Keraia
1 Samuel 8

1 Samuel 8:17

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

Translations

Modern
He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.
Traditional
He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
Literal
He will take a tenth of your flock, and you will be his slaves.
Latin
Greges quoque vestros addecimabit, vosque eritis ei servi.

Original

Hebrew
English
He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.

Notes

1 Samuel 8:17

you yourselves will become his slaves: By asking for a king, the people whose ancestors were once slaves in Egypt risked becoming enslaved again (see 1 Kings 12:1 20).

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

History of Israel 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: Sometimes Exacted by Kings from Their own Subjects