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1 Samuel 12:4

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 1 Samuel 12:4 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken aught of any man`s hand.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken aught of any man`s hand.
1 Samuel 12:4 — American Standard Version

Context — 1 Samuel 12

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
1And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.
2And now, behold, the king walketh before you; and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my youth unto this day.
3Here I am: witness against me before Jehovah, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.
4And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken aught of any man`s hand.
5And he said unto them, Jehovah is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found aught in my hand. And they said, He is witness.
6And Samuel said unto the people, It is Jehovah that appointed Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
7Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before Jehovah concerning all the righteous acts of Jehovah, which he did to you and to your fathers.
← 1 Samuel 12:31 Samuel 12:5 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And they said, etc.] One in the name of the rest, or they all cried out as one man: thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us; had done them no wrong, neither privately nor publicly, by fraud or by force: neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand; as a gift, present, or bribe, to fit your his cause. Some would infer hence that be took nothing of them for his support and maintenance, and that he lived upon his own substance; but that is not likely or reasonable; it was but just that they should support him and his family suitably to his character as a judge, whose whole life was spent in their service.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Psa 37:5, Psa 37:6; Dan 6:4; Jo3 1:12 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 12:5”
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Related study paths

Read 1 Samuel 12 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification