“And Samuel said unto all Israel: Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all
that you said unto me, and have made a king over you.”
Seemingly, Samuel 12 states the obvious when Samuel tells his brethren: “I have hearkened
unto your voice…and have made a king over you.” For the last several chapters, we have been
reading about King Saul and monarchy. It’s hardly newsworthy. So, what is Samuel getting at
here, Abravanel wonders?
Samuel then continues. “And now, behold, the king walks before you; and I am old and
grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you; and I have walked before you from my youth
unto this day.” The elder leader’s career is winding down, a judgeship spanning generations.
Now, however, his sun is setting. He wants to bare his soul
Actually, something else laid heavy on his mind. Samuel sought to settle a score – and accounts.
“Here I am; witness against me before the LORD, and before His anointed: whose ox have I
taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? or whom have I oppressed? or of
whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.”.
As Abravanel learns, the prophet’s farewell is no nicety, formality. Instead, the judge emeritus
of the Jewish people shared sagely advice: leaders are accountable for their actions; immunity
is immoral and ludicrous. Samuel bids people to speak out – without fear of reprisal.
Abravanel explains that men in power take gifts/graft for themselves in three distinct ways – all
of which are unconscionable.
- They might try to “innocuously” categorize it as a loan, not a present.
- They might steal or rob outright.
- They might sweet talk rich folks and finagle them into handing over moolah.
Be that as it may, Samuel on the eve of handing over the reins of power to King Saul, exudes
transparency. Let’s see how Abravanel matches up the three typical ways unscrupulous rulers
misappropriate money with Samuel’s final words to his co-religionists.
“Whose ox have I taken….” The prophet demands to know from all those present if anybody
“lent” him an animal that now needs to be restored. Next, Samuel says: “Or whom did I
defraud?” This refers to exerting force or threat of force. Finally, the prophet addresses the
third method that leaders are wont to do for purposes of extracting gifts: “Or whom have I
oppressed?” Did I, Samuel challenges, ingratiate myself with wealthy people for personal
aggrandizement?
The prophet wound up his words, assuring the crowd that he was prepared to repay any money
inappropriately gained. “Or of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind mine eyes therewith?
and I will restore it you.”
Abravanel puts Samuel’s remarks in light of political custom he witnessed in renaissance Italy –
political accountability. Namely, there was a practice extant in the Italian city-states that when
one magistrate or judge retired and a new man sat on the bench, protocol demanded a
thorough audit. To the point, the first order of business for any incoming leader was to review
his predecessor’s policies. If wrongdoing could be proved, the outgoing leader would be sued
and forced to pay damages. “And he said unto them: The LORD is witness against you, and His
anointed is witness this day, that you have not found aught in my hand. And they said: He is
witness.” Solemnly, Samuel invokes God and His anointed, King Saul, to acknowledge his
honesty and integrity. King Saul, the incoming ruler, would be charged to perform a painstaking
review of Samuel’s finances.