Things went so very well with Israel, in the chapter before, under Samuel’s administration, that, methinks, it is a pity to find him so quickly, as we do in this chapter, old, and going off, and things working towards a revolution. But so it is; Israel’s good days seldom continue long.

Two sad things we find here, but not strange things:—1. A good and useful man growing old and unfit for service : Samuel was old, and could not judge Israel, as he had done.

We have here the starting of a matter perfectly new and surprising, which was the setting up of kingly government in Israel. Perhaps the thing had been often talked of among them by those that were given to change and affected that which looked great.