Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, April 8th, 2026
Wednesday in Easter Week
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

New Revised Standard

1 Samuel 8:22

The Lord said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice and set a king over them." Samuel then said to the people of Israel, "Each of you return home."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Government;   Samuel;   Scofield Reference Index - Kingdom;   Thompson Chain Reference - Samuel;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Jews, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Samuel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - King, Christ as;   King, Kingship;   Prayer;   Samuel, First and Second, Theology of;   Spirituality;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Samuel;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Israel;   Samuel, Books of;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Make;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Listen to them,” the Lord told Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.”
Hebrew Names Version
The LORD said to Shemu'el, Listen to their voice, and make them a king. Shemu'el said to the men of Yisra'el, Go you every man to his city.
King James Version
And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.
Lexham English Bible
Then Yahweh said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice, and appoint a king for them." So Samuel spoke to the men of Israel, "Each of you go to his own town."
English Standard Version
And the Lord said to Samuel, "Obey their voice and make them a king." Samuel then said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city."
New Century Version
The Lord answered, "You must listen to them. Give them a king." Then Samuel told the people of Israel, "Go back to your towns."
New English Translation
The Lord said to Samuel, "Do as they say and install a king over them." Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Each of you go back to his own city."
Amplified Bible
And the LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to their request and appoint a king for them." So Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go, each man to his own city."
New American Standard Bible
And the LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice and appoint a king for them." So Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go, every man to his city."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Lord saide to Samuel, Hearken vnto their voyce, and make them a King. And Samuel said vnto the men of Israel, Goe euery man vnto his citie.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Yahweh said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice and appoint them a king." So Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city."
Contemporary English Version
"Do what they want," the Lord answered. "Give them a king." Samuel told the people to go back to their homes.
Complete Jewish Bible
Adonai said to Sh'mu'el, "Do what they ask, and set up a king for them." So Sh'mu'el told the men of Isra'el, "Each of you, return to his city."
Darby Translation
And Jehovah said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go ye every man to his city.
Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." Then Samuel told the Israelites, "You will have a king. Now go home."
George Lamsa Translation
And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken to their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go every man to his city.
Good News Translation
The Lord answered, "Do what they want and give them a king." Then Samuel told all the men of Israel to go back home.
Literal Translation
And Jehovah said to Samuel, Listen to their voice, and you shall cause a king to reign over them. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Each of you go to his city.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The LORDE sayde vnto the: Herken thou vnto their voyce, and make them a kynge. And Samuel sayde vnto the men of Israel: Go youre waye euery one vnto his cite.
American Standard Version
And Jehovah said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.
Bible in Basic English
And the Lord said to Samuel, Give ear to their voice and make a king for them. Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, Let every man go back to his town.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Lord sayd to Samuel: Hearken vnto their voyce, and make them a king. And Samuel said vnto the men of Israel: Go euery man vnto his citie.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the LORD said to Samuel: 'Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king.' And Samuel said unto the men of Israel: 'Go ye every man unto his city.'
King James Version (1611)
And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken vnto their voyce, and make them a King. And Samuel said vnto the men of Israel, Goe yee euery man vnto his citie.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken to their voice, and appoint them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Let each man depart to his city.
English Revised Version
And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.
Berean Standard Bible
"Listen to their voice," the LORD said to Samuel. "Appoint a king for them." Then Samuel told the men of Israel, "Everyone must go back to his city."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe the Lord seide to Samuel, Here thou `the vois of hem, and ordeyne thou a kyng on hem. And Samuel seide to the men of Israel, Ech man go in to his citee.
Young's Literal Translation
and Jehovah saith unto Samuel, `Hearken to their voice, and thou hast caused to reign over them a king.' And Samuel saith unto the men of Israel, `Go ye each to his city.'
Update Bible Version
And Yahweh said to Samuel, Listen to their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go every man to his city.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken to their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go ye every man to his city.
World English Bible
Yahweh said to Samuel, Listen to their voice, and make them a king. Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go you every man to his city.
New King James Version
So the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed their voice, and make them a king." And Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Every man go to his city."
New Living Translation
and the Lord replied, "Do as they say, and give them a king." Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.
New Life Bible
The Lord said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice, and choose a king for them." So Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Every one of you go home to his city."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Yahweh said unto Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel: Go ye, every man to his own city.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord said to Samuel: Hearken to their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel: Let every man go to his city.
Revised Standard Version
And the LORD said to Samuel, "Hearken to their voice, and make them a king." Samuel then said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice and appoint them a king." So Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city."

Contextual Overview

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 5 and said to him, "You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations." 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to govern us." Samuel prayed to the Lord , 7 and the Lord said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8 Just as they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. 9 Now then, listen to their voice; only—you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them." 10 So Samuel reported all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots; 12 and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

1 Samuel 8:7, Hosea 13:11

Reciprocal: Exodus 18:23 - God

Cross-References

Genesis 8:8
Then he sent out the dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground;
Genesis 8:9
but the dove found no place to set its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took it and brought it into the ark with him.
Genesis 8:11
and the dove came back to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.
Genesis 8:12
Then he waited another seven days, and sent out the dove; and it did not return to him any more.
Genesis 8:16
"Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you.
Genesis 8:17
Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth."
Genesis 8:20
Then Noah built an altar to the Lord , and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
Genesis 45:6
For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.
Exodus 34:21
Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even in plowing time and in harvest time you shall rest.
Jeremiah 5:24
They do not say in their hearts, "Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Lord said to Samuel,.... an audible voice, or by an impulse upon his mind:

hearken unto their voice, and make them a king; since they will have a king, let them have one, and let them know that they shall have one:

and Samuel said unto the men of Israel: the elders of the people that addressed him on this occasion, 1 Samuel 8:4

go ye every man unto his city; signifying they might return in peace, and be assured their request would be granted, and a king would be appointed in a short time, and which they might report to their fellow citizens; and they might expect to hear from him quickly, as soon as he had instructions from the Lord who should be their king, which right he had reserved to himself; and therefore in the mean while they might rest contented that they would have one in a little time.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A repetition for the third time 1 Samuel 8:7, 1 Samuel 8:9 of the expression of God’s will in the matter, marks Samuel’s great unwillingness to comply with the people’s request. Besides the natural aversion which he felt to being thrust aside after so many years of faithful and laborious service, and the natural prejudice which he would feel at his age against a new form of government, he doubtless saw how much of the evil heart of unbelief there was in the desire to have a visible king for their leader, instead of trusting to the invisible Lord who had hitherto led them. But God had His own purpose in setting up the kingdom which was to be typical of the kingdom of His only begotten Son.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 8:22. Hearken unto their voice — Let them have what they desire, and let them abide the consequences.

Go ye every man unto his city. — It seems the elders of the people had tarried all this time with Samuel, and when he had received his ultimate answer from God, he told them of it and dismissed them.

ON this account we may observe:

1. That GOD did not change the government of Israel; it was the people themselves who changed it.

2. That though God permitted them to have a king, yet he did not approve of him.

3. That, notwithstanding he did not suffer them to choose the man, he ordered his servant Samuel to choose him by lot, he disposing of that lot.

4. That God never gave up the supreme government; he was still KING in Israel, and the king, so called, was only the vicegerent or deputy of the Lord.

5. That no king of Judah attempted to be supreme, therefore they never made new laws, nor altered the old; which was a positive confession that God was the supreme Legislator.

6. That an absolute monarchy is always an evil, and is contrary to all the rights, civil and religious, of mankind; a mode of government that all people should avoid, as pregnant with evils to mankind.

7. That although it was a sin in the Israelites to desire a king, that is, to change a constitution of which God was the author, yet kingly government, properly understood, is a good of the first magnitude to the civil happiness of mankind.

8. That by kingly government, properly understood, I mean such a monarchical government as that of Great Britain, where the king, the nobles, and the people, are duly mixed, each having his proper part in the government, and each preventing the other from running to excess, and all limited by law.

9. That the three grand forms of government which have obtained among mankind, viz., monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy, have each certain advantages without which no state can be well preserved; but they have evils by which any state may be injured.

10. That, from a proper mixture of these, the advantages of the whole may be reaped without any of their attendant evils, and that this is the British constitution; which, not merely the wisdom of our ancestors, but the providence of God has given unto us, and of which no other state has had common sense enough to avail themselves, though they see that because of this the British empire is the most powerful and the most happy in the universe, and likely at last to give laws to the whole world.

The manner of our king is constitutional, widely different from that of Saul, and from that of any other potentate in the four quarters of the globe. He is the father of his people, and the people feel and love him as such. He has all the power necessary to do good; they have all the liberty necessary to their political happiness, had they only a diminution of taxes, which at present are too heavy for any nation to bear.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile