The Meaning of 1 Samuel 12:3 Explained

1 Samuel 12:3

KJV: Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

YLT: Lo, here am I; testify against me, over-against Jehovah, and over-against His anointed; whose ox have I taken, and whose ass have I taken, and whom have I oppressed; whom have I bruised, and of whose hand have I taken a ransom, and hide mine eyes with it? -- and I restore to you.'

Darby: Here I am: testify against me before Jehovah, and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I injured? or of whose hand have I received any ransom and blinded mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it to you.

ASV: Here I am: witness against me before Jehovah, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Behold, here I [am]: witness  against me before the LORD,  and before his anointed:  whose ox  have I taken?  or whose ass  have I taken?  or whom have I defrauded?  whom have I oppressed?  or of whose hand  have I received [any] bribe  to blind  mine eyes  therewith? and I will restore  it you. 

What does 1 Samuel 12:3 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 12:1-13 - Samuel's Last Message To Israel
An end must come to the longest and most useful service. "Before his long sleep Samuel made protestation of his innocence before God and the people." Yes, the long sleep will come to us all, and happy are they who, before they lay down their heads upon the pillow of death, are able to extend their hands and to bare their hearts before those who have known them best, and say, "These are clean." The people bore double witness to the truth of Samuel's challenge, and the old man was comforted. Yes, God was witness, as well as the people, to his absolute integrity. See Acts 24:16.
Then Samuel pressed home, upon that dense mass of people, the sin of which they had been guilty in demanding a king instead of waiting for a heaven-sent deliverer. But we are liable to the same mistake. We look to the visible and forget the invisible. We forget that the invisible Christ stands waiting to succor, prepared to save unto the uttermost. In this faith the Apostle found his abiding peace and steadfastness. See 2 Corinthians 1:10. Let us, also, "set our hope" on Him who has delivered, and will deliver. [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 12:3 mean?

Here I am Witness against me before Yahweh and before His anointed - The ox of whom have I taken or the donkey have I taken or whom have I cheated have I oppressed or from the hand of whom have I received [any] bribe and to blind my eyes with which and I will restore [it] to you
הִנְנִ֣י עֲנ֣וּ בִי֩ נֶ֨גֶד יְהוָ֜ה וְנֶ֣גֶד מְשִׁיח֗וֹ אֶת־ שׁוֹר֩ ׀ מִ֨י ؟ לָקַ֜חְתִּי וַחֲמ֧וֹר ؟ לָקַ֗חְתִּי וְאֶת־ מִ֤י ؟ עָשַׁ֙קְתִּי֙ ؟ רַצּ֔וֹתִי וּמִיַּד־ מִי֙ לָקַ֣חְתִּי כֹ֔פֶר וְאַעְלִ֥ים עֵינַ֖י בּ֑וֹ וְאָשִׁ֖יב לָכֶֽם

הִנְנִ֣י  Here  I  am 
Parse: Interjection, first person common singular
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
עֲנ֣וּ  Witness 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
בִי֩  against  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
נֶ֨גֶד  before 
Parse: Preposition
Root: נֶגֶד  
Sense: what is conspicuous, what is in front of adv.
יְהוָ֜ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְנֶ֣גֶד  and  before 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: נֶגֶד  
Sense: what is conspicuous, what is in front of adv.
מְשִׁיח֗וֹ  His  anointed 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מָשִׁיחַ  
Sense: anointed, anointed one.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שׁוֹר֩ ׀  The  ox 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֹׁור  
Sense: ox, bull, a head of cattle.
מִ֨י  of  whom 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
؟ לָקַ֜חְתִּי  have  I  taken 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
וַחֲמ֧וֹר  or  the  donkey 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חֲמֹור 
Sense: (he)ass.
؟ לָקַ֗חְתִּי  have  I  taken 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
מִ֤י  whom 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
؟ עָשַׁ֙קְתִּי֙  have  I  cheated 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשַׁק  
Sense: to press upon, oppress, violate, defraud, do violence, get deceitfully, wrong, extort.
؟ רַצּ֔וֹתִי  have  I  oppressed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: רָצַץ  
Sense: to crush, oppress.
וּמִיַּד־  or  from  the  hand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
מִי֙  of  whom 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
לָקַ֣חְתִּי  have  I  received 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
כֹ֔פֶר  [any]  bribe 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּפֶר 
Sense: price of a life, ransom, bribe.
וְאַעְלִ֥ים  and  to  blind 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: עָלַם  
Sense: to conceal, hide, be hidden, be concealed, be secret.
עֵינַ֖י  my  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, first person common singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
בּ֑וֹ  with  which 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
וְאָשִׁ֖יב  and  I  will  restore  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
לָכֶֽם  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural