Catholic Commentary on 1 Samuel 8

"It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king." (1 Samuel 8:7)

Israel Demands a King

Samuel is old and his sons, appointed as judges, are corrupt: they accept bribes and pervert justice. The elders of Israel gather and say: appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have. Samuel is displeased and prays to the LORD. God responds: It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Nevertheless, warn them solemnly about what the king who reigns over them will do.

Samuel warns them: the king will take your sons for his army, your daughters for his court, your fields and vineyards and olive groves for his officials, a tenth of your grain and vintage, your servants and best cattle and donkeys, and you yourselves will become his slaves. The people refuse to listen: no, we want a king over us. We want to be like all the other nations. The Catechism identifies the request for a king as the classic form of the human desire to be governed by human power rather than divine wisdom: the exchange of the invisible King for a visible one always costs the freedom it promised to guarantee (CCC 2816).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, they were warned exactly what the king would cost and they still wanted one. We want to be like all the other nations. The desire for the visible human authority that replaces the invisible divine authority is the desire for the security of the familiar over the adventure of faith. The king who is like all the other nations always costs a tenth and ends in slavery.

Prayer

Lord God, we do not want to be like all the other nations. We want you as our King. Forgive us for the times we have traded your invisible kingship for the visible power of human systems. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

8
Israel Demands a King
(Deuteronomy 17:14-20)
1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges * 8:1 Or governors or leaders; similarly in verses 2, 5, 6, and 20 over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside toward dishonest gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice.
 
4 So 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.”
 
6 But when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” their demand was displeasing in the sight of Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD.
 
7 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king. 8 Just as they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them, but you must solemnly warn them and show them the manner of the king who will reign over them.”
Samuel’s Warning
 
10 So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to his own chariots and horses, to run in front of his chariots.
 
12 He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and of fifties, and others to plow his ground, to reap his harvest, to make his weapons of war, and to equip his chariots.
 
13 And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.
 
14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his servants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and grape harvest and give it to his officials and servants. 16 And he will take your menservants and maidservants and your best cattle † 8:16 LXX; Hebrew your best young men and donkeys and put them to his own use.
 
17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will beg for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you on that day.”
God Grants the Request
 
19 Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to judge us, to go out before us, and to fight our battles.”
 
21 Samuel listened to all the words of the people and repeated them in the hearing of the LORD.
 
22 “Listen to their voice,” the LORD said to Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.”
 
Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Everyone must go back to his city.”

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

†8:16 8:16 LXX; Hebrew your best young men

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