1 Samuel 12:4

“You have not cheated us or oppressed us,” they replied, “nor have you taken anything from the hand of man.”

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The assembled Israelites answer Samuel’s public accounting challenge recorded in 1 Samuel 12:3 by affirming his integrity during his tenure as judge.

The words — The Hebrew terms עֲשַׁקְתָּנוּ ('a.shak.Ta.nu, "you have oppressed us") and רַצּוֹתָנוּ (ra.tzo.Ta.nu, "you have crushed us") explicitly deny abusive treatment, while לָקַחְתָּ מִיַּד (la.Kach.ta mi.yad, "you have taken from the hand") denies illicit financial gain.

The thread — This pattern of verified integrity appears in Daniel 6:4, where adversaries cannot find a charge against Daniel, and 3 John 1:12, which records Demetrius’s good testimony from both people and the truth itself.

Why it lands — The text demands that readers accept public accountability requires honest testimony, while 1 Samuel 12:5 shows that human affirmation must ultimately yield to God’s final witness.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּva/i.Yo.me.Ruand/ they said לֹ֥אlo'not עֲשַׁקְתָּ֖נוּ'a.shak.Ta./nuyou have oppressed/ us וְלֹ֣אve./Lo'and/ not רַצּוֹתָ֑נוּra.tzo.Ta./nuyou have crushed/ us וְלֹֽא־ve./lo'-and/ not לָקַ֥חְתָּla.Kach.tayou have taken מִיַּד־mi./yad-from/ [the] hand of אִ֖ישׁ'ishanyone מְאֽוּמָה׃me.'U.mahanything

King James Version

And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand.

Cross-references

Psalms 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it.
Daniel 6:4 Thus the administrators and satraps sought a charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no charge or corruption, because he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him.
3 John 1:12 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also testify for him, and you know that our testimony is true.