Israel.
Literal Translation
And it happened when Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Bvt whan Samuel waxed olde, he set his sonnes to be iudges ouer Israel.
American Standard Version
And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
Bible in Basic English
Now when Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
When Samuel was old, he made his sonnes iudges ouer Israel.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
King James Version (1611)
And it came to passe, when Samuel was old, that he made his sonnes Iudges ouer Israel.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it came to pass when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
English Revised Version
And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
Berean Standard Bible
When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe it was don, whanne Samuel hadde wexide eld, he settide hise sones iugis on Israel.
Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, when Samuel [is] aged, that he maketh his sons judges over Israel.
Update Bible Version
And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
World English Bible
It happened, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
New King James Version
Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel.
New Living Translation
As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel.
New Life Bible
When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges in Israel.
New Revised Standard
When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he appointed his sons judges to Israel;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel.
Revised Standard Version
When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel.

Contextual Overview

1When Samuel got to be an old man, he set his sons up as judges in Israel. His firstborn son was named Joel, the name of his second, Abijah. They were assigned duty in Beersheba. But his sons didn't take after him; they were out for what they could get for themselves, taking bribes, corrupting justice.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

am 2892, bc 1112, An, Ex, Is, 379

made his: Deuteronomy 16:18, Deuteronomy 16:19, Judges 8:22, Judges 8:23, 2 Chronicles 19:5, 2 Chronicles 19:6, Nehemiah 7:2, 1 Timothy 5:21

sons judges: Judges 5:10, Judges 10:4, Judges 12:14

Reciprocal: Exodus 21:6 - the judges 1 Samuel 2:22 - Now 1 Samuel 12:2 - I am old 1 Samuel 14:52 - when Saul

Cross-References

Genesis 8:7
He sent out a raven; it flew back and forth waiting for the floodwaters to dry up. Then he sent a dove to check on the flood conditions, but it couldn't even find a place to perch—water still covered the Earth. Noah reached out and caught it, brought it back into the ship.
Genesis 8:20
Noah built an altar to God . He selected clean animals and birds from every species and offered them as burnt offerings on the altar. God smelled the sweet fragrance and thought to himself, "I'll never again curse the ground because of people. I know they have this bent toward evil from an early age, but I'll never again kill off everything living as I've just done.
Genesis 8:22
For as long as Earth lasts, planting and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, day and night will never stop."
Genesis 19:29
And that's the story: When God destroyed the Cities of the Plain, he was mindful of Abraham and first got Lot out of there before he blasted those cities off the face of the Earth.
Genesis 30:22
And then God remembered Rachel. God listened to her and opened her womb. She became pregnant and had a son. She said, "God has taken away my humiliation." She named him Joseph (Add), praying, "May God add yet another son to me."
Exodus 2:24
God listened to their groanings. God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
Exodus 14:21
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and God , with a terrific east wind all night long, made the sea go back. He made the sea dry ground. The seawaters split.
Numbers 22:32
God 's angel said to him: "Why have you beaten your poor donkey these three times? I have come here to block your way because you're getting way ahead of yourself. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she hadn't, I would have killed you by this time, but not the donkey. I would have let her off."
1 Samuel 1:19
Up before dawn, they worshiped God and returned home to Ramah. Elkanah slept with Hannah his wife, and God began making the necessary arrangements in response to what she had asked.
Nehemiah 13:14
Remember me, O my God, for this. Don't ever forget the devoted work I have done for The Temple of God and its worship.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass, when Samuel was old,.... The common notion of the Jews is, that he lived but fifty two years t; when a man is not usually called an old man, unless the infirmities of old age came upon him sooner than they commonly do, through his indefatigable labours from his childhood, and the cares and burdens of government he had long bore; though some think he was about sixty years of age; and Abarbinel is of opinion that he was more than seventy. It is a rule with the Jews u, that a man is called an old man at sixty, and a grey headed man at seventy:

that he made his sons judges over Israel; under himself, not being able through old age to go the circuits he used; he sent them, and appointed them to hear and try causes in his stead, or settled them in some particular places in the land, and, as it seems by what follows, at Beersheba; though whether that was under his direction, or was their own choice, is not certain.

t Seder Olam Rabba, ut supra. (c. 13. p. 35.) u Pirke Abot, c. 5. sect. 21.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This verse implies a long period, probably not less than 20 years, of which we have no account except what is contained in the brief notice in 1 Samuel 7:13-17. The general idea conveyed is of a time of peace and prosperity, analogous to that under other Judges.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER VIII

Samuel, grown old, makes his sons judges in Beer-sheba, 1, 2.

They pervert judgment; and the people complain, and desire a

king, 3-5.

Samuel is displeased, and inquires of the Lord, 6.

The Lord is also displeased; but directs Samuel to appoint them

a king, and to show them solemnly the consequences of their

choice, 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, 10-18.

The people refuse to recede from their demand; and Samuel lays

the matter before the Lord, and dismisses them, 19-22.

NOTES ON CHAP. VIII


Verse 1 Samuel 8:1. 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 7:16.


 
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