1 Samuel 8:12
New International Version
Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.

New Living Translation
Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment.

English Standard Version
And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.

Berean Standard Bible
He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and of fifties, and others to plow his ground, to reap his harvest, to make his weapons of war, and to equip his chariots.

King James Bible
And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.

New King James Version
He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.

New American Standard Bible
He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to gather in his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.

NASB 1995
“He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.

NASB 1977
“And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.

Legacy Standard Bible
And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.

Amplified Bible
He will appoint them for himself to be commanders over thousands and over fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his implements of war and equipment for his chariots.

Christian Standard Bible
He can appoint them for his use as commanders of thousands or commanders of fifties, to plow his ground and reap his harvest, or to make his weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He can appoint them for his use as commanders of thousands or commanders of fifties, to plow his ground or reap his harvest, or to make his weapons of war or the equipment for his chariots.

American Standard Version
and he will appoint them unto him for captains of thousands, and captains of fifties; and he will set some to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots.

Contemporary English Version
Some of them will be officers in charge of 1,000 soldiers, and others will be in charge of 50. Still others will have to farm the king's land and harvest his crops, or make weapons and parts for his chariots.

English Revised Version
and he will appoint them unto him for captains of thousands and captains of fifties; and he will set some to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He will appoint them to be his officers over 1,000 or over 50 soldiers, to plow his ground and harvest his crops, and to make weapons and equipment for his chariots.

Good News Translation
He will make some of them officers in charge of a thousand men, and others in charge of fifty men. Your sons will have to plow his fields, harvest his crops, and make his weapons and the equipment for his chariots.

International Standard Version
He will appoint his officers over thousands and officers over fifties—some will plow his fields, reap his harvest, and craft his war implements and equipment for his chariots.

Majority Standard Bible
He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and of fifties, and others to plow his ground, to reap his harvest, to make his weapons of war, and to equip his chariots.

NET Bible
He will appoint for himself leaders of thousands and leaders of fifties, as well as those who plow his ground, reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war and his chariot equipment.

New Heart English Bible
And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands, and commanders of fifties; and he will assign some to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and gather his vintage, and to make his implements of war, and the equipment of his chariots.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to till his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.

World English Bible
He will appoint them to him for captains of thousands and captains of fifties; and he will assign some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest; and to make his instruments of war and the instruments of his chariots.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
also to appoint for himself heads of thousands, and heads of fifties; also to plow his plowing, and to reap his reaping; and to make instruments of his war, and instruments of his charioteer.

Young's Literal Translation
also to appoint for himself heads of thousands, and heads of fifties; also to plow his plowing, and to reap his reaping; and to make instruments of his war, and instruments of his charioteer.

Smith's Literal Translation
And to set to himself captains of thousands and captains of fifties; and to plough his ploughing and to reap his harvest, and to do all his fighting and all his chariots.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he will appoint of them to be his tribunes, and centurions, and to plough his fields, and to reap his corn, and to make him arms and chariots.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he will appoint them to be his tribunes and centurions, and the plowmen of his fields, and the harvesters of the grain, and the makers of his weapons and chariots.

New American Bible
He will appoint from among them his commanders of thousands and of hundreds. He will make them do his plowing and harvesting and produce his weapons of war and chariotry.

New Revised Standard Version
and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he will appoint for himself officers of thousands and officers of hundreds and officers of fifties and officers of tens. And they shall plow his ground and reap his harvest and make his implements of war and instruments for his chariots.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he will make for himself Chiefs of thousands and Chiefs of hundreds and Chiefs of fifties and Chiefs of tens, and they will plow his field and they will harvest his harvest and they will make the weapons of his war and the implements of his chariots
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he will appoint them unto him for captains of thousands, and captains of fifties; and to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and his manner shall be to make them to himself captains of hundreds and captains of thousands; and to reap his harvest, and gather his vintage, and prepare his instruments of war, and the implements of his chariots.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Samuel's Warning
11He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to his own chariots and horses, to run in front of his chariots. 12He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and of fifties, and others to plow his ground, to reap his harvest, to make his weapons of war, and to equip his chariots. 13And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 17:14-20
When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” / you are to appoint over yourselves the king whom the LORD your God shall choose. Appoint a king from among your brothers; you are not to set over yourselves a foreigner who is not one of your brothers. / But the king must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire more horses, for the LORD has said, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’ ...

1 Kings 9:22
But Solomon did not consign any of the Israelites to slavery, because they were his men of war, his servants, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and cavalry.

1 Kings 12:4
“Your father put a heavy yoke on us. But now you must lighten the burden of your father’s service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

1 Kings 4:7
Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel to provide food for the king and his household. Each one would arrange provisions for one month of the year,

1 Kings 4:27
Each month the governors in turn provided food for King Solomon and all who came to his table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking.

1 Kings 5:13-14
Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel. / He sent them to Lebanon in monthly shifts of 10,000 men, so that they would spend one month in Lebanon and two months at home. And Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor.

1 Kings 12:10-11
The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you must make it lighter.’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! / Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.’”

1 Kings 21:7-10
But his wife Jezebel said to him, “Do you not reign over Israel? Get up, eat some food, and be cheerful, for I will get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” / Then Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city. / In the letters she wrote: “Proclaim a fast and give Naboth a seat of honor among the people. ...

2 Samuel 20:24
Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;

2 Chronicles 10:4
“Your father put a heavy yoke on us. But now you must lighten the burden of your father’s service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

2 Chronicles 10:10-11
The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you must make it lighter.’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! / Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.’”

Matthew 20:25-28
But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. / It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, / and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave— ...

Mark 10:42-45
So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. / But it shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, / and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. ...

Luke 22:25-27
So Jesus declared, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them call themselves benefactors. / But you shall not be like them. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves. / For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines? But I am among you as one who serves.

John 13:13-17
You call Me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, because I am. / So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. / I have set you an example so that you should do as I have done for you. ...


Treasury of Scripture

And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.

appoint

1 Chronicles 27:1-22
Now the children of Israel after their number, to wit, the chief fathers and captains of thousands and hundreds, and their officers that served the king in any matter of the courses, which came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, of every course were twenty and four thousand…

and will set

1 Kings 4:7,22,23,27,28
And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision…

2 Chronicles 32:28,29
Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks…

Jump to Previous
Appoint Assign Building Captains Chariots Commanders Cutting Ear Equipment Harvest Heads Implements Instruments Making Others Plough Ploughing Plow Plowing Reap Thousands War War-Carriages Weapons Work
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Appoint Assign Building Captains Chariots Commanders Cutting Ear Equipment Harvest Heads Implements Instruments Making Others Plough Ploughing Plow Plowing Reap Thousands War War-Carriages Weapons Work
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














He will appoint
The Hebrew root for "appoint" is "שׂוּם" (sum), which means to set, place, or establish. This word indicates a deliberate action of assigning roles and responsibilities. In the context of ancient Israel, this reflects the king's authority to organize and structure society according to his needs, a significant shift from the theocratic leadership under judges to a centralized monarchy.

some for himself
The phrase "for himself" underscores the self-serving nature of the king's appointments. This highlights a departure from the communal and God-centered leadership of the judges, where leaders served the people and God. The king's focus on personal gain and consolidation of power serves as a cautionary tale about the potential for human leaders to prioritize their interests over those of the community.

as commanders of thousands and of fifties
The terms "commanders of thousands and of fifties" refer to military organization. In ancient Israel, this structure was a common way to organize troops, reflecting a hierarchical system. The mention of "thousands" and "fifties" indicates a comprehensive military strategy, suggesting that the king would prioritize military strength and readiness, possibly at the expense of other societal needs.

and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest
This phrase highlights the economic demands a king would place on his subjects. The use of "plow his ground and reap his harvest" indicates that the king would require labor for his agricultural enterprises, which were essential for sustaining the royal household and military. This reflects a shift from the tribal, family-based agricultural system to one where resources are centralized under the king's control.

and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots
The production of "weapons of war and equipment for his chariots" signifies the king's focus on military expansion and defense. Chariots were a symbol of military power and technological advancement in ancient times. This phrase suggests that the king would prioritize military industry, potentially leading to increased taxation and labor demands on the people, further illustrating the burdens of monarchical rule.

(12) To ear his ground.--To ear, that is, to plough. The word is an old word (Anglo-Saxon earian), and connected with the Latin arare.

Verse 12. - Captains over thousands, and captains over fifties. The largest and smallest divisions respectively of an Israelite, army. However objectionable the king's personal state might be, this would fall in with the people's wishes, for it would give them the promise of a well organised army. Not so the next clause, to ear i.e. to plough - his ground. Forced labour was one of the most unjust, oppressive, and wasteful exactions of absolute governments, and was the chief cause of the revolt of the ten tribes from Rehoboam (comp. 1 Kings 5:13-16; 1 Kings 12:4). And yet it was the universal rule in ancient times, and in some countries it has continued even to the present day to be the law that the peasants must at certain seasons give their labour unpaid either to the proprietors or to the state. Naturally, for a nation of agriculturists to have to leave their own fields just when their presence at home was most needed to plough the king's ground and reap his harvest would be a bitter annoyance, because to the loss would be added a sense of wrong. How determinately a high-spirited nation like the Jews did resist this injustice we gather not merely from the indignation felt against Solomon's levies, but also from the reproach cast in Jehoiakim's teeth by Jeremiah, that "he used his neighbour's service without wages, and gave him not for his work" (Jeremiah 22:13). To make his instruments of war. Such work must be done; but in well organised states it is paid for by means of taxes, i.e. by a money compensation in place of personal service. In semi-barbarous states forced labour is used, and the national arsenals furnished at the greatest possible expense and vexation to those compelled to labour, and loss to the national resources.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He will appoint
וְלָשׂ֣וּם (wə·lā·śūm)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

some for himself
ל֔וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

as commanders
שָׂרֵ֥י (śā·rê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 8269: Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince

of thousands
אֲלָפִ֖ים (’ă·lā·p̄îm)
Number - masculine plural
Strong's 505: A thousand

and of fifties,
חֲמִשִּׁ֑ים (ḥă·miš·šîm)
Number - common plural
Strong's 2572: Fifty

and others to plow
וְלַחֲרֹ֤שׁ (wə·la·ḥă·rōš)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2790: To cut in, engrave, plow, devise

his ground,
חֲרִישׁוֹ֙ (ḥă·rî·šōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2758: A plowing, plowing time

to reap
וְלִקְצֹ֣ר (wə·liq·ṣōr)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7114: To dock off, curtail, to harvest

his harvest,
קְצִיר֔וֹ (qə·ṣî·rōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7105: Severed, harvest, the crop, the time, the reaper, a limb

and to make
וְלַעֲשׂ֥וֹת (wə·la·‘ă·śō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6213: To do, make

his weapons
כְּלֵֽי־ (kə·lê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3627: Something prepared, any apparatus

of war
מִלְחַמְתּ֖וֹ (mil·ḥam·tōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4421: A battle, war

and equip
וּכְלֵ֥י (ū·ḵə·lê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3627: Something prepared, any apparatus

his chariots.
רִכְבּֽוֹ׃ (riḵ·bōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7393: A vehicle, a team, cavalry, a rider, the upper millstone


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OT History: 1 Samuel 8:12 And he will appoint them to him (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 8:11
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