1 Samuel 8:1–3
Samuel's sons did not walk in his ways
Study it word by word1And it happened, when Samuel grew old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
2The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba.
3But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after gain, and took bribes, and perverted justice.
In its context
…
4Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah
5and said to him, “Look, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
Its words in the original
- יְהִיyehi· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- זָקֵןzaken· grow old
Grow old, be old.
- שְׁמוּאֵלshemuel· Samuel
Samuel, the name of two persons. One was a chief of the tribe of Simeon (Numbers 34:20). The best known is the son of Elkanah and Hannah, prophet and last judge of Israel, who anointed the kings Saul and David. The name sounds like "heard by El" or "name of El."
- יָּשֶׂםyasem· put, set
Put, place, set; appoint, establish; make something into something.
- בָּנָיbanay· son
Son. In the plural it can include sons and daughters, and also grandsons and descendants. "Son of..." also says what group someone belongs to ("sons of Israel" = Israelites).
- שֹׁפְטִיםshoftim· judge
Judge: decide who is in the right and do him justice; also punish. Also rule, govern.
- יִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael· Israel
Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.
- שֶׁםshem· name
Name. In the Bible a name says who someone is; so it also means fame, renown or reputation.
- בְּכוֹרbechor· firstborn
Firstborn: the first son, who had a special place in the family and in the inheritance; also the first young of an animal.
- יוֹאֵלyoel· Joel
Joel: the name of several people; among them the eldest son of Samuel (1 Samuel 8:2) and the prophet of the book of Joel. It means "YHWH is God".
- מִשְׁנֵmishne· second, double
Second in rank; also double, twice the amount; a copy.
- אֲבִיָּהaviya· Abijah
Abijah: the name of several people; among them Samuel's second son (1 Samuel 8:2), a son of Jeroboam (1 Kings 14:1) and a king of Judah (2 Chronicles 13:1). It means "my father is YHWH."
- בְאֵרveer· Beersheba
Beersheba, a place with wells in the south of Canaan, the southern limit of the land ("from Dan to Beersheba"). The name sounds like "well of the oath" and "well of the seven" (Genesis 21:28-31).
- הָלְכוּhalchu· go, walk
Go, walk, come. Figuratively, the way one lives ("walk with God").
- דְרָכָיderachay· way
Way, road, journey. Figuratively, the way one lives or acts.
- יִּטּוּyitu· stretch out, turn aside
Stretch out, spread; pitch a tent. Also bend, incline; turn aside, pervert (justice).
- בָּצַעbatsa· gain, profit
Gain, profit; often gain got by wrongdoing.
- יִּקְחוּyikchu· take
Take: seize, take along, receive. Also "take a wife" (marry).
- שֹׁחַדshochad· bribe
Bribe: a gift given to a judge to twist his decision.
- מִשְׁפָּטmishpat· justice, judgment
What is right and the decision that establishes it: the judgment of a judge, someone's right, a rule or ordinance, a custom. "Do righteousness and justice" is to treat each one as is due.