1 Samuel 8:13 Meaning and Explanation
“And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The king will also take their daughters to work as perfumers, cooks, and bakers in his household.
What Does 1 Samuel 8:13 Mean?
The warning now reaches the daughters. They too will be taken into the king's service as perfumers, cooks, and bakers for his palace. No household in Israel would be untouched; the king's appetite for servants would draw from every family, sons and daughters alike.
What the word translates as 'confectionaries' refers to those who blend perfumes and ointments, skilled work claimed now for the royal court. The repeated 'take' lands again, gently but relentlessly. A throne that gathers everything to itself leaves little for the home. Beneath the warning lies a question for every age: who or what do we truly serve, and what does that service cost the ones we love?
1 Samuel 8:13 in the Original Language
raqqachah (רַקָּחָה), 'confectionary' -- a woman who mixes perfumes and ointments.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Samuel 8:13
What does 1 Samuel 8:13 mean?
The king will also take their daughters to work as perfumers, cooks, and bakers in his household.