The Church Fathers on this verse

1 Kingdoms (1 Samuel) 12:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And they said: Thou hast not wronged us, nor oppressed us, nor taken ought at any man's hand.

Douay-Rheims

וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ לֹ֥א עֲשַׁקְתָּ֖נוּ וְלֹ֣א רַצּוֹתָ֑נוּ וְלֹֽא־לָקַ֥חְתָּ מִיַּד־אִ֖ישׁ מְאֽוּמָה׃

Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

One Church Father comments on this verse

John Chrysostom

4th centuryChurch Father

The significance of his statements is as follows: no individual can claim that I, despite my abstention, was difficult, disagreeable, harsh, or unrestrained. Thus, he inquired, "Whom have I wronged?" Their response was, "You have neither wronged us nor oppressed us, nor taken anything from anyone."

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.