And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God was your king.
And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites was coming to attack you, you said to me, 'No! We want a king to rule over us' — even though the LORD your God was already your king.
Samuel is reminding the Israelites that they rejected God as their king and demanded a human king when they got scared of their enemies.
📚 Historical Context
Samuel is giving his farewell speech to Israel after they've gotten their first king, Saul. He's recounting how the people demanded a king when threatened by Nahash, the Ammonite king who had been terrorizing Israeli cities. This was a pivotal moment when Israel transitioned from being a theocracy (ruled directly by God through judges) to a monarchy like the surrounding nations.
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