As Samuel steps down from leadership, he delivers a final, powerful address to the nation. Before concluding his rebuke of the Israelites for demanding a king, he firmly establishes his own absolute integrity. He calls upon both God and King Saul, His newly anointed leader, to serve as witnesses that he never abused his power or took anything that did not belong to him [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. This declaration serves as the final piece of his defense, proving that throughout his years of service, he never accepted a bribe or failed to execute true justice and charity [אברבנאל].
Calling upon God as a witness alongside the nation was necessary because certain actions are hidden from public view. As a judge, Samuel had direct access to public funds collected through taxes and charity. By law, he was fully entitled to draw a salary from these accounts to support himself. Yet, he refrained from taking even what was rightfully his. The people could only testify to what they saw in public, but only God, who sees into the deepest parts of the human heart, could testify that Samuel's private treasuries were completely empty of public money [מלבי״ם].
When the response is given to acknowledge Samuel's innocence, it is delivered in a singular form rather than the expected plural of an entire nation answering at once [מנחת שי]. Commentators offer two main ways to understand this response. The first approach suggests that the people answered together in such perfect unison that they sounded like a single voice [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ], or that every single individual personally declared Samuel's innocence [אברבנאל]. Another possibility within this approach is that the singular response came exclusively from King Saul, who stepped forward to confirm his role as a witness [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל].
The second approach offers a more miraculous explanation. Drawing on ancient tradition, these commentators explain that God Himself provided the singular response. A heavenly voice echoed from the sky, directly declaring its testimony [רש״י, מלבי״ם]. This divine intervention beautifully complements the people's testimony: while the Israelites could only vouch for Samuel's public behavior, God openly vouched for his hidden actions [רד״ק, מנחת שי, אברבנאל]. Most commentators note that this extraordinary moment is one of only three times in history where the Holy Spirit openly intervened in the proceedings of an earthly court.