Keraia
1 Samuel 8

1 Samuel 8:15

Samuel’s Warning · 1 Samuel 8:10–18
Read 1 Samuel 8

Translations

Modern
He will take a tenth of your grain and grape harvest and give it to his officials and servants.
Traditional
And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
Literal
And your grain and your vintage, He will take a tenth and give it to his officers and servants.
Latin
Sed et segetes vestras et vinearum reditus addecimabit, ut det eunuchis et famulis suis.

Original

Hebrew
English
He will take a tenth of your grain and grape harvest and give it to his officials and servants.

Notes

1 Samuel 8:15

People had to give a tenth of their harvest as a sacred donation to support God's temple and its workers (Deuteronomy 12:6, 17–18; 14:22–29; 26:12–15). The king also required another tenth, which was a heavy burden due to the unpredictable nature of farming.

1 Samuel 8:12–17

The king would take both people and their belongings.

1 Samuel 8:10–18

These verses explain why being a king has downsides. Each sentence describes something the king would take. A king would seize things, not just protect them.

1 Samuel 8:1–12:25

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

Samuel Kingship

Glossary

Eunuch History of Israel Money Palace Riches Samuel (Person) Samuel, Books of First and Second Theocracy

Topics

Government: Mosaic: Chose, or Ratified, the Chief Ruler Israel: Under the Judges: They Demand a King Kings: Israel Warned Against Seeking Monarchy: Described by Samuel Rulers: Wicked Samuel: People Desire a King; he Protests Tithe: The Tenth of Anything Tribute: Often Exacted in Produce of Land Tribute: Sometimes Exacted by Kings from Their own Subjects