The elders of the tribes approached Samuel and asked him to appoint a king to become their new leader (1 Sam. 8:5). The difficult process of moving from an old, established form of government to a new organization headed by a king brought disappointment to Samuel (1 Sam. 8:6). He described for the people what the new form of government would cost them (1 Sam. 8:10-18). But they were determined to have a king to provide military protection, so God instructed Samuel to “give them a king” (1 Sam. 8:22). The books of 1 and 2 Samuel describe this transition to a kingship under Saul and the eventual emergence of David as the ruler over a united Israel and the establishment of David's dynasty.