1 Samuel 8 · Verse 4

1 Samuel 8:4

Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
1 Samuel 8:4, King James Version

1 Samuel 8:4 in other translations

BSBSo all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
WEBThen all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel to Ramah.
ASVThen all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah;
YLTAnd all the elders of Israel gather themselves together, and come in unto Samuel to Ramath,
DARBYThen all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah,
BBEThen all the responsible men of Israel got together and went to Samuel at Ramah,
WebsterThen all the elders of Israel assembled, and came to Samuel to Ramah,

What does 1 Samuel 8:4 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…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 8:1-5 →

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 8:4-9
Samuel was displeased; he could patiently bear what reflected on himself, and his own family; but it displeased him when they said, Give us a king to judge us, because that reflected upon God. It drove him to his knees. When any thing disturbs us, it is our interest, as well as our duty, to show our trouble before God. Samuel is to tell them that they shall have a king. Not that God was pleased with their request, but as sometimes he opposes us from loving-kindness, so at other times he gratifies us in wrath; he did so here. God knows how to bring glory to himself, and serves his own wise purposes, even by men's foolish counsels.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

1 Samuel 8:4 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.

וַיִּֽתְקַבְּצ֔וּvai.yit.ka.be.Tzuand they gathered togetherH6908
כֹּ֖לkolallH3605
זִקְנֵ֣יzik.Nei[the] elders ofH2205
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
וַיָּבֹ֥אוּvai.ya.Vo.'uand they cameH935
אֶל\־'el-toH413
שְׁמוּאֵ֖לshe.mu.'ElSamuelH8050
הָרָמָֽתָה\׃ha.ra.Ma.tah<the> Ramah towardsH7414

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 8:4

  • 2 Samuel 5:3

    So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over Israel.

  • 1 Samuel 7:17

    And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the Lord.

  • Exodus 24:1

    And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the Lord, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.

  • Exodus 3:16

    Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the elders.
Ex 3:16; 24:1; 2Sa 5:3

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 8:3

    And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

  • 1 Samuel 8:4

    Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,

  • 1 Samuel 8:5

    And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

Read all of 1 Samuel 8

1 Samuel 8:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces todos los ancianos de Israel se juntaron, y vinieron á Samuel en Rama,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et tous les anciens d’Israël s’assemblèrent et vinrent vers Samuel, à Rama;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da versammelten sich alle Ältesten von Israel und kamen zu Samuel nach Rama;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Congregati ergo universi majores natu Israël, venerunt ad Samuelem in Ramatha.