A.T. Robertson Commentary Acts 13:21

"And afterward they asked for a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for the space of forty years." — Acts 13:21 (ASV)

They asked (ηιτησαντο). First aorist indirect middle indicative, they asked for themselves. They were tired of a theocracy. Cf. 1 Samuel 8:5; 10:1. Paul mentions with pride that Benjamin was the tribe of Saul (his name also), but he does not allude to Saul's sin (Furneaux).

For the space of forty years (ετη τεσσερακοντα). Accusative of extent of time. Not in the O.T., but in Josephus, Ant. VI. 14, 9.