1 Samuel

1 Samuel 8:1–5

1When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judgesa 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.

4So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5“Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.”

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

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Whenכַּאֲשֶׁ֥רka·’ă·šerPreposition-k; Pronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
Samuelשְׁמוּאֵ֑לšə·mū·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH8050 Samuel
grew oldזָקֵ֖ןzā·qênVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH2204 be or become old
he appointedוַיָּ֧שֶׂםway·yā·śemConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH7760 put, place, set
his sonsבָּנָ֛יוbā·nāwNoun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singularH1121 son
as judgesשֹׁפְטִ֖יםšō·p̄ə·ṭîmVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH8199 judge, govern
over Israelלְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃lə·yiś·rā·’êlPreposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel

1 Samuel 8:2

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
The nameשֶׁם־šem-Noun - masculine singular constructH8034 name
of his firstbornהַבְּכוֹר֙hab·bə·ḵō·wrArticle; Noun - masculine singularH1060 first-born
sonבְּנ֤וֹbə·nōwNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH1121 son
wasוַיְהִ֞יway·hîConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
Joelיוֹאֵ֔לyō·w·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3100 Joel
and the nameוְשֵׁ֥םwə·šêmConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular constructH8034 name
of his secondמִשְׁנֵ֖הוּmiš·nê·hūNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH4932 double, copy, second
was Abijahאֲבִיָּ֑ה’ă·ḇî·yāhNoun - proper - masculine singularH29 Abijah
They were judgesשֹׁפְטִ֖יםšō·p̄ə·ṭîmVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH8199 judge, govern
in Beershebaשָֽׁבַע׃šā·ḇa‘Preposition; Noun - proper - feminine singularH884 Beersheba

1 Samuel 8:3

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
But his sonsבָנָיו֙ḇā·nāwNoun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singularH1121 son
did notוְלֹֽא־wə·lō-Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
walkהָלְכ֤וּhā·lə·ḵūVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralH1980 go, come, walk
in his waysבְּדַרְכּוֹbə·ḏar·kōPreposition-b; Noun - common plural construct; third person masculine singularH1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner
they turned asideוַיִּטּ֖וּway·yiṭ·ṭūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
towardאַחֲרֵ֣י’a·ḥă·rêPrepositionH310 behind
dishonest gainהַבָּ֑צַעhab·bā·ṣa‘Article; Noun - masculine singularH1215 gain made by violence, unjust gain, profit
acceptingוַיִּ֨קְחוּ־way·yiq·ḥū-Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH3947 take
bribesשֹׁ֔חַדšō·ḥaḏNoun - masculine singularH7810 present
and pervertingוַיַּטּ֖וּway·yaṭ·ṭūConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
justiceמִשְׁפָּֽט׃פmiš·pāṭNoun - masculine singularH4941 judgment

1 Samuel 8:4

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
So allכֹּ֖לkōlNoun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
the eldersזִקְנֵ֣יziq·nêAdjective - masculine plural constructH2205 old
of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לyiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel
gathered togetherוַיִּֽתְקַבְּצ֔וּway·yiṯ·qab·bə·ṣūConjunctive waw; Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH6908 gather, collect
and cameוַיָּבֹ֥אוּway·yā·ḇō·’ūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH935 come in, come, go in, go
toאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
Samuelשְׁמוּאֵ֖לšə·mū·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH8050 Samuel
at Ramahהָרָמָֽתָה׃hā·rā·mā·ṯāhArticle; Noun - proper - feminine singular; third person feminine singularH7414 the Height, Rama

1 Samuel 8:5

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Lookהִנֵּה֙hin·nêhInterjectionH2009 lo! behold!
they saidוַיֹּאמְר֣וּway·yō·mə·rūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH559 utter, say
youאַתָּ֣ה’at·tāhPronoun - second person masculine singularH859 thou
are oldזָקַ֔נְתָּzā·qan·tāVerb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singularH2204 be or become old
and your sonsוּבָנֶ֕יךָū·ḇā·ne·ḵāConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH1121 son
do notלֹ֥אlōAdverb - Negative particleH3808 not
walkהָלְכ֖וּhā·lə·ḵūVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralH1980 go, come, walk
in your waysבִּדְרָכֶ֑יךָbiḏ·rā·ḵe·ḵāPreposition-b; Noun - common plural construct; second person masculine singularH1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner
Nowעַתָּ֗ה‘at·tāhAdverbH6258 now
appointשִֽׂימָה־śî·māh-Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; third person feminine singularH7760 put, place, set
a kingמֶ֛לֶךְme·leḵNoun - masculine singularH4428 king
to judge usלְשָׁפְטֵ֖נוּlə·šā·p̄ə·ṭê·nūPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; first person common pluralH8199 judge, govern
like allכְּכָל־kə·ḵāl-Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
the other nationsהַגּוֹיִֽם׃hag·gō·w·yimArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH1471 nation, people

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

1 Samuel 8:4 2 Samuel 5:3 · 1 Samuel 7:17

1 Samuel 8:5 Deuteronomy 17:14–15 · 1 Samuel 8:19–20 · 1 Samuel 8:6–8 · Hosea 13:10–11

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.