וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר זָקֵן שְׁמוּאֵל וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת בָּנָיו שֹׁפְטִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל

It was when Samuel was old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. Since the status of a judge and the framework of his society were not well defined, as the judge was a charismatic leadership role, it was only natural that a highly successful judge would wish to appoint his sons to continue his path.

וַיְהִי שֶׁם בְּנוֹ הַבְּכוֹר יוֹאֵל וְשֵׁם מִשְׁנֵהוּ אֲבִיָּה שֹׁפְטִים בִּבְאֵר שָׁבַע

The name of his firstborn son was Yoel and the name of his second son was Aviya, and they were judges in Beersheba. Samuel sent them to the south of the land, perhaps because Beersheba was far away from his own theater of activity. Apparently, Samuel would travel with all his belongings and equipment, and therefore such a long journey was difficult for him personally.

וְלֹא הָלְכוּ בָנָיו בִּדְרָכָו וַיִּטּוּ אַחֲרֵי הַבָּצַע וַיִּקְחוּ שֹׁחַד וַיַּטּוּ מִשְׁפָּט

His sons did not follow his ways, and they turned to greed; they took bribes and distorted justice.

וַיִּתְקַבְּצוּ כֹּל זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל שְׁמוּאֵל הָרָמָתָה

All the elders of Israel gathered and came to Samuel to Rama.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו הִנֵּה אַתָּה זָקַנְתָּ וּבָנֶיךָ לֹא הָלְכוּ בִּדְרָכֶיךָ עַתָּה שִׂימָה לָּנוּ מֶלֶךְ לְשָׁפְטֵנוּ כְּכָל הַגּוֹיִם

They said to him: Behold, you have grown old, and your sons have not followed in your ways. It is possible that Samuel was aware of what was going on, but he did not have the power to oppose his sons. Now, after we have seen that the rule of judges is unstable and national leadership has begun in Israel, appoint a king for us to judge us like all the surrounding nations. The elders did not wish to dismiss Samuel from his position, but they wanted to regularize and facilitate the continuation of a central authority. They turned to the prophet because he had the power to decide on behalf of all Israel.

וַיֵּרַע הַדָּבָר בְּעֵינֵי שְׁמוּאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמְרוּ תְּנָה לָּנוּ מֶלֶךְ לְשָׁפְטֵנוּ וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל ה'

Nevertheless, the matter was very grave in the eyes of Samuel, when they said: Give us a king to judge us, and Samuel prayed to the Lord with regard to this matter.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל שְׁמוּאֵל שְׁמַע בְּקוֹל הָעָם לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יֹאמְרוּ אֵלֶיךָ כִּי לֹא אֹתְךָ מָאָסוּ כִּי אֹתִי מָאֲסוּ מִמְּלֹךְ עֲלֵיהֶם

The Lord said to Samuel: Heed the voice of the people with regard to everything that they will say to you, for it is not you whom they have despised; rather, they have despised Me from reigning over them. Their desire for a king is not due to any flaw they might have found in your leadership, but rather they seek the ritualistic, idolatrous aspects of a king. The effective meaning of their request is that they no longer want My rule.

כְּכָל הַמַּעֲשִׂים אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ מִיּוֹם הַעֲלֹתִי אֹתָם מִמִּצְרַיִם וְעַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וַיַּעַזְבֻנִי וַיַּעַבְדוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים כֵּן הֵמָּה עֹשִׂים גַּם לָךְ

Like all the deeds that they committed from the day that I brought them up from Egypt until this day, that they forsook Me and worshipped other gods, so they are doing to you, as well. Do not be offended that they have abandoned you, as they have also abandoned Me, and, in the words of the Sages, a servant should be no better off than his master.

וְעַתָּה שְׁמַע בְּקוֹלָם אַךְ כִּי הָעֵד תָּעִיד בָּהֶם וְהִגַּדְתָּ לָהֶם מִשְׁפַּט הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יִמְלֹךְ עֲלֵיהֶם

Now, heed their voice; however, you shall forewarn them and tell them the practice of the king who will reign over them. Since for centuries they have not been subject to a stringent regime, you must first explain to them how they are apt to be treated by a king.

וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶת כָּל דִּבְרֵי ה' אֶל הָעָם הַשֹּׁאֲלִים מֵאִתּוֹ מֶלֶךְ

Samuel said all the words of the Lord to the people who were requesting a king of him.

וַיֹּאמֶר זֶה יִהְיֶה מִשְׁפַּט הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יִמְלֹךְ עֲלֵיכֶם אֶת בְּנֵיכֶם יִקָּח וְשָׂם לוֹ בְּמֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ וּבְפָרָשָׁיו וְרָצוּ לִפְנֵי מֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ

He said: This will be the practice of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint for him to his chariot and to his horsemen, as his own private guard; and your sons to run before his chariot, in order to honor him.

וְלָשׂוּם לוֹ שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים וְשָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים וְלַחֲרֹשׁ חֲרִישׁוֹ וְלִקְצֹר קְצִירוֹ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת כְּלֵי מִלְחַמְתּוֹ וּכְלֵי רִכְבּוֹ

And to appoint for him leaders of thousands and leaders of fifties. Your sons will be made captains of his army. And the king will also take your sons to plow his furrows, and to reap his harvest, and to craft his weapons of war and the gear of his chariots, for all his private needs as well as for national requirements.

וְאֶת בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם יִקָּח לְרַקָּחוֹת וּלְטַבָּחוֹת וּלְאֹפוֹת

Furthermore, he will not recruit the men alone, but your daughters he will take to serve in the royal household, as perfumers, or those who prepare medicinal beverages, and as cooks, and as bakers of bread and the like.

וְאֶת שְׂדוֹתֵיכֶם וְאֶת כַּרְמֵיכֶם וְזֵיתֵיכֶם הַטּוֹבִים יִקָּח וְנָתַן לַעֲבָדָיו

As for your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, the fine ones will he take, confiscate some of them, and give them to his servants. Even if he is not a wicked king, he will require appropriate living quarters and surroundings for both himself and his ministers, and you will have to pay the price.

וְזַרְעֵיכֶם וְכַרְמֵיכֶם יַעְשֹׂר וְנָתַן לְסָרִיסָיו וְלַעֲבָדָיו

Your seed and your vineyards he will tithe and give to his officers and to his servants.

וְאֶת עַבְדֵיכֶם וְאֶת שִׁפְחוֹתֵיכֶם וְאֶת בַּחוּרֵיכֶם הַטּוֹבִים וְאֶת חֲמוֹרֵיכֶם יִקָּח וְעָשָׂה לִמְלַאכְתּוֹ

Your slaves and your maidservants, your fine young men and your donkeys he will take and utilize for his labor. He will use them for his own purposes.

צֹאנְכֶם יַעְשֹׂר ואַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ לוֹ לַעֲבָדִים

He will also tithe your flock, and in general, you will be slaves to him. He will subjugate your bodies, and in addition to the standard taxes that must be paid in every country, he will impose arbitrary levies upon you.

וּזְעַקְתֶּם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא מִלִּפְנֵי מַלְכְּכֶם אֲשֶׁר בְּחַרְתֶּם לָכֶם וְלֹא יַעֲנֶה ה' אֶתְכֶם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא

You will cry out on that day, when you are suffering from all the tasks and impositions placed upon you, because of your king whom you will have chosen for you, but the Lord will not answer you on that day. You will be unable to restore matters to their former state.

וַיְמָאֲנוּ הָעָם לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹל שְׁמוּאֵל וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹּא כִּי אִם מֶלֶךְ יִהְיֶה עָלֵינוּ

The people refused to heed the voice of Samuel, and they said: No; rather, there shall be a king over us. Until now we were not really a nation, but more of a collection of tribes without a defined leadership. Occasionally, the head of a tribe would take a leadership role for certain public matters, but he did not have the authority or title of a king. Now we wish to establish a national political structure;

וְהָיִינוּ גַם אֲנַחְנוּ כְּכָל הַגּוֹיִם וּשְׁפָטָנוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ וְיָצָא לְפָנֵינוּ וְנִלְחַם אֶת מִלְחֲמֹתֵנוּ

and we too will be like all the nations, whose king heads an orderly regime and state; our king will judge us, and he will go out before us as our commander, and wage our wars.

וַיִּשְׁמַע שְׁמוּאֵל אֶת כָּל דִּבְרֵי הָעָם וַיְדַבְּרֵם בְּאָזְנֵי ה'

It is evident from the people’s response that they understood the ramifications of the appointment of a king, and yet they accepted all those hardships upon themselves. Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he spoke them in the ears of the Lord. As the mediator between God and the nation, he first informed the people of the nature of a king, and subsequently relayed their response to God.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל שְׁמוּאֵל שְׁמַע בְּקוֹלָם וְהִמְלַכְתָּ לָהֶם מֶלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל אַנְשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְכוּ אִישׁ לְעִירוֹ

The Lord said to Samuel: If so, heed their voice, and crown a king for them. Samuel said to the men of Israel: Go, each man to his city. I accept your proposal. I do not know of a fitting man for this role, and therefore I must search for a suitable candidate for the monarchy. When I find him I will call you, and then we will hold a coronation ceremony.