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Sunday, April 12th, 2026
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Wycliffe Bible

1 Samuel 12:12

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.

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 Century Version
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.
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.
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 And Samuel seide to the puple, The Lord, that made Moises and Aaron, and ledde youre fadris out of the lond of Egipt, is present; 7 now therfor stonde ye, that Y stryue bi doom ayens you bifor the Lord, of alle the mercyes of the Lord, whiche he dide with you, and with youre fadris. 8 Hou Jacob entride in to Egipt, and youre fadris crieden to the Lord; and the Lord sente Moises and Aaron, and ledde youre fadris out of Egipt, and settide hem in this place. 9 Whiche foryaten her Lord God; and he bitook hem in the hond of Sisara, maystir of the chyualrie of Asor, and in the hond of Filisteis, and in the hond of the kyng of Moab; and thei fouyten ayens hem. 10 Sotheli afterward thei crieden to the Lord, and seiden, We synneden, for we forsoken the Lord, and seruyden Baalym and Astroth; now therfor delyuere thou vs fro `the hond of oure enemyes, and we schulen serue thee. 11 And the Lord sente Gerobaal, and `Bedan, that is, Sampson, and Barach, and Jepte, and Samuel, and delyuerede you fro the hond of youre enemyes bi cumpass; and ye dwelliden tristili. 12 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. 13 Now therfor youre kyng is redi, whom ye han chose and axid; lo! the Lord yaf to you a kyng. 14 If ye dreden the Lord, and seruen hym, and heren his vois, and wraththen not the `mouth of the Lord; ye and youre kyng, that comaundith to you, schulen sue youre Lord God. 15 Forsothe if ye heren not the vois of `the Lord, but wraththen his word, the hond of the Lord schal be on you, and on youre fadris.

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
And fro thennus he passide forth to the hil Bethel, that was ayens the eest, and settide there his tabernacle, hauynge Bethel fro the west, and Hay fro the eest. And he bildide also there an auter to the Lord, and inwardli clepide his name.
Genesis 12:10
Sotheli hungur was maad in the lond; and Abram yede doun in to Egipt, to be a pilgrime ther, for hungur hadde maistrie in the lond.
Genesis 20:11
Abraham answerde, Y thouyte with me, and seide, in hap the drede of God is not in this place; and thei schulen sle me for my wijf;
Genesis 26:7
And whanne he was axid of men of that place of his wijf, he answarde, Sche is my sistir; for he dredde to knowleche that sche was felouschipid to hym in matrymonye, and gesside lest peraduenture thei wolden sle him for the fairnesse of hir.
1 Samuel 27:1
And Dauid seide in his herte, Sumtyme Y schal falle in o dai in the hond of Saul; whether it is not betere, that Y fle, and be sauyd in the lond of Filisteis, that Saul dispeire, and cesse to seke me in alle the endis of Israel; therfor fle we hise hondis.
Proverbs 29:25
He that dredith a man, schal falle soon; he that hopith in the Lord, shal be reisid.
Matthew 10:28
And nyle ye drede hem that sleen the bodi; for thei moun not sle the soule; but rather drede ye hym, that mai lese bothe soule and bodi in to helle.

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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