“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.”
My Notes
What Does 1 Samuel 12:19 Mean?
"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." After Samuel's confrontation — complete with a miraculous thunderstorm during wheat harvest — the people realize the magnitude of their demand. They acknowledge that asking for a king wasn't just a preference but a sin added to their existing sins. The phrase "added unto all our sins this evil" shows self-awareness: they recognize the rejection of God's direct rule as a distinct, additional offense.
Their request to Samuel — "pray for thy servants" — reveals both repentance and dependency. They call themselves his servants, acknowledge their error, and ask for intercession. Samuel's response (v. 20-25) is gracious: don't be afraid, just serve the LORD with all your heart. Even after the sin, restoration is available.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What decision in your life do you now recognize as 'adding to all your sins this evil'?
- 2.How does Samuel's response (grace after confrontation) encourage you about God's posture toward your failures?
- 3.What does it look like to serve God wholeheartedly within the consequences of a bad decision?
- 4.When has terror at what you've done become the doorway to genuine repentance?
Devotional
We added to all our sins this evil. The people finally see it. Asking for a king wasn't just a political preference. It was a rejection of God as their king. And they see it now — after the thunder, after the rain, after Samuel's confrontation — with terrifying clarity.
The honesty of this confession is remarkable. They don't minimize. They don't spin. They say: we have sinned, and this particular sin was an addition to all the others. They accumulated a pile of offenses, and then they put the king request on top. It's the sin that summarized all the rest: we want someone else in charge.
Their fear is also honest: pray that we don't die. They've just watched God send thunder during a dry season — a display of power specifically designed to show them who they rejected. And they're terrified. The God they traded for a human king just reminded them he controls the weather.
But Samuel's response is grace. Don't be afraid. Turn not aside. Serve the LORD with all your heart. The sin is real. The consequences will be real (they'll get the king they asked for, with all his taking). But the relationship isn't over. God will work with what they've chosen, even though what they chose was wrong. The door to faithfulness is still open, even after the mistake is made.
If you've made a choice you now recognize as sin — if you've added this evil to all your others — Samuel's response applies: don't be afraid. Don't give up. Turn to the LORD with all your heart from this point forward. The sin was real. And so is the grace.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And all the people said unto Samuel, During the tempest, and in the midst of it; it was the general cry of the people,…
Pray for thy servants - that we die not - As they knew they had rebelled against God, they saw that they had every thing…
Two things Samuel here aims at: -
I. To convince the people of their sin in desiring a king. They were now rejoicing…
Pray for thy servants See note on 1Sa 7:5.
this evil Wickedness: the same word as in 1Sa 12:12; 1Sa 12:12.
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture