1 Samuel 12:20

“And Samuel said unto the people, fear not, etc.] Being destroyed by the tempest: ye have done all this wickedness; in asking a king; that is, though they were guilty of so heinous a sin, yet there were grace and mercy with God, and they should not despair of it, so be it that they did not depart from him, but cordially served him; the Targum is, “ye have been the cause of all this evil;” the storm of thunder and rain; and though they had, he would not have them despond or indulge slavish fear; yet turn not aside from following the Lord; the worship of the Lord, as the Targum; provided they did not depart from the Lord, and forsake his worship, word, and ordinances, they need not fear utter…”

“Fear not - With a desponding fear, as if there were no hope left for you. 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 12:21”

“Fear not: Exo 20:19, Exo 20:20; Pe1 3:16 turn not: Deu 11:16, Deu 31:29; Jos 23:6; Psa 40:4, Psa 101:3, Psa 125:5; Jer 3:1 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 12:21”

“Samuel thereupon announced to them first of all, that the Lord would not forsake His people for His great name's sake, if they would only serve Him with uprightness. In order, however, to give no encouragement to any false trust in the covenant faithfulness of the Lord, after the comforting words, "Fear not," he told them again very decidedly that they had done wrong, but that now they were not to turn away from the Lord, but to serve Him with all their heart, and not go after vain idols. To strengthen this admonition, he repeats the תּסוּרוּ לא in Sa1 12:21, with the explanation, that in turning from the Lord they would fall away to idols, which could not bring them either help or…”