Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

1 Samuel 12:12

But when you saw Nahash king of the Ammonites coming against you, you said, ‘No! We want a king to rule over us!'—even though the Lord your God was your king.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Theocracy;   Thompson Chain Reference - Government;   Israel;   Sovereignty of God;   Theocracy;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - King, Kings;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - King;   Samuel;   Samuel, books of;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - King, Kingship;   Leadership;   Samuel, First and Second, Theology of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Amalekites;   King;   Nahash;   Saul;   Holman Bible Dictionary - King, Kingship;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Israel;   Lord of Hosts;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ammon, Ammonites, Children of Ammon;   Nahash ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Ammon ammonites children of ammon;   Saul;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Am'mon;   King,;   Saul;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Judah, Kingdom of;   Reign;   Saul;   Theocracy;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Nahash;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was coming against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king reign over us’—even though the Lord your God is your king.
Hebrew Names Version
When you saw that Nachash the king of the children of `Ammon came against you, you said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us; when the LORD your God was your king.
King James Version
And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the Lord your God was your king.
Lexham English Bible
"And when you saw that Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, was coming against you, you said to me, ‘No! A king shall reign over us,' although Yahweh your God is your king.
English Standard Version
And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,' when the Lord your God was your king.
New English Translation
"When you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites was advancing against you, you said to me, ‘No! A king will rule over us'—even though the Lord your God is your king!
Amplified Bible
"But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites had come against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us'—although the LORD your God was your King.
New American Standard Bible
"But when you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon was coming against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us!' Yet the LORD your God was your king.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Notwithstanding when you sawe, that Nahash the King of the children of Ammon came against you, ye sayde vnto me, No, but a King shall reigne ouer vs: when yet the Lord your God was your King.
Legacy Standard Bible
But you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, and you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,' although Yahweh your God was your king.
Contemporary English Version
Then you saw that King Nahash of Ammon was going to attack you. And even though the Lord your God is your king, you told me, "This time it's different. We want a king to rule us!"
Complete Jewish Bible
When you saw that Nachash the king of the people of ‘Amon was attacking you, you said to me, "No, we want a king to rule over us" — when Adonai your God was your king.
Darby Translation
But when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said to me, Nay, but a king shall reign over us; when Jehovah your God was your king.
Easy-to-Read Version
But then you saw King Nahash of the Ammonites coming to fight against you. You said, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us!' You said that, even though the Lord your God was already your king.
George Lamsa Translation
And when you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, you said to me, No; but a king shall reign over us; yet the LORD your God was your king.
Good News Translation
But when you saw that King Nahash of Ammon was about to attack you, you rejected the Lord as your king and said to me, ‘We want a king to rule us.'
Literal Translation
And you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, and you said to me, No, for a king shall reign over us even though Jehovah your God was king over you.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But whan ye sawe that Nahas the kynge of the children of Ammon came agaynst you ye sayde vnto me: Not thou, but a kynge shal raigne ouer vs, where as notwithstodinge youre God was youre kynge.
American Standard Version
And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay, but a king shall reign over us; when Jehovah your God was your king.
Bible in Basic English
And when you saw that Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, was coming against you, you said to me, No more of this; we will have a king for our ruler: when the Lord your God was your king.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And for all that, when you sawe that Nahas the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye sayd vnto me: Not so, but a king shall raigne ouer vs: when yet the Lord your God was your king.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me: Nay, but a king shall reign over us; when the LORD your God was your king.
King James Version (1611)
And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said vnto me, Nay, but a King shall reigne ouer vs, when the Lord your God was your King.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And ye saw that Naas king of the children of Ammon came against you, and ye said, Nay, none but a king shall reign over us; whereas the Lord our God is our king.
English Revised Version
And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay, but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God was your king.
Berean Standard Bible
But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, 'No, we must have a king to rule over us'-even though the LORD your God was your king.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe ye sien, that Naas, kyng of the sones of Amon, cam ayens you; and ye seiden to me, counseilynge to axe noon other kyng than God, Nay, but a kyng schal comaunde to vs; whanne `youre Lord God regnede in you.
Young's Literal Translation
`And ye see that Nahash king of the Bene-Ammon hath come against you, and ye say to me, Nay, but a king doth reign over us; and Jehovah your God [is] your king!
Update Bible Version
And when 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; when Yahweh your God was your king.
Webster's Bible Translation
And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said to me, No; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God [was] your king.
World English Bible
When you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, you said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us; when Yahweh your God was your king.
New King James Version
And when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, "No, but a king shall reign over us,' when the LORD your God was your king.
New Living Translation
"But when you were afraid of Nahash, the king of Ammon, you came to me and said that you wanted a king to reign over you, even though the Lord your God was already your king.
New Life Bible
But then you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you. So you said to me, ‘No! A king must rule over us,' when the Lord your God was your King.
New Revised Standard
But when you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,' though the Lord your God was your king.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, when ye saw that, Nahash king of the sons of Ammon, came upon you, then said ye unto me, Nay! but, a king, shall reign over us, when, Yahweh your God, was your king!
Douay-Rheims Bible
But seeing that Naas, king of the children of Ammon, was come against you, you said to me: Nay, but a king shall reign over us: whereas the Lord your God was your king.
Revised Standard Version
And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us,' when the LORD your God was your king.
THE MESSAGE
"But when you saw Nahash, king of the Ammonites, preparing to attack you, you said to me, ‘No more of this. We want a king to lead us.' And God was already your king!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"When 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.

Contextual Overview

6 Then Samuel said to the people, "It is the Lord who chose Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors out of Egypt. 7 Now, stand there, and I will remind you of all the good things the Lord did for you and your ancestors. 8 "After Jacob entered Egypt, his descendants cried to the Lord for help. So the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who took your ancestors out of Egypt and brought them to live in this place. 9 "But they forgot the Lord their God. So he handed them over as slaves to Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and as slaves to the Philistines and the king of Moab. They all fought against your ancestors. 10 Then your ancestors cried to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned. We have left the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now save us from our enemies, and we will serve you.' 11 So the Lord sent Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel. He saved you from your enemies around you, and you lived in safety. 12 But when you saw Nahash king of the Ammonites coming against you, you said, ‘No! We want a king to rule over us!'—even though the Lord your God was your king. 13 Now here is the king you chose, the one you asked for. The Lord has put him over you. 14 You must honor the Lord and serve him. You must obey his word and not turn against his commands. Both you and the king ruling over you must follow the Lord your God. If you do, it will be well with you. 15 But if you don't obey the Lord , and if you turn against his commands, he will be against you. He will do to you what he did to your ancestors.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Nahash: 1 Samuel 11:1, 1 Samuel 11:2

Nay: 1 Samuel 8:3, 1 Samuel 8:5, 1 Samuel 8:6, 1 Samuel 8:19, 1 Samuel 8:20, Judges 9:18, Judges 9:56, Judges 9:57

when the Lord: 1 Samuel 8:7, 1 Samuel 10:19, Genesis 17:7, Exodus 19:5, Exodus 19:6, Numbers 23:21, Judges 8:23, Psalms 74:12, Isaiah 33:22, Hosea 13:10

Reciprocal: Numbers 22:20 - If the men Judges 2:17 - they would Judges 8:22 - Rule thou 1 Chronicles 19:1 - Nahash Proverbs 24:21 - meddle Ezekiel 16:13 - and thou didst Acts 13:21 - they

Cross-References

Genesis 12:8
Then he traveled from Shechem to the mountain east of Bethel and set up his tent there. Bethel was to the west, and Ai was to the east. There Abram built another altar to the Lord and worshiped him.
Genesis 12:10
At this time there was not much food in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to live because there was so little food.
Genesis 20:11
Then Abraham answered, "I thought no one in this place respected God and that someone would kill me to get Sarah.
Genesis 26:7
His wife Rebekah was very beautiful, and the men of that place asked Isaac about her. Isaac said, "She is my sister," because he was afraid to tell them she was his wife. He thought they might kill him so they could have her.
1 Samuel 27:1
But David thought to himself, "Saul will catch me someday. The best thing I can do is escape to the land of the Philistines. Then he will give up looking for me in Israel, and I can get away from him."
Proverbs 29:25
Being afraid of people can get you into trouble, but if you trust the Lord , you will be safe.
Matthew 10:28
Don't be afraid of people, who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. The only one you should fear is the one who can destroy the soul and the body in hell.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you,.... Or "but yet" k; however, notwithstanding though the Lord had been so kind and gracious to them, as to raise up judges one after another to deliver them, when they cried unto him, yet when they perceived that Nahash the Ammonite was preparing to make war with them, instead of applying to the Lord for his protection, they desired to have a king to go before them, and fight their battles, as follows: nay,

but a king shall reign over us; though Samuel told them they had no need of one:

when the Lord your God was your King; and would protect and defend them, if they applied to him, and would put their trust in him; and he himself Samuel was their judge, and would be their general and commander, and they had experience of success under him to the utter destruction of their enemies, 1 Samuel 7:10 and yet, notwithstanding all this, they insisted upon it to have a king. According to Abarbinel, this preparation of Nahash to war with them was after they had asked for a king, and was a punishment of them for their request; and yet they repented not of it, but in effect said, though Nahash, and all the enemies in the world come against us, we will not go back from our request, but insist on it, that we have a king to reign over us; such was their obstinacy and perverseness.

k ותראו "videntes autem", V. L. "sed", Tigurine version; "et tamen", Vatablus, Piscator.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 12:12. When ye saw that Nahash — This was not the first time they had demanded a king; see before, 1 Samuel 8:5. But at the crisis mentioned here they became more importunate; and it was in consequence of this that the kingdom was a second time confirmed to Saul. Saul was elected at Mizpeh, he was confirmed at Gilgal.


 
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