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1 Samuel 8:20
That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.

Numbers 27:17
Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.

I am old

1 Samuel 8:1,5
And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel…

Psalm 71:18
Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength untothis generation,and thy power to every onethat is to come.

Isaiah 46:3,4
Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borneby me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: …

my sons

1 Samuel 2:22,29
Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembledat the door of the tabernacle of the congregation…

1 Samuel 3:13,16
For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not…

1 Samuel 8:3
And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

I have walked

1 Samuel 3:19,20
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground…

and I am old and gray
Samuel's acknowledgment of his age underscores his long service and faithfulness to God and Israel. His "old and gray" status lends weight to his words, as he speaks with the authority and wisdom of a life dedicated to God's service. This phrase also highlights the natural progression of leadership, as Samuel prepares to pass the mantle to the newly anointed king. Samuel's life parallels other biblical figures who served God into their old age, such as Moses and Joshua, emphasizing the value of lifelong faithfulness.

and my sons are here with you
Samuel's mention of his sons, who are present among the people, serves as a reminder of their previous failure in leadership. In1 Samuel 8:3, it is noted that Samuel's sons did not walk in his ways and were corrupt judges. This reference underscores the need for a new form of leadership, as the people's dissatisfaction with Samuel's sons partly motivated their demand for a king. It also serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of righteous leadership and the consequences of failing to uphold God's standards.

I have walked before you from my youth until this day
Samuel's statement about his lifelong service to Israel highlights his integrity and dedication. From his miraculous birth and early dedication to God (1 Samuel 1-2), Samuel has been a faithful servant, prophet, and judge. His "walking before" the people signifies his role as a spiritual leader and mediator between God and Israel. This phrase also reflects the biblical theme of walking with God, as seen in figures like Enoch and Noah, who "walked with God" (Genesis 5:24, 6:9). Samuel's life of service foreshadows the ultimate Servant, Jesus Christ, who perfectly walked in obedience to the Father and served humanity.

• Samuel directs attention to Saul, acknowledging that the long-requested monarch is now publicly leading the nation (1 Samuel 10:24).

• This moment confirms God’s sovereign reply to Israel’s earlier plea for a king (1 Samuel 8:5;Deuteronomy 17:14-15).

• The phrase “walking before you” pictures Saul actively governing—an everyday reminder that earthly authority is visible and accountable (Romans 13:1;Proverbs 21:1).

• By placing the king “before” the people, Samuel underlines that his own role is shifting from national judge to prophetic advisor (1 Samuel 12:23).

• Samuel openly admits his advancing age, echoing leaders like Joshua who addressed Israel at life’s sunset (Joshua 23:2;Psalm 71:17-18).

• His transparency highlights the reality that even the most faithful servants have limited earthly tenure (Job 14:5;2 Timothy 4:6-7).

• The contrast between the new king’s vigor and Samuel’s frailty invites Israel to place its ultimate trust in the eternal Lord, not in any human figure (Psalm 90:1-2).

• Samuel points to his sons, who once failed in their judicial duties (1 Samuel 8:1-3). Their presence underscores that accountability before God and community remains, regardless of past shortcomings (Ezekiel 18:20).

• By noting “with you,” Samuel submits his family to the same covenant standards that bind every Israelite (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).

• This brief mention reminds leaders today that family pedigree never exempts anyone from righteous expectations (1 Timothy 3:4-5).

• Samuel’s life is an unbroken testimony of consistent obedience, beginning with his childhood service at Shiloh (1 Samuel 3:19-20).

• “Walked before you” conveys lived-out integrity, echoed later by Paul’s “I always strive to keep my conscience clear before God and man” (Acts 24:16; 20:18).

• His lifelong faithfulness validates the prophetic charges he will issue moments later (1 Samuel 12:14-15).

• The statement models perseverance, encouraging believers to finish well (Hebrews 12:1-2;Philippians 3:14).

1 Samuel 12:2 captures a pivotal transition: the prophet steps back while the newly installed king steps forward. Samuel’s age, his family’s visibility, and his lifelong integrity frame the scene, reminding Israel—and every reader—that leadership changes, human strength fades, but faithfulness to God’s covenant endures.

And I am old and grayheaded.--Here the prophet, with some pathos, refers to the elders' own words at Ramah (chap 8:5). Yes, said the seer, I am old--grown grey in your service; listen to me while I ask you what manner of service that has been. Can any one find in it a flaw? has it not been pure and disinterested throughout?

My sons are with you.--Yes, old indeed, for my offspring are numbered now among the grown men of the people. Possibly, however, a tinge of mortified feeling at the rejection of himself and his family, mixed with a desire to recommend his sons to the favour and goodwill of the nation, is at the bottom of this mention of them.--Speaker's Commentary.It is evident that these sons, whose conduct as Samuel's deputies had excited the severest criticism on the part of the elders (1Samuel 8:5), had been reduced--with the full consent, of course, of their father, who up to this period exercised evidently supreme power in all the coasts of Israel--to the condition of mere private citizens.

From my childhood unto this day.--Samuel's life had in truth been constantly before the public observation from very early days; well known to all were the details of his career--his early consecration under peculiar and exceptional circumstances to the sanctuary service, the fact of the "word of the Lord" coming directly to him when still a boy, his recognition by the people directly afterwards as a prophet, then his restless, unwearied work during the dark days which followed the fall of Shiloh. It was indeed a public life. He would have Israel, now they had virtually rejected his rule, think over that long busy life of his for a moment, and then pronounce a judgment on it.