Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 12:18
So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.
18. feared the Lord and Samuel ] The unexpected rain was a “sign,” attesting the prophet’s words. Cp. Exo 14:31.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 18. The Lord sent thunder and rain that day] This was totally unusual; and, as it came at the call of Samuel, was a most evident miracle.
Greatly feared the Lord] They dreaded His terrible majesty; and they feared Samuel, perceiving that he had so much power with God.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Who had such great power and favour with God.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
So Samuel called unto the Lord,…. Not in an authoritative way, or by way of command, but by prayer; so the Targum renders the clause in the preceding verse,
“I will pray before the Lord:”
and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; immediately, though there was no appearance of it; it was harvest time, and a fine harvest day. Josephus says p he sent thunder, lightning, and hail, a terrible storm and tempest it was:
and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel; the Lord that sent this tempest, and Samuel who had such power with God in prayer. Clement of Alexandria q thinks that from hence the Greeks borrowed their fable concerning Aeacus invoking God, when there was a drought in Greece; and as soon as he prayed, immediately there was thunder, and the whole air was covered with clouds; but perhaps they rather framed it from the instance of Elijah praying for rain r, at whose request it came, 1Ki 18:42.
p Antiqu. l. 6. c. 5. sect. 6. q Stromat. l. 6. p. 630. r Vid. Schmid. in Pindar. Nemea, Ode 5. p. 110.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
This miracle therefore inspired the people with a salutary terror. “ All the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel,” and entreated the prophet, “ Pray for thy servants to the Lord thy God, that we die not, because we have added to all our sins the evil thing, to ask us a king.”
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
18. Feared the Lord and Samuel They felt that Samuel’s thoughts and feelings and those of Jehovah were the same. Jehovah’s true representative was among them.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Sa 12:18 So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.
Ver. 18. And the Lord sent thunder and rain that day. ] Out of the midst of water he fetched fire, astonishing the people with the fearful noise of that eruption; that he might refute their folly, and bring them to repentance: since now they saw evidently that God was greatly displeased with them for rejecting his government, and that it was not Samuel’s saying only.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
sent thunder: Exo 9:23-25, Rev 11:5, Rev 11:6
feared: Exo 14:31, Ezr 10:9, Psa 106:12, Psa 106:13
Reciprocal: Exo 19:16 – thunders Jos 4:14 – they feared him 1Sa 2:10 – he thunder 2Sa 22:14 – thundered 1Ki 3:28 – feared 1Ch 29:20 – worshipped Job 36:31 – by Job 37:13 – whether Job 38:28 – Hath the Job 38:34 – General Psa 72:5 – They shall Psa 99:6 – they called Pro 26:1 – in summer Isa 29:6 – General Jer 10:13 – maketh Mar 4:41 – feared Rom 13:7 – fear to Jam 5:16 – The effectual
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Sa 12:18. The Lord sent thunder and rain Such was the power and favour with God that this man of God possessed! By this thunder and rain, God showed them their folly in desiring a king to save them, rather than God or Samuel, expecting more from an arm of flesh than from the arm of God, or from the power of prayer. Could their king thunder with a voice like God? Could their prince command such forces as the prophet could by his prayers? Likewise he intimates, that how serene soever their condition was now, (like the weather in wheat-harvest,) yet if God pleased he could soon change the face of the heavens, and persecute them with his storms.