1 Samuel 8:1-3

1 Samuel 8:1-3

[1] And it came to pass, when Samuel  was old,  that he made  his sons  judges  over Israel.  [2] Now the name  of his firstborn  was Joel;  and the name  of his second,  Abiah:  they were judges  in Beersheba.  [3] And his sons  walked  not in his ways,  but turned aside  after  lucre,  and took  bribes,  and perverted  judgment. 

What does 1 Samuel 8:1-3 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The people would probably not have pressed for a king at this time had Samuel"s sons proved as faithful to the Mosaic Covenant as their father had been. However, Joel ("Yahweh is God") and Abijah ("My [1] Father is Yahweh") disqualified themselves from leadership in Israel by disobeying the Law ( Exodus 23:6; Exodus 23:8; Deuteronomy 16:19). Eli"s sons had done the same thing. Parental influence is important, but personal choices are even more determinative in the outcome of one"s life. Whereas the writer censured Eli for his poor parenting ( 1 Samuel 3:13), he did not do so with Samuel. Evidently he did not consider Samuel responsible for his son"s conduct, or perhaps he did not want to sully the reputation of this great judge. Some commentators have faulted Samuel for his sons" behavior. [2]