this approach, we argue that 1 Samuel 8–12 form a unified but nuanced account of Saul’s rise, whose thesis may be summed up as follows: the people were wrong to ask for a king, not because monarchy was intrinsically unsuitable for Israel, but because they asked with wrong motives; the result was that a wrong sort of king was chosen. The account of Saul’s reign and rejection in chapters 13–15 validates this thesis. As noted, 1 Samuel 8–12 alludes to the discussion of kingship at Deuteronomy 17:14–20.