Now Samuel said to all Israel: “Indeed I have heeded your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you.
Parallel translations
- WEB Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you.
- KJV And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.
- BSB Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to your voice in all that you have said to me, and I have set over you a king.
- NASB Then Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice for all that you said to me, and I have appointed a king over you.
- NLT Then Samuel addressed all Israel: “I have done as you asked and given you a king.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Samuel reminds Israel that he has done all they asked and set a king over them. He opens his farewell address as judge.
Overview
Samuel marks the transition from his leadership to the era of the monarchy. By stressing that he granted their request, he places responsibility for the king on the people's own demand. This solemn speech calls Israel to reckon honestly with what their choice means before God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- 1 Sam 10:24Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom Yahweh has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?” All the people shouted, and said, “Long live the king!”
- 1 Sam 11:14–15Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.”
- 1 Sam 10:1Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it on his head, and kissed him, and said, “Hasn’t Yahweh anointed you to be prince over his inheritance?
- 1 Sam 8:19–22But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No; but we will have a king over us,
- 1 Sam 8:5–8They said to him, “Behold, you are old, and your sons don’t walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
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Christ at the center
The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.
How 1 Samuel 12:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.