Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Samuel 8:5

"and they said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." — 1 Samuel 8:5 (ASV)

And said unto him. —They based their request—which, however, they framed almost in the very terms used in the prophecy of the Law (Deuteronomy 17:14)—on two circumstances: first, the age of Samuel and his resulting inability to act as their leader in the constant wars and forays with the surrounding hostile nations; and secondly, the degeneracy of his sons, who, placed by their father in positions of great trust, naturally expected to succeed him in his high office.

They felt that the cares and duties of government were too weighty for Samuel, now growing old. Moreover, the men who, through their kinship to him, would naturally succeed him were completely unfit for his office. The prospect before them, they felt, was a gloomy one, as the Philistine power, too, was growing greater daily in the south.

But what confidence this assembly of elders must have placed in their aged judge to use such a plea—his own growing infirmity and the unworthiness of his own sons, whom he himself had appointed to high offices! The elders of the people knew Samuel, the man of God, would do what was right and just—he would give them the wisest counsel, completely regardless of any personal interest or feeling. The result justified their perfect confidence.