The Meaning of 1 Samuel 12:17 Explained

1 Samuel 12:17

KJV: Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.

YLT: is it not wheat-harvest to-day? I call unto Jehovah, and He doth give voices and rain; and know ye and see that your evil is great which ye have done in the eyes of Jehovah, to ask for you a king.'

Darby: Is it not wheat-harvest to-day? I will call unto Jehovah, and he will send thunder and rain; and ye shall perceive and see that your wickedness is great which ye have done in the sight of Jehovah in asking for yourselves a king.

ASV: Is it not wheat harvest to-day? I will call unto Jehovah, that he may send thunder and rain; and ye shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of Jehovah, in asking you a king.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[Is it] not wheat  harvest  to day?  I will call  unto the LORD,  and he shall send  thunder  and rain;  that ye may perceive  and see  that your wickedness  [is] great,  which ye have done  in the sight  of the LORD,  in asking  you a king. 

What does 1 Samuel 12:17 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 12:17 mean?

[Is] not the harvest wheat today I will call to Yahweh and He will send thunder and rain that you may perceive and see that your wickedness [is] great which you have done in the sight of Yahweh in asking for yourselves a king -
הֲל֤וֹא קְצִיר־ חִטִּים֙ ؟ הַיּ֔וֹם אֶקְרָא֙ אֶל־ יְהוָ֔ה וְיִתֵּ֥ן קֹל֖וֹת וּמָטָ֑ר וּדְע֣וּ וּרְא֗וּ כִּֽי־ רָעַתְכֶ֤ם רַבָּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר עֲשִׂיתֶם֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לִשְׁא֥וֹל לָכֶ֖ם מֶֽלֶךְ ס

הֲל֤וֹא  [Is]  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
קְצִיר־  the  harvest 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָצִיר 
Sense: harvest, harvesting.
חִטִּים֙  wheat 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: חִטָּה  
Sense: wheat.
؟ הַיּ֔וֹם  today 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
אֶקְרָא֙  I  will  call 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְיִתֵּ֥ן  and  He  will  send 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
קֹל֖וֹת  thunder 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
וּמָטָ֑ר  and  rain 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָטָר  
Sense: rain.
וּדְע֣וּ  that  you  may  perceive 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
וּרְא֗וּ  and  see 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
רָעַתְכֶ֤ם  your  wickedness  [is] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
רַבָּה֙  great 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
עֲשִׂיתֶם֙  you  have  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
בְּעֵינֵ֣י  in  the  sight 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לִשְׁא֥וֹל  in  asking 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁאַל 
Sense: to ask, enquire, borrow, beg.
לָכֶ֖ם  for  yourselves 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
מֶֽלֶךְ  a  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation