1 Samuel 8 - G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

This first Book of Samuel at this point merges into its second division, which has to do with Saul. First we have the account of the clamor of the people for a king and the divine answer thereto. The occasion for the request on their part was that of the maladministration of the sons of Samuel, and their sinful practices. The real principle underlying their request was their desire to be, as they said, "like all the nations."

This is the revelation of the supreme wrong. They had been chosen to be unlike the nations, a people directly governed by God. In communion, Jehovah made plain to Samuel the real evil in their request when He declared that they had rejected Him from being their King.