The Meaning of 1 Samuel 8:3 Explained

1 Samuel 8:3

KJV: And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

YLT: and his sons have not walked in his ways, and turn aside after the dishonest gain, and take a bribe, and turn aside judgment.

Darby: And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice.

ASV: And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And his sons  walked  not in his ways,  but turned aside  after  lucre,  and took  bribes,  and perverted  judgment. 

What does 1 Samuel 8:3 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 8:1-9 - Seeking A King Like Other Nations
The sin that Samuel, as a lad, rebuked in Eli, reappeared in his own family and undermined his influence. The names of Samuel's sons are suggestive of his own piety-"Jehovah is God" and "Jehovah is my Father"-but, alas, they failed to walk in His steps! It was a mistake to delegate authority to men whose character was corrupt, and this precipitated the desire of Israel for a king. They failed to value the glory and strength of their position as a theocracy-a nation directly ruled by God-and craved to be as other nations. This finally led to their undoing. Be not conformed to the world; or you will share in its condemnation as well as in its penalty, Hosea 13:9-11.
Samuel felt the rebuff keenly, but ultimately he took the one wise step of laying the whole matter before the Lord. It is a good example! When the heart is overwhelmed; when we are hemmed in by difficulty; when men rise up and breathe out cruelty against us, let us roll back our trouble on our Lord and Savior, who has identified Himself with our life. Tell Him all, though your heart is almost too broken for utterance. "He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry," Isaiah 30:19. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 8

1  By occasion of the ill government of Samuel's sons, the Israelites ask a king
6  Samuel praying in grief is comforted by God
10  He tells the manner of a king
19  God wills Samuel to yield unto the importunity of the people

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 8:3 mean?

But not did walk his sons - in his ways and they turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice -
וְלֹֽא־ הָלְכ֤וּ בָנָיו֙ [בדרכו] (בִּדְרָכָ֔יו) וַיִּטּ֖וּ אַחֲרֵ֣י הַבָּ֑צַע וַיִּ֨קְחוּ־ שֹׁ֔חַד וַיַּטּ֖וּ מִשְׁפָּֽט פ

וְלֹֽא־  But  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
הָלְכ֤וּ  did  walk 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
בָנָיו֙  his  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
[בדרכו]  - 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
(בִּדְרָכָ֔יו)  in  his  ways 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
וַיִּטּ֖וּ  and  they  turned  aside 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
אַחֲרֵ֣י  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
הַבָּ֑צַע  dishonest  gain 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֶּצַע  
Sense: profit, unjust gain, gain (profit) acquired by violence.
וַיִּ֨קְחוּ־  and  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
שֹׁ֔חַד  bribes 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֹׁחַד  
Sense: present, bribe.
וַיַּטּ֖וּ  and  perverted 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
מִשְׁפָּֽט  justice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation