Story · 18 · Hannah and Samuel
'Give us a king, like other nations'
When Samuel's sons prove corrupt, Israel's elders demand a king. God tells Samuel: they haven't rejected you; they've rejected me.
Getting what you ask for can be the punishment.
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Samuel, like Deborah, is both judge and prophet, but he tries to pass his authority to his sons, breaking the non-hereditary pattern. The request leads to Saul, then David, then two kingdoms, and ultimately exile.
Bible reference: 1 Samuel 8:5–7
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 286–287
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