KJV ORIGINAL
And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his officials.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The writer is warning that a king will seize people's most valuable property and redistribute it to his government officials.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of Samuel's warning to the Israelites about what would happen if they insisted on having a king like other nations. In ancient times, absolute monarchs commonly confiscated private property to reward their loyal servants and maintain their power base. Samuel was describing the typical behavior of Near Eastern kings who would redistribute wealth to secure political loyalty.
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