Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own.
Two things Samuel here aims at: - I. To convince the people of their sin in desiring a king. They were now rejoicing before God in and with their king (Sa1 11:15), and offering to God the sacrifices of praise, which they hoped God would accept; and this perhaps made them think that there was no harm in their asking a king, but really they had done well in it.
Commenting on 1 Samuel 12:16-25
For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake. For the sake of himself, his honour and glory; should he forsake his people, and suffer them to come to ruin, his name would be blasphemed among the Heathens; he would be charged either with want of power to help them, or with want of faithfulness to his promise to them, and...
For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people. (n) Of his free mercy, and not of your merits, and therefore he will not forsake you.