1 Samuel 8:6

THE MESSAGE

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

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.

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 .

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.

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

⁴Fed up, all the elders of Israel got together and confronted Samuel at Ramah. They presented their case: "Look, you're an old man, and your sons aren't following in your footsteps. Here's what we want you to do: Appoint a king to rule us, just like everybody else." ⁶ When Samuel heard their demand—"Give us a king to rule us!"—he was crushed. How awful! Samuel prayed to God . ⁷ God answered Samuel, "Go ahead and do what they're asking. They are not rejecting you. They've rejected me as their King. From the day I brought them out of Egypt until this very day they've been behaving like this, leaving me for other gods. And now they're doing it to you. So let them have their own way. But warn them of what they're in for. Tell them the way kings operate, just what they're likely to get from a king." ¹⁰So Samuel told them, delivered God 's warning to the people who were asking him to give them a king. He said, "This is the way the kind of king you're talking about operates. He'll take your sons and make soldiers of them—chariotry, cavalry, infantry, regimented in battalions and squadrons. He'll put some to forced labor on his farms, plowing and harvesting, and others to making either weapons of war or chariots in which he can ride in luxury. He'll put your daughters to work as beauticians and waitresses and cooks. He'll conscript your best fields, vineyards, and orchards and hand them over to his special friends. He'll tax your harvests and vintage to support his extensive bureaucracy. Your prize workers and best animals he'll take for his own use. He'll lay a tax on your flocks and you'll end up no better than slaves. The day will come when you will cry in desperation because of this king you so much want for yourselves. But don't expect God to answer." ¹⁹But the people wouldn't listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We will have a king to rule us! Then we'll be just like all the other nations. Our king will rule us and lead us and fight our battles." ²¹Samuel took in what they said and rehearsed it with God . God told Samuel, "Do what they say. Make them a king." Then Samuel dismissed the men of Israel: "Go home, each of you to your own city."

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

Daniel 6:10
When Daniel learned that the decree had been signed and posted, he continued to pray just as he had always done. His house had windows in the upstairs that opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he knelt there in prayer, thanking and praising his God.

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.