He will take a tenth of your grain and grape harvest and give it to his officials and servants.
We have here the starting of a matter perfectly new and surprising, which was the setting up of kingly government in Israel. Perhaps the thing had been often talked of among them by those that were given to change and affected that which looked great. But we do not find that it was ever till now publicly proposed and debated.
Commenting on 1 Samuel 8:4-22
And he will take the tenth of your seed,.... When grown up and ripe, as their wheat and barley: and of your vineyards; the tenth of the grapes they should produce: and give to his officers, and to his servants; for the support and maintenance of them; and to pay this, besides the tithes of the priests and Levites, would make it very burdensome to...
1Sa 8:14-17 All their possessions he would also take to himself: the good (i.e., the best) fields, vineyards, and olive-gardens, he would take away, and give to his servants; he would tithe the sowings and vineyards (i.e., the produce which they yielded), and give them to his courtiers and servants. סריס, lit. the eunuch; here it is used in a wider sense for the royal chamberlains.
Commenting on 1 Samuel 8:14-17