1 Samuel 12:3
Behold, 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? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.
Studiennotiz
Study Note
Samuel's farewell speech includes this remarkable self-justification in which he invites the entire assembly to serve as witnesses against him before YHWH and the newly anointed king — a juridical formula that underscores the public and covenantal nature of prophetic leadership. The series of rhetorical questions — whose ox? whose ass? whom defrauded? whom oppressed? what bribe? — constitutes a negative inventory of the corrupt practices that would later characterize monarchy itself (1 Samuel 8:11–18). Samuel's clean record stands as an implicit critique of the institution the people have demanded and an implicit standard for the king they are receiving. The passage is significant for biblical ethics of leadership accountability and the prophetic tradition's insistence on integrity over status.
Andere Übersetzungen
Here I am: witness against me before Jehovah, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.
`Lo, here <FI>am<Fi> I; testify against me, over-against Jehovah, and over-against His anointed; whose ox have I taken, and whose ass have I taken, and whom have I oppressed; whom have I bruised, and of whose hand have I taken a ransom, and hide mine eyes with it? --and I restore to you.'
Here I am: give witness against me before the Lord and before the man on whom he has put the holy oil: whose ox or ass have I taken? to whom have I been untrue? who has been crushed down by me? from whose hand have I taken a price for the blinding of my eyes? I will give it all back to you.
Querverweise
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, …
If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall …
And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently …
And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the Lord, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one …
Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the …
Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it …
And he said unto them, The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye …
And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord’s …
And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?