These passages from the Hebrew Bible address two themes important to ancient Jewish thinking. The first is the meaning of kingship; the second is the nature of the Covenant between the Hebrews and their god, Yahweh.

These excerpts describe an incident when Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, threatened to destroy the Hebrews. Tribal elders had previously chosen judges to lead the community in times of crisis, but now it appeared to many Hebrews that new and effective political and military leadership was needed, and they demanded that a kingship be established. They turned to Samuel, the last of the judges and a prophet, who reluctantly anointed Saul as the first Hebrew king. In this excerpt Samuel reviews the political, military, and religious situation confronting the Hebrews, and he notes that his time as their leader is over.

Nahash the Ammonite marched up and besieged Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh-gilead said to Nahash, “Make a pact with us, and we will serve you.” But Nahash the Ammonite answered them, “I will make a pact with you on this condition, that everyone’s right eye be gouged out; I will make this a humiliation for all Israel.” The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days’ respite, so that we may send messengers throughout the territory of Israel; if no one comes to our aid, we will surrender to you.” When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and gave this report in the hearing of the people, all the people broke into weeping.

Saul was just coming from the field driving the cattle; and Saul asked, “Why are the people crying?” And they told him about the situation of the men of Jabesh. When he heard these things, the spirit of God gripped Saul and his anger blazed up. He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, which he sent by messengers throughout the territory of Israel, with the warning, “Thus shall be done to the cattle of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel into battle.” Terror from the LORD fell upon the people, and they came out as one man. [Saul] mustered them in Bezek, and the Israelites numbered 300,000, the men of Judah 30,000. The messengers who had come were told, “Thus shall you speak to the men of Jabesh-gilead: Tomorrow, when the sun grows hot, you shall be saved.” When the messengers came and told this to the men of Jabesh-gilead, they rejoiced. The men of Jabesh then told [the Ammonites], “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever you please.”

The next day, Saul divided the troops into three columns; at the morning watch they entered the camp and struck down the Ammonites until the day grew hot. The survivors scattered; no two were left together.

The people then said to Samuel, “Who was it said, ‘Shall Saul be king over us?’ Hand the men over and we will put them to death!” But Saul replied, “No man shall be put to death this day! For this day the LORD has brought victory to Israel.”

Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there inaugurate the monarchy.” So all the people went to Gilgal, and there at Gilgal they declared Saul king before the LORD. They offered sacrifices of well-being there before the LORD; and Saul and all the men of Israel held a great celebration there.

Then Samuel said to all Israel: “I have yielded to you in all you have asked of me and have set a king over you. Henceforth the king will be your leader.

“As for me, I have grown old and gray — but my sons are still with you — and I have been your leader from my youth to this day. Here I am! Testify against me, in the presence of the LORD and in the presence of His anointed one: Whose ox have I taken, or whose ass have I taken? Whom have I defrauded and whom have I robbed? From whom have I taken a bribe to look the other way? I will return it to you.” They responded, “You have not defrauded us, and you have not robbed us, and you have taken nothing from anyone.” He said to them, “The LORD then is witness, and His anointed is witness, to your admission this day that you have found nothing in my possession.” They responded, “He is!”

Samuel said to the people, “The LORD [is witness], He who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt. Come, stand before the LORD while I cite against you all the kindnesses that the LORD has done to you and your fathers.

At this point Samuel reminds the Hebrews of their Covenant with Yahweh. He lists the times when they had broken that Covenant, the times when they had served other gods. He also reminds them of Yahweh’s punishment for their backsliding. He tells them frankly that they are wrong to demand an earthly king to rule over them, for Yahweh is their lord, god, and king. Despite his misgivings, Samuel agrees to continue praying for them and providing them with advice, but he cautions that the king, too, must obey Yahweh’s laws.

“Well, the LORD has set a king over you! Here is the king that you have chosen, that you have asked for.

“If you will revere the LORD, worship Him, and obey Him, and will not flout the LORD’s command, if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, [well and good]. But if you do not obey the LORD and you flout the LORD’s command, the hand of the LORD will strike you, as it did your fathers.

“Now stand by and see the marvelous thing that the LORD will do before your eyes. It is the season of the wheat harvest. I will pray to the LORD and He will send thunder and rain; then you will take thought and realize what a wicked thing you did in the sight of the LORD when you asked for a king.”

Samuel prayed to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day, and the people stood in awe of the LORD and of Samuel. The people all said to Samuel, “Intercede for your servants with the LORD your God that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins the wickedness of asking for a king.” But Samuel said to the people, “Have no fear. You have, indeed, done all those wicked things. Do not, however, turn away from the LORD your God, but serve the LORD with all your heart. Do not turn away to follow worthless things, which can neither profit nor save but are worthless. For the sake of His great name, the LORD will never abandon His people, seeing that the LORD undertook to make you His people. As for me, far be it from me to sin against the LORD and refrain from praying for you; and I will continue to instruct you in the practice of what is good and right. Above all, you must revere the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; and consider how grandly He has dealt with you. For if you persist in your wrongdoing, both you and your king shall be swept away.

Source: 1 Samuel 11:1–15; 12:1–7, 13–25. Reprinted from the Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures by permission of the University of Nebraska Press. Copyright 1985 The Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia.

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