1 Samuel 8:1

Modern

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.

Traditional

And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

Literal

And it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel.

Latin

Factum est autem cum senuisset Samuel, posuit filios suos judices Israël.

Hebrew

English

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.

When Israel was changing to a monarchy (rule by kings), neither God (1 Samuel 8:7–9) nor Samuel (1 Samuel 12:1–25) liked the people's request for a king. Saul, the first king (1 Samuel 9–11), did not succeed in his role (1 Samuel 13–31) and proved Samuel's warnings true (see 1 Samuel 8:10–18; compare 1 Samuel 16:1–13).

Theme notes and profiles

Deuteronomy 16:18–19
You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.
1 Timothy 5:21
I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality.
Judges 12:14
He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. And he judged Israel eight years.
Nehemiah 7:2
Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.
2 Chronicles 19:5–6
He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah.
Judges 8:22–23
Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you and your son and grandson—for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
Judges 5:10
You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
Judges 10:4
He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys. And they had thirty towns in the land of Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth-jair.

Israel: Patriarch, son of Isaac, father of twelve tribes Samuel: Prophet and last judge of Israel before the kings