1 Samuel 8:3
1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.
2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.
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.”
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside toward dishonest gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice.
- KJV
- And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
- WEB
- His sons didn’t walk in his ways, but turned away after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.
- ASV
- And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice.
- DARBY
- And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice.
- BLB
- And his sons did not walk in his ways, and they turned aside after dishonest gain, and they took bribes and perverted justice.
- ÅB
- Men hans sønner vandret ikke på hans veier, men søkte bare egen vinning og tok imot gaver og bøyde retten.
- OTB
- Men hans sønner fulgte ikke hans eksempel. De var ute etter uærlig vinning, tok imot bestikkelser og forvrengte retten.
- B1930
- Men hans sønner vandret ikke på hans veier, men søkte bare egen vinning og tok imot gaver og bøide retten.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Deuteronomy 16:19
Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.
Read in context1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
Read in contextPsalms 15:5
who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
Read in contextExodus 18:21
Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
Read in contextExodus 23:8
Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.
Read in contextIsaiah 33:15
He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, who refuses gain from extortion, whose hand never takes a bribe, who stops his ears against murderous plots and shuts his eyes tightly against evil—
Read in context2 Samuel 15:4
And he would add, “If only someone would appoint me judge in the land, then everyone with a grievance or dispute could come to me, and I would give him justice.”
Read in context1 Timothy 3:3
not dependent on wine, not violent but gentle, peaceable, and free of the love of money.
Read in context