The Meaning of 1 Samuel 8:5 Explained

1 Samuel 8:5

KJV: And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

YLT: and say unto him, 'Lo, thou hast become aged, and thy sons have not walked in thy ways; now, appoint to us a king, to judge us, like all the nations.'

Darby: and said to him, Behold, thou art become old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now appoint us a king to judge us, like all the nations.

ASV: and they said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And said  unto him, Behold, thou art old,  and thy sons  walk  not in thy ways:  now make  us a king  to judge  us like all the nations. 

What does 1 Samuel 8:5 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 8:5 mean?

and said to him Look you are old and your sons not do walk in your ways Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו הִנֵּה֙ אַתָּ֣ה זָקַ֔נְתָּ וּבָנֶ֕יךָ לֹ֥א הָלְכ֖וּ בִּדְרָכֶ֑יךָ עַתָּ֗ה שִֽׂימָה־ לָּ֥נוּ מֶ֛לֶךְ לְשָׁפְטֵ֖נוּ כְּכָל־ הַגּוֹיִֽם

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלָ֗יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הִנֵּה֙  Look 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
זָקַ֔נְתָּ  are  old 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: זָקֵן  
Sense: to be old, become old.
וּבָנֶ֕יךָ  and  your  sons 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
הָלְכ֖וּ  do  walk 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
בִּדְרָכֶ֑יךָ  in  your  ways 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
עַתָּ֗ה  Now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
שִֽׂימָה־  make 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
לָּ֥נוּ  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
מֶ֛לֶךְ  a  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
לְשָׁפְטֵ֖נוּ  to  judge  us 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, first person common plural
Root: שָׁפַט  
Sense: to judge, govern, vindicate, punish.
כְּכָל־  like  all 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַגּוֹיִֽם  the  nations 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.