1 Samuel 8:16

And he will take your menservants and maidservants and your best cattle and donkeys and put them to his own use.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Samuel delivers this warning to the elders of Israel who demanded a human monarch, detailing the future king’s compulsory seizure of labor and livestock.

The words — עַבְדֵיכֶם ('avdeikhem) translates as "your male servants," and בַּחוּרֵיכֶם הַטּוֹבִים (bachureikhem hatovim) means "your young men, the best."

The thread — This conscription pattern opens the warning in 1 Samuel 8:11 and continues through the parallel taxation clauses in 1 Samuel 8:15 and 8:17.

Why it lands — It requires the reader to acknowledge that human kingship operates through involuntary extraction rather than divine provision.

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

וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>עַבְדֵיכֶם֩'av.dei./Khem[male] servants/ your וְֽאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>שִׁפְח֨וֹתֵיכֶ֜םshif.Cho.tei./Khemfemale servants/ your וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>בַּחוּרֵיכֶ֧םba.chu.rei./Khemyoung men/ your הַטּוֹבִ֛יםha./to.Vim<the>/ good וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>חֲמוֹרֵיכֶ֖םcha.mo.rei./Khemdonkeys/ your יִקָּ֑חyi.Kachhe will take וְעָשָׂ֖הve./'a.Sahand/ he will use [them]לִמְלַאכְתּֽוֹ׃li/m.lakh.T/ofor/ work/ his

King James Version

And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.