The Meaning of 1 Samuel 12:19 Explained

1 Samuel 12:19

KJV: And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.

YLT: and all the people say unto Samuel, 'Pray for thy servants unto Jehovah thy God, and we do not die, for we have added to all our sins evil to ask for us a king.'

Darby: And all the people said to Samuel, Pray to Jehovah thy God for thy servants, that we die not; for we have added to all our sins the wickedness to ask for ourselves a king.

ASV: And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto Jehovah thy God, that we die not; for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And all the people  said  unto Samuel,  Pray  for thy servants  unto the LORD  thy God,  that we die  not: for we have added  unto all our sins  [this] evil,  to ask  us a king. 

What does 1 Samuel 12:19 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 12:14-25 - His Warning Confirmed From Heaven
Having handed his office over to Saul, who henceforth was to shepherd and lead the Chosen People, Samuel assured them that the Lord would not forsake them, "for his great name's sake," 1 Samuel 12:22. Oh, take these words to heart, and let them linger like a strain of sweet music in your memory! You may have missed the mark, lost your way, and drifted from the ancient moorings, but the love of God has not forsaken you. Being disappointed, it lingers; being repelled, it returns; being buffeted, it entreats. God's name-that is, His honor-is at stake. See Joshua 7:9; Isaiah 48:9; Isaiah 48:11.
Terrified by the thunder-storm, which was God's endorsement of His servant's faith, the people entreated for Samuel's continued prayers; and the aged seer assured them that he would count it a great sin if he ceased to pray for them. Prayerlessness is not only an evidence of a besotted and demoralized nature, but is in itself a sin which requires confession and cleansing. When the heart is right with God, prayer arises like a fountain, from unseen depths. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 12

1  Samuel testifies his integrity
6  He reproves the people of ingratitude
16  He terrifies them with thunder in harvest time
20  he comforts them in God's mercy

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 12:19 mean?

And said all the people to Samuel Pray for your servants Yahweh your God that not we may die for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for ourselves a king -
וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ כָל־ הָעָ֜ם אֶל־ שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל הִתְפַּלֵּ֧ל בְּעַד־ עֲבָדֶ֛יךָ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ וְאַל־ נָמ֑וּת כִּֽי־ יָסַ֤פְנוּ עַל־ כָּל־ חַטֹּאתֵ֙ינוּ֙ רָעָ֔ה לִשְׁאֹ֥ל לָ֖נוּ מֶֽלֶךְ ס

וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הָעָ֜ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל  Samuel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁמוּאֵל  
Sense: son of Elkanah by his wife Hannah and judge or prophet of Israel during the days of Saul and David.
הִתְפַּלֵּ֧ל  Pray 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: פָּלַל 
Sense: to intervene, interpose, pray.
עֲבָדֶ֛יךָ  your  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְאַל־  that  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
נָמ֑וּת  we  may  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
יָסַ֤פְנוּ  we  have  added 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: יָסַף 
Sense: to add, increase, do again.
חַטֹּאתֵ֙ינוּ֙  our  sins 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.
רָעָ֔ה  the  evil 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
לִשְׁאֹ֥ל  of  asking 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁאַל 
Sense: to ask, enquire, borrow, beg.
לָ֖נוּ  for  ourselves 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
מֶֽלֶךְ  a  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation