He took this final opportunity to challenge the people, saying, "Has anyone any claim against me? Have I done anyone wrong in all these long years that I have judged you? If so, make your claim now!" This was a bold thing to do. Being a judge involves hard decisions. Some people surely lost and went away angry. Would I be willing to be so daring?
And everyone said in the midst of witnesses, "We have no claim." I am in the midst of retiring from a family business and have operated it until its dissolution for over ten years. I do not think I would be so bold to ask that of my siblings. Not that we ever get together in one place. I think I am as innocent as Samuel was. And I suspect my siblings would have nothing definite to accuse me of. Though they may not be willing to openly call me innocent. Yet if asked like this, I do not think they could come up with definite charges.
Yet I know my siblings harbor misgivings. They wonder if there is something that they do not know about. So many people in Israel harbored doubts about Samuel. All that power surely might have corrupted at one time or another. But nobody knows about it. Nobody has come forward. Nobody accuses Samuel. This is like a courtroom, here is front of witnesses, all the people have sworn that Samuel goes to his retirement without any claims against him. Surely that would be a wonderful assurance for Samuel.
Judging people, being in a position of power like that surely makes some enemies. Some people felt they got the raw end of the deal. Or to heck with justice they wanted to be found innocent even if they were not. But no one could claim that Samuel did not judge impartially, without taking bribes or preferring certain people.
Some people bore grudges but in the light of day nothing was really wrong. Samuel had defrauded no one. He had taken no bribes. He had judged as fairly as possible. So Samuel was acquitted before all the people with all witnessing their admission of innocence.
What a wise thing Samuel did. Surely no author could make stuff like this up?
