1 Samuel 8 · Verse 1

1 Samuel 8:1

And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
1 Samuel 8:1, King James Version

1 Samuel 8:1 in other translations

BSBWhen Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.
WEBWhen Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.
ASVAnd it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
YLTAnd it cometh to pass, when Samuel is aged, that he maketh his sons judges over Israel.
DARBYAnd it came to pass when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
BBENow when Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.
WebsterAnd it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

What does 1 Samuel 8:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 8:1-5
1Sa 8:1-18. Occasioned by the Ill- Government of Samuel's Sons, the Israelites Ask a King. 1-5. when Samuel was old--He was now about fifty-four years of age, having discharged the office of sole judge for twelve years. Unable, from growing infirmities, to prosecute his circuit journeys through the country, he at length confined his magisterial duties to Ramah and its neighborhood (1Sa 7:15), delegating to his sons as his deputies the administration of justice in the southern districts of Palestine, their provincial court being held at Beer-sheba. The young men, however, did not inherit the high qualities of their father. Having corrupted the fountains of justice for their own private aggrandizement, a deputation of the leading men in the country lodged a complaint against them in headquarters, accompanied with a formal demand for a change in the government. The limited and occasional authority of the judges, the disunion and jealousy of the tribes under the administration of those rulers, had been creating a desire for a united and permanent form of government; while the advanced age of Samuel, together with the risk of his death happening in the then unsettled state of the people, was the occasion of calling forth an expression of this desire now.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Samuel, grown old, makes his sons judges in Beer-sheba, 1Sam 8:1, 1Sam 8:2. They pervert judgment; and the people complain, and desire a king, 1Sam 8:3-5. Samuel is displeased, and inquires of the Lord, 1Sam 8:6. The Lord is also displeased; but directs Samuel to appoint them a king, and to show them solemnly the consequences of their choice, 1Sam 8:7-9. Samuel does so; and shows them what they may expect from an absolute monarch, and how afflicted they should be under his administration, 1Sam 8:10-18. The people refuse to recede from their demand; and Samuel lays the matter before the Lord, and dismisses them, 1Sam 8:19-22. Verse 1 When Samuel was old - Supposed to be about sixty. He made his sons judges - He appointed them as his lieutenants to superintend certain affairs in Beer-sheba, which he could not conveniently attend to himself. But they were never judges in the proper sense of the word; Samuel was the last judge in Israel, and he judged it to the day of his death. See 1Sam 7:16.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 8:1-3
It does not appear that Samuel's sons were so profane and vicious as Eli's sons; but they were corrupt judges, they turned aside after lucre. Samuel took no bribes, but his sons did, and then they perverted judgment. What added to the grievance of the people was, that they were threatened by an invasion from Nahash, king of the Ammonites.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

1 Samuel 8:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיְהִ֕יvay.Hiand it wasH1961
כַּאֲשֶׁ֥רka.'a.Sher<just> whenH834
זָקֵ֖ןza.Kenhe was oldH2204
שְׁמוּאֵ֑לshe.mu.'ElSamuelH8050
וַיָּ֧שֶׂםvai.Ya.semand he madeH7760
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
בָּנָ֛יוba.Navsons hisH1121
שֹׁפְטִ֖יםsho.fe.TimjudgesH8199
לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל\׃le.Yis.ra.'Elfor IsraelH3478

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 8:1

  • Deuteronomy 16:18-19

    Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment. Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

  • 1 Timothy 5:21

    I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

  • Judges 8:22-23

    Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you.

  • Nehemiah 7:2

    That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.

  • Judges 12:14

    And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.

  • 2 Chronicles 19:5-6

    And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city, And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment.

  • Judges 10:4

    And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havoth–jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

  • Judges 5:10

    Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 By occasion of the ill government of Samuel's sons, the Israelites ask a king.
6 Samuel praying in grief, is comforted by God.
10 He tells the manner of a king.
19 God wills Samuel to yield unto the importunity of the people.

A.M. 2892. B.C. 1112. An. Ex. Is. 379. made his.
De 16:18,19; Jud 8:22,23; 2Ch 19:5,6; Ne 7:2; 1Ti 5:21
sons judges.
Jud 5:10; 10:4; 12:14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 8:1

    And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

  • 1 Samuel 8:2

    Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beer–sheba.

Read all of 1 Samuel 8

1 Samuel 8:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y ACONTECIÓ que habiendo Samuel envejecido, puso sus hijos por jueces sobre Israel.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il arriva que, lorsque Samuel fut vieux, il établit ses fils juges sur Israël.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und es geschah, als Samuel alt geworden war, da setzte er seine Söhne als Richter ein über Israel.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Factum est autem cum senuisset Samuel, posuit filios suos judices Israël.