1 Samuel 12:22

1Sa 12:22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

Ver. 22. For the Lord will not forsake his people.] Whatever the devil and your own misgiving hearts may suggest to the contrary: as it is ordinary with men to measure God according to their own models, and to think that he should deal by them, as they have done by him. But he is God and not man, yea, there is no God like him for pardoning of sins of all sorts and sizes. {Mic 7:17}

For his great name’s sake,] i.e., For his honour’s sake, which he mainly respecteth in all his actions: there being none higher than himself to whom to have respect.

Because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people.] He chose you for his love; and he still loveth you for his choice. Go home to him, therefore, again, and he will receive you. As when man and wife drop out, they consider they must live together, and therefore they piece again: so should it be betwixt God and his people.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Sa_12:22

For the Lord will not forsake His people.

God never forsakes His people

I. Let us consider how God has made our nation His peculiar people.

1. It hath pleased the Lord to separate us in a peculiar manner from other nations.

2. It hath pleased the Lord to make us the objects of His peculiar care and protection. Thus He distinguished His ancient chosen people.

3. The Lord has been pleased to form us for His peculiar service, by making us, from the beginning, a religious people.

II. To show what ground we have to hope that God will not forsake us. It appears from the preceding observations, that He has done a good deal to form us for Himself. Can we suppose that He would spend so much time and employ so many means to make us His peculiar people, without some wise and weighty reasons.

1. God will not forsake us because He loved and respected our fathers. As the effectual, fervent prayers of such righteous men must have been pleasing to God, so they give us ground to hope that He will long remember our land, and not forsake the children of those whom He delighted to love.

2. We are encouraged to hope that God will not forsake us, because He loves the pious posterity of our pious ancestors. God often spared the whole Jewish nation for the sake of those pious individuals who remained heartily attached to His cause and His interest. And as long as a succession of these godly men shall remain, we have reason to hope that the Lord will spare us from national ruin.

3. We may confidently hope not to be forsaken by God, because He may still answer very important purposes, by preserving and treating us as His peculiar people. One end may be, to make it appear to the world that He is able to protect a nation whom He has set apart for Himself, against their most, powerful and subtile enemies.

III. Let me now apply this leading sentiment agreeably to the design of the day, and the present state of our religion and government.

1. If God will continue to own us as His peculiar people, then we may confide in His wisdom and goodness, to defeat the designs of those, who attempt to destroy our national peace and prosperity.

2. If God will not forsake us, then He will enlarge us, and make us an exceedingly great and flourishing nation.

3. If God will not forsake us, but own us as His peculiar people, then it is to be expected that He will take effectual care to maintain the cause of religion among us. This will be necessary to promote our prosperity, and to prepare us to answer His chief design in making us His peculiar people. The cause of religion is now in a languishing state. Notwithstanding, therefore, the present triumph of vice and infidelity, we may confidently hope that our churches will live, increase, and flourish, till the end of time. This God will do for us, for His great names sake.

4. If God intends to own and build us up as His favourite people, then He has much for us to do, in carrying into execution His gracious designs. This is probably the last peculiar people which He means to form, and the last great empire which He means to erect, before the kingdoms of this world are absorbed in the kingdom of Christ. God is now loudly proclaiming that we have much to do to maintain His cause, and promote His designs, in opposition to His and our enemies.

5. This subject teaches us how we ought to feel and to act in our present situation. Our feelings and conduct ought to be in conformity with the past and present dispensations of Divine providence towards us. (N. Emmons, D. D.)

Gods protective presence

We can be sure of this, that God will be with us in all the days that He before us. What may be round the next headland we know not; but this we know, that the same sunshine will make a broadening path across the waters right to where we rock on the unknown sea, and the same unmoving mighty star will burn for our guidance. So we may let the waves and currents roll as they list; or rather, as He lists, and be little concerned about the incidents or the companions of our voyage since He is with us. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Sa 12:22. His name’s sake — That is, for his own honour, which would suffer much among men, if he should not preserve and deliver his people in imminent dangers. And this reason God allegeth, to take them off from all conceit of their own merit; and to assure them, that if they did truly repent of all their sins, and serve God with all their hearts, yet even in that case their salvation would not be due to their merits, but the effect of God’s free mercy. To make you his people — Out of his own free grace, without any desert of yours, and therefore he will not forsake you, except you thrust him away.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12:22 because that would dishonor his great name: God will never contradict his own character and detract from his glory (see also Isa 37:35; 43:25; 48:9-11). Therefore, he always keeps his covenant promises, even if his people do not. • his very own people: Israel is God’s treasured possession (see Exod 19:5; Deut 9:25-29). He will never abandon them (see Rom 11:1-5, 25-32).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Of his free mercy, and not of your merits, and therefore he will not forsake you.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 22. The Lord will not forsake his people] He will not as yet cast you off, though you have deserved it. His purpose in preserving them in their land and religion was not yet accomplished. It was not however for their sake that he would not cast them off, but for his own great name's sake. He drew his reasons from himself.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(22) It hath pleased the Lord to make you his people.—The simple doctrine of election—as far as we can see, based alone on the arbitrary will of God (though, no doubt, unseen by us, deep reasons exist for every seemingly arbitrary choice)—is here enunciated. The analogy of every-day life teaches the same truth. “He maketh one vessel to honour and another to dishonour.” These things are to us inscrutable.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22. for his great name’s sake] Lest He should seem in the eyes of the heathen not to be such as He declares Himself to be, Almighty, True, Faithful. Compare the use of this plea by Moses (Exo_32:12; Num_14:13 ff.), and Joshua (Jos_7:9). See also Rom_11:1-2.

it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people] God’s free choice of Israel to be his people is dwelt upon at length in Deu_7:6-11.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake. For the sake of himself, his honour and glory; should he forsake his people, and suffer them to come to ruin, his name would be blasphemed among the Heathens; he would be charged either with want of power to help them, or with want of faithfulness to his promise to them, and with inconstancy to himself, or want of kindness and affection for them; all which would reflect upon his honour and glory:

because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people; it was not owing to any worth or worthiness in them that they became his people, but to his own sovereign good will and pleasure; and therefore, as it was nothing in them that was the cause of their being taken by him for his people, so nothing in them could be the cause of their being rejected by him as such; it was of free grace and favour that they were taken into covenant with him, and by the same would be retained: the Vulgate Latin version is,"the Lord hath sworn to make you a people for himself;''so Jarchi interprets it, he swore, and takes it to have the same sense as in Sa1 14:24.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Sake. This motive often proved the salvation of Israel, Exodus xxxii. 12. The Scriptures wholly tend to impress upon our minds, a sense of our own weakness, and of God’s infinite glory and perfection. (Calmet) --- We may all say, "Our hope to rise is all from Thee---our ruin’s all our own." (Austin.[St. Augustine?])

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

For his great name’s sake, i.e. for his own honour, which would seem to suffer much among men, if he should not preserve and deliver people in eminent dangers; as if he were grown feeble, or forgetful, or inconstant, or unfaithful, or regardless of human affairs, or unkind to those who own and worship him, when all the rest of the world forsake him. Hence this argument hath been oft pleaded with God, not without good success, as Exo 32:12; Num 14:13, &c. And this reason God here allegeth to take them off from all conceit of their own merit; and to assure them, that if they did truly repent of all their sins, and served God with all their heart, which is here supposed, yet even in that case their salvation would not be due to their merits, but only the effect of God’s free mercy.

It hath pleased the Lord, to wit, out of his own free grace, without any desert of yours, as he saith, Deu 7:7; 9:5; and therefore he will not easily forsake you, except you thrust him away.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

22. For his great name’s sake — Jehovah is jealous of his glory; and all its sublime manifestations in defence of his people he could not well forget.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For his great name"s sake. Though Samuel in ver. 14 had described their well being as dependent upon their own conduct, yet in a higher light it depended upon God"s will. He had chosen Israel not for its own sake, (Deu_7:7, Deu_7:8) but for a special purpose, to minister to the Divine plan for the redemption of all mankind, and so, though individuals might sin to their own ruin, and the nation bring upon itself severe chastisements, yet it must continue according to the tenor of God"s promises, (see on 1Sa_2:30) and through weal and woe discharge the duty imposed upon it.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

His name's sake - That is, for his own honour, which would suffer much among men, if he should not preserve and deliver his people in eminent dangers. And this reason God alledgeth to take them off from all conceit of their own merit; and to assure them, that if they did truly repent of all their sins, and serve God with all their heart; yet even in that case their salvation would not be due to their merits; but the effect of God's free mercy. To make - Out of his own free grace, without any desert of yours, and therefore he will not forsake you, except you thrust him away.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

"For (כּי gives the reason for the main thought of the previous verse, 'Fear not, but serve the Lord,' etc.) the Lord will not forsake His people for His great name's sake; for it hath pleased the Lord (for הואיל, see at Deu 1:5) to make you His people." The emphasis lies upon His. This the Israelites could only be, when they proved themselves to be the people of God, by serving Jehovah with all their heart. "For His great name's sake," i.e., for the great name which He had acquired in the sight of all the nations, by the marvellous guidance of Israel thus far, to preserve it against misapprehension and blasphemy (see at Jos 7:9).

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

For the sake of his great name

Here "name" refers to the reputation of Yahweh. AT: "So that people will continue to honor and respect Yahweh" (See: Metonymy)

far be it from me that I should sin against Yahweh by ceasing to pray for you

The people are filled with fear because of the rain and thunder that Yahweh sent when Samuel prayed. Some people may believe Samuel would use his prayers to harm them. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

name

Yahweh

reject

people group

people of God

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

For the sake of His great Name. For His fame has spread because of you, that He is your savior, and lest the fame of His greatness be lessened.

Adonoy has sworn.הוֹאִיל meaning he swore, as in, "And Shaul made the people swear ]וַיֹאֶל[."

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.