The Request for a King: The parallels between the behavior of Samuel’s sons and that of Eli’s sons are unmistakable. The misuse of power may not have followed the exact pattern, but the contempt for God’s law, God’s people, and thus God was the same. The strong, competent Samuel had no more success in controlling his sons than had the ineffectual, food-loving Eli. The text gives no indication that Samuel tacitly concurred in his sons’ misdoings as Eli did, but he appointed them, and he did not prevent their dishonest gain from accept[ing] bribes and pervert[ing] justice. Leadership from Samuel’s family was no more a long-term solution to Israel’s need for effective rulers than leadership from the priestly line of Eli had been.

8:1–5 These verses both explain the perceived need for a differe…