The Meaning of 1 Samuel 12:1 Explained

1 Samuel 12:1

KJV: And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.

YLT: And Samuel saith unto all Israel, 'Lo, I have hearkened to your voice, to all that ye said to me, and I cause to reign over you a king,

Darby: And Samuel said to all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened to your voice in all that ye said to me, and have made a king over you.

ASV: And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Samuel  said  unto all Israel,  Behold, I have hearkened  unto your voice  in all that ye said  unto me, and have made  a king  over you. 

What does 1 Samuel 12:1 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 12:1 mean?

And said Samuel to all Israel indeed I have heeded your voice in all that you said to me and have made over you a king
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל֙ אֶל־ כָּל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הִנֵּה֙ שָׁמַ֣עְתִּי בְקֹֽלְכֶ֔ם לְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־ אֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם לִ֑י וָאַמְלִ֥יךְ עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם מֶֽלֶךְ

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
שְׁמוּאֵל֙  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.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
הִנֵּה֙  indeed 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
שָׁמַ֣עְתִּי  I  have  heeded 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
בְקֹֽלְכֶ֔ם  your  voice 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
לְכֹ֥ל  in  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם  you  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לִ֑י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
וָאַמְלִ֥יךְ  and  have  made 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: מָלַךְ 
Sense: to be or become king or queen, reign.
עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם  over  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
מֶֽלֶךְ  a  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.