1 Samuel 8:4
ESV
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah
NIV
So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
NASB
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah;
CSB
So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah.
NLT
Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel.
KJV
Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
NKJV
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah,
What does 1 Samuel 8:4 mean?
Before the time of the kings in Israel, this verse pictures the best version of Israel's political structure. If the elders of Israel wanted to suggest a change, they would bring their request to the one the Lord appointed as His representative. This was because the Lord was the true King of Israel with direct rule over them. These elders presumably included representatives from the tribes of Israel. It may also have included men who governed certain territories. In this case, they brought their request to Samuel: both judge over Israel and a prophet of God (1 Samuel 3:19–21; 7:15–17). Ramah was not the capital of Israel, but it had become an important religious site because it was Samuel's hometown (1 Samuel 7:17).Interestingly, the elders of Israel request a change to the very system of government they were using to make their request. They wanted God's spokesperson to replace himself with a king (1 Samuel 8:5).
