1 Samuel

1 Samuel 8:1–3

¹When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges^a over Israel. ²The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba. ³But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside toward dishonest gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice.

Footnotes

a 8:1 Or governors or leaders; similarly in verses 2, 5, 6, and 20

Read all of 1 Samuel 8

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Samuel 8:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When	כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר	ka·’ă·šer	Preposition-k; Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
Samuel	שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל	šə·mū·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H8050 Samuel
grew old	זָקֵ֖ן	zā·qên	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H2204 be or become old
he appointed	וַיָּ֧שֶׂם	way·yā·śem	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7760 put, place, set
his sons	בָּנָ֛יו	bā·nāw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H1121 son
as judges	שֹׁפְטִ֖ים	šō·p̄ə·ṭîm	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H8199 judge, govern
over Israel	לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃	lə·yiś·rā·’êl	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel

1 Samuel 8:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The name	שֶׁם־	šem-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H8034 name
of his firstborn	הַבְּכוֹר֙	hab·bə·ḵō·wr	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1060 first-born
son	בְּנ֤וֹ	bə·nōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1121 son
was	וַיְהִ֞י	way·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
Joel	יוֹאֵ֔ל	yō·w·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3100 Joel
and the name	וְשֵׁ֥ם	wə·šêm	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H8034 name
of his second	מִשְׁנֵ֖הוּ	miš·nê·hū	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H4932 double, copy, second
was Abijah	אֲבִיָּ֑ה	’ă·ḇî·yāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H29 Abijah
They were judges	שֹׁפְטִ֖ים	šō·p̄ə·ṭîm	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H8199 judge, govern
in Beersheba	שָֽׁבַע׃	šā·ḇa‘	Preposition; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H884 Beersheba

1 Samuel 8:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But his sons	בָנָיו֙	ḇā·nāw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H1121 son
did not	וְלֹֽא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
walk	הָלְכ֤וּ	hā·lə·ḵū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H1980 go, come, walk
in his ways	בְּדַרְכּוֹ	bə·ḏar·kō	Preposition-b; Noun - common plural construct; third person masculine singular	H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner
they turned aside	וַיִּטּ֖וּ	way·yiṭ·ṭū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
toward	אַחֲרֵ֣י	’a·ḥă·rê	Preposition	H310 behind
dishonest gain	הַבָּ֑צַע	hab·bā·ṣa‘	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1215 gain made by violence, unjust gain, profit
accepting	וַיִּ֨קְחוּ־	way·yiq·ḥū-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3947 take
bribes	שֹׁ֔חַד	šō·ḥaḏ	Noun - masculine singular	H7810 present
and perverting	וַיַּטּ֖וּ	way·yaṭ·ṭū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
justice	מִשְׁפָּֽט׃פ	miš·pāṭ	Noun - masculine singular	H4941 judgment

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

1 Samuel 8:1 Deuteronomy 16:18–19 · 1 Timothy 5:21 · Judges 8:22–23 · Judges 12:14 · 2 Chronicles 19:5–6 · Nehemiah 7:2 · Judges 10:4 · Judges 5:10

1 Samuel 8:3 Deuteronomy 16:19 · 1 Timothy 6:10 · Psalm 15:5 · Exodus 18:21 · Exodus 23:8 · 2 Samuel 15:4 · 1 Timothy 3:3 · Isaiah 33:15 · Jeremiah 22:15–17 · Ecclesiastes 2:19 · 1 Kings 12:6–11

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.