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Commentaries on 1 Samuel 12:18

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John Gill - Exposition

John Gill

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 12 In this chapter Samuel, resigning the government to Saul, asserts the integrity with which he had performed his office, and calls upon the people of Israel to attest it, who did, 1 Samuel 12:1, he then reminds them of the great and good things the Lord had done for them in times past, 1 Samuel 12:6 and whereas they had desired a king, and one was given them, it was...

John Gill - Exposition

John Gill

So Samuel called unto the Lord,.... Not in an authoritative way, or by way of command, but by prayer; so the Targum renders the clause in the preceding verse, "I will pray before the Lord:'' and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; immediately, though there was no appearance of it; it was harvest time, and a fine harvest day. Josephus says (p) he sent thunder, lightning, and hail, a terrible...

Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary

Matthew Henry

We left the general assembly of the states together, in the close of the foregoing chapter; in this chapter we have Samuel's speech to them, when he resigned the government into the hands of Saul, in which, I. He clears himself from all suspicion or imputation of mismanagement, while the administration was in his hands, ver. 1-5. II. He reminds them of the great things God had done for them and...

Spurgeon - Verse Expositions

Charles H. Spurgeon

So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder a and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king. That thunderstorm was a powerful preacher to them, and the rain drops, that fell so copiously,...