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1 Samuel
Chapter Nine
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 9
This
chapter gives an account of Saul, the person the Lord had appointed to be king
of Israel; it relates his descent, and describes his person, 1 Samuel 9:1 and
how seeking his father's asses, which were lost, he providentially came to the
place where Samuel dwelt, 1 Samuel 9:3 and
being advised by his servant, and approving of his advice, he concluded to go
to him, and inquire the way he should go, 1 Samuel 9:6 and
being directed by some young maidens, they found him presently in the street
going to a feast, 1 Samuel 9:11 and
Samuel having some previous notice from the Lord of such a person's coming to
him that day, when he met him invited him to dine with him, and obliged him to
stay with him that day, 1 Samuel 9:15
satisfied him about his asses, and gave him a hint of the grandeur he was to be
raised to, to which Saul made a modest reply, 1 Samuel 9:20 and
Samuel treated him at the feast in a very respectable manner, 1 Samuel 9:22 and
privately communed with him of things preparatory to what he was about to make
known unto him, 1 Samuel 9:25.
1 Samuel 9:1 There was a man
of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the
son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
YLT
1And there is a man of
Benjamin, and his name [is] Kish, son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Bechorath,
son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, mighty of valour,
Now there was a man of Benjamin,.... Of the tribe of
Benjamin, which had its name from the youngest son of Jacob, and one of this
tribe was the first king of Israel:
whose name was Kish: whom the apostle calls
Cis, Acts 13:21, and
JosephusF9Antiqu. l. 6. c. 4. sect. 1. Cises; his name, according to
HillerusF11Onomastic. Sacr. p. 405. , signifies
"ensnared"; for what reason it was given him is not certain:
the son of Abiel; in 1 Chronicles 8:33,
he is called Ner that begat Kish; and in this book, 1 Samuel 14:50 Ner
and Kish are represented as brethren, the sons of Abiel: to reconcile this, it
may be observed, that Ner being the elder brother, on the death of his father
Abiel, had the care and bringing up of his younger brother Kish; and therefore
when he is said to beget him, the meaning is, not that he was the parent of
him, but the bringer up of him; or rather, as Kimchi thinks, Abiel had two
sons, one of which was Ner; and that he had two sons, one that was called after
his own name Ner, who was the father of Abner; and the other Kish, the father
of Saul:
the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a
Benjamite; of these persons we nowhere else read:
a mighty man of power; not a man of riches, or
of authority, neither a wealthy man, nor a magistrate, for his family was mean
and contemptible, 1 Samuel 9:21 but a
man of great strength, an able bodied man, and of great natural fortitude, and
courage of mind.
1 Samuel 9:2 2 And
he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was
not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his
shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.
YLT
2and he hath a son, and his
name [is] Saul, a choice youth and goodly, and there is not a man among the
sons of Israel goodlier than he -- from his shoulder and upward, higher than
any of the people.
And he had a son whose name was Saul,.... Of this
name was the great apostle of the Gentiles before his conversion, and was of
the same tribe also; but very different in stature; he was a little man, this a
large tall man, like his father perhaps:
a choice young man, and a goodly; 1 Samuel 2:1 of a
goodly aspect, a comely man, tall and well shaped, in the prime of his age, a
very agreeable person, one among a thousand:
and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person
than he; meaning not for the endowments of his mind, or his moral
character and behaviour. There might be as good, or better men than he, on such
accounts, but for his outward appearance, his bodily shape, and the dignity of
his person:
from his shoulders and upwards he was higher than any of the
people; this description of him is enlarged upon and explained, to show
that he was just such a person the people were desirous of having king over
them, such an one as the nations about them had; and it was usual with the
eastern people, and so with the Greeks and Romans, to choose persons to the
highest offices of magistracy that made a personable appearance superior to
others, and is what they often take notice of, as a recommendation of them as
princes. HerodotusF12Thalia, sive, l. 3. c. 20. reports of the
Ethiopians, that they judged the largest of the people, and him who had
strength according to his size, most worthy to be king. And the same writer
observesF13Polymnia, sive, l. 7. c. 187. , that among the many
thousands of men of the army of Xerxes, there was not one who for comeliness and
largeness was so worthy of the empire as Xerxes himself; so Ulysses, because of
his height, was the more acceptable to the people of CorfuF14Homer.
Odyss. 8. ver. 20, 21. ; so Alexander's captains, it is saidF15Justin.
e Trogo, l. 13. c. 1. , might be thought to be kings for their beautiful form,
height of body, and greatness of strength and wisdom. Julius Caesar is said to
be of high stature; and so DomitianF16Sueton. Vit. Caesar. c. 45.
Domitian. c. 18. ; VirgilF17Aeneid. l. 7. ver. 783, 784. & 9.
ver. 29. represents Turnus as in body more excellent than others, and by the
entire head above them; and Anchises as walking statelier and higher than the
restF18Ib. l. 8. ver. 162. ; among the many encomiums PlinyF19Panegyr.
c. 4, 22. gives of Trajan, as to his outward form and appearance, this is one,
"proceritas corporis", height of body, being higher than others; the
Gentiles had a notion that such men came nearer to the deities, and looked more
like them; so Diana is described as taller than any of the nymphs and goddessesF20"Tamen
altior illis ipsa dea est". Ovid. Metam. l. 3. fab. 2. ver. 180, 181. .
Solomon, according to JosephusF21Antiqu. l. 8. c. 7. sect. 3. ,
chose such young men to ride horses, and attend his person, when he himself
rode, who were conspicuous for their height, and greatly above others.
1 Samuel 9:3 3 Now the donkeys of Kish,
Saul’s father, were lost. And Kish said to his son Saul, “Please take one of
the servants with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.”
YLT
3And the asses of Kish,
father of Saul, are lost, and Kish saith unto Saul his son, `Take, I pray thee,
with thee, one of the young men, and rise, go, seek the asses.'
And the asses of Kish, Saul's father, were lost,.... Had got
out of the stables or fields, in which they were kept, and strayed from thence:
and Kish said to Saul his son, take now one of the servants with
thee, and arise, go seek the asses; he chose not to send his
servants only, who might not be so careful and diligent in searching for them,
but his son, and not him alone, but a servant with him to wait upon him, and
assist him. And it was quite agreeable to the simplicity of those times for
persons of equal or greater substance to be employed in such an affair; asses
made a considerable part of the wealth and riches of men, were rode upon by
persons of quality, and were fed and taken care of by the sons of dukes and
princes; see Job 1:3. The JewsF23Hieron.
Trad. Heb. in Paralip, fol. 83. A. have a tradition, that this servant was Doeg
the Edomite.
1 Samuel 9:4 4 So he passed through the
mountains of Ephraim and through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them.
Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there.
Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.
YLT
4And he passeth over through
the hill-country of Ephraim, and passeth over through the land of Shalisha, and
they have not found; and they pass over through the land of Shaalim, and they
are not; and he passeth over through the land of Benjamin, and they have not
found.
And they passed through Mount Ephraim,.... The
mountainous part of that tribe, which lay contiguous to the tribe of Benjamin,
where it might be supposed the asses had strayed to:
and passed through the land of Shalisha; a tract in
the tribe of Benjamin, so called from some illustrious person, prince, and duke
of it; in it very probably was the place called Baalshalisha; 2 Kings 4:42 and
which perhaps is the same Jerom callsF24De loc. Heb. fol. 89. K.
Bethshalisha; and says there was a village of this name in the borders of
Diospolis, almost fifteen miles distance from it to the north, in the Tamnitic
country; though BuntingF25Travels of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 129.
says it was situated in Mount Ephraim, eight miles from Jerusalem to the
northwest:
but they found them not; the asses, neither in
Mount Ephraim, nor in the land of Shalisha:
then they passed through the land of Shalim which some
take to be the same with Salim, where John was baptizing, John 3:23 but Jerom
saysF26De loc. Heb. fol. 94. L. it was a village on the borders of
Eleutheropolis, to the west, seven miles distant from it:
and there they were not; the asses could not be
found there:
and he passed through the land of the Benjamites; or rather of
Jemini, which was in Benjamin, so called from a famous man of that name; for it
cannot be thought they should pass through the whole tribe of Benjamin in one
day. And, according to BuntingF1Travels of the Patriarchs, &c.
p. 126. , from Gibeah, the native place of Saul, through the mountain of
Ephraim, and the land of Shalisha, to the borders of Shalim, were sixteen
miles; and from thence to Jemini, in the tribe of Benjamin, sixteen more:
but they found them not; the asses.
1 Samuel 9:5 5 When they had come to the
land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let us
return, lest my father cease caring about the donkeys and become worried
about us.”
YLT
5They have come in unto the
land of Zuph, and Saul hath said to his young man who [is] with him, `Come, and
we turn back, lest my father leave off from the asses, and hath been sorrowful
for us.'
And when they were come to the land of Zuph,.... In which
was Ramathaimzophim, the native place of Samuel, 1 Samuel 1:1 and so
the Targum here,"the land in which was the prophet"
Saul said to the servant that was with him, come, and let us
return; home, despairing of finding the asses after so long a search in
divers places:
lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us; fearing some
evil should have befallen his son and his servant, in comparison of whom, and
especially his son, the asses would be of no account, and so give himself no
concern for them, but be in great care and uneasiness for his son and servant;
wherefore Saul thought it most advisable to return home as soon as possible,
lest his father should be overwhelmed with grief and trouble.
1 Samuel 9:6 6 And he said to him, “Look
now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable
man; all that he says surely comes to pass. So let us go there; perhaps he can
show us the way that we should go.”
YLT
6And he saith to him, `Lo, I
pray thee, a man of God [is] in this city, and the man is honoured; all that he
speaketh doth certainly come; now, we go there, it may be he doth declare to us
our way on which we have gone.'
And he said unto him,.... That is, the servant
of Saul:
behold, now, there is in this city a man of God; a prophet of
the Lord, as the Targum; such were called men of God, because not only
partakers of the grace of God, but of extraordinary gifts, which qualified them
for the office of prophets. The city near to which they now were was Ramah, the
place where Samuel lived, and he is the man of God here meant:
and he is an honourable man; of great esteem among
men for his wisdom and knowledge, integrity and faithfulness, and particularly
for his gift of prophecy, being a true prophet of the Lord; so the
Targum,"and he is a man that prophesies truth,'and that made him
honourable, and gave him great credit:
all that he saith cometh surely to pass; as his
prophecies concerning Eli's family, and other things, which were well known to
have had their accomplishment, and this had gained him universal esteem, see 1 Samuel 3:19,
now let us go thither; being very near it,
within sight of it, insomuch that the servant could point at it, and say
"this city", as in the preceding part of the verse:
peradventure he can show us our way that we should go; to find the
asses; he was not certain he could or would, but thought it possible and
probable he might.
1 Samuel 9:7 7 Then Saul said to his
servant, “But look, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread
in our vessels is all gone, and there is no present to bring to the man
of God. What do we have?”
YLT
7And Saul saith to his young
man, `And lo, we go, and what do we bring in to the man? for the bread hath
gone from our vessels, and a present there is not to bring in to the man of God
-- what [is] with us?'
Then Saul said to his servant, but behold, if we go,.... The
Targum is,"if he receives money,'which it seems Saul was not clear in;
some sort of persons that set up for prophets, and a sort of diviners and
fortune tellers, did; but he could not tell whether so eminent and honourable a
person as Samuel was, did; in as much he was not better known by him, who had
been so many years a judge in Israel:
what shall we bring the man? it being usual, when
persons addressed great men for a favour, to carry a present with them; or a
man of God, a prophet of the Lord, to inquire of the Lord by him concerning any
thing, see 1 Kings 14:2,
for the bread is spent in our vessels; the food they
brought with them in their bags or scrips for their journey, this was all
exhausted; not that he meant by it, that if they had had any quantity, they
might present it to the man of God, though yet sometimes such things were done,
as the instances before referred to show; but that since their stock of bread
was gone, what money they had, if they had any, must be spent in recruiting
themselves, and therefore could have none to spare to give to the man:
and there is not a present to bring to the man of God; neither bread
nor money, without which he seems to intimate it would be to no purpose to go
to him:
what have we? Saul knew he had none, he had spent what he
brought out, with him for the journey, and he put this question to try what his
servant had; unless it can be supposed it was the custom now, as afterwards
among the RomansF2A. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 20. c. 1. , for servants
to carry the purse, and as it was with the Jews in Christ's time, John 12:6 though
this may have respect not to a price of divination, but to the common custom in
eastern countries, and which continues to this day with the Turks, who reckon
it uncivil to visit any person, whether in authority, or an inferior person,
without a present; and even the latter are seldom visited without presenting a
flower, or an orange, and some token of respect to the person visitedF3Maundrell's
Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. 26, 27. .
1 Samuel 9:8 8 And the servant answered
Saul again and said, “Look, I have here at hand one-fourth of a shekel of
silver. I will give that to the man of God, to tell us our way.”
YLT
8And the young man addeth to
answer Saul, and saith, `Lo, there is found with me a fourth of a shekel of
silver: and I have given to the man of God, and he hath declared to us our
way.'
And the servant answered Saul again, and said,.... As he had
answered him before, when Saul proposed to return home, by telling him there
was an honourable man of God in the city near at hand, that might possibly be
able to direct them which way they should go to find the asses: so he answers
him again with respect to the present it was proper to carry with them, and
what he had in his hands to make:
behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: a
"zuze" of silver, as the Targum, four of which made a shekel, about
seven pence halfpenny of our money, and scarce so much:
that will I give to the man of God to tell us our way; that they
should go to find the asses: which he would give him very freely for that
purpose: both Saul and his servant must entertain a mean opinion of prophets,
and men of God, and especially of so great a man as Samuel, that he should be
employed at any time in directing persons in such cases, and take money for so
doing, and so small a gratuity as this before mentioned; though it seems as if,
at some times, something of this kind was done by prophets, and men of God,
which might be permitted to keep the people from going to diviners and
soothsayers.
1 Samuel 9:9 9 (Formerly in Israel, when a
man went to inquire of God, he spoke thus: “Come, let us go to the seer”; for he
who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.)
YLT
9Formerly in Israel, thus
said the man in his going to seek God, `Come and we go unto the seer,' for the
`prophet' of to-day is called formerly `the seer.'
Before time in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God,.... To ask
doctrine of him, as the Targum, to be taught by him, to have his mind and will
in any affair of moment and importance; which was usually done by applying to
some man of God, eminent for grace and piety, and a spirit of prophecy:
thus he spake, come, and let us go to the seer; a man used to
say to his friend, when he wanted some instruction or direction, let us go
together to such an one, the seer, and ask counsel of him what is proper to be
done in such an affair:
for he that is now called a prophet was before called a
seer; for though these names are used freely of the same persons, both
before and after this time; yet now the more common appellation which obtained
was that of a prophet; custom, and the use of language, varied at different
times, though the same was meant by the one and the other; such men were called
seers, because of the vision of prophecy, because they saw or foresaw things to
come; and they were called prophets, because they foretold what they saw, or
delivered out their predictions by word of mouth. This verse is put in a
parenthesis, and is commonly supposed to be the words of the writer of this
book: hence some draw an argument against Samuel being the writer of it, as
Abarbinel does, who concludes from hence that it was written by Jeremiah, or
some other person long after Samuel, or that this verse was added by Ezra; but
as this book might be written by Samuel in the latter part of his life, he
might with propriety observe this, that in his younger time, and quite down to
the anointing of Saul king, both when there was no open vision, and afterwards
when there was scarce any that had it but himself, he was used to be called the
seer; but in his latter days, when there were many that had the vision of
prophecy, and there were schools set up, it was more common to call them
prophets; though perhaps these are the words of Saul's servant, spoken to
encourage Saul to go to the man of God, and inquire of him, since in former
times, as he could remember, being perhaps an old servant, or he had heard his
parents so say, that such men used to be called seers, because they saw what
others did not, and declared and made others to see what they did; and
therefore there was a probability that this man of God, who was a seer, might
show them the way they should go to find the asses.
1 Samuel 9:10 10 Then Saul said to his
servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man
of God was.
YLT
10And Saul saith to his young
man, `Thy word [is] good; come, we go;' and they go unto the city where the man
of God [is].
Then said Saul to his servant, well said,.... Or
"good is thy word"F4טוב דברך "bonum verbum tuum", Pagninus, Montanus. ,
thou hast well spoken; it is a good proposal thou hast made, and thou art very
generous to give all thou hast to the man; and very promising it is, that since
he is a seer he may inform us where the asses are, or which way we must take to
find them. Things look feasible enough:
come, let us go: to the city, and to the man of God there,
and hear what he will say to us, and what information he will give us:
so they went unto the city where the man of God was; to Ramah,
where Samuel dwelt.
1 Samuel 9:11 11 As they went up the hill
to the city, they met some young women going out to draw water, and said to
them, “Is the seer here?”
YLT
11They are going up in the
ascent of the city, and have found young women going out to draw water, and say
to them, `Is the seer in this [place]?'
And as they went up the hill to the city,.... For the
city was built upon an hill, from whence it had the name of Ramah, which
signifies high and lifted up:
they found young maidens going out to draw water: going out of
the city, to a fountain which was at the bottom of the hill; and this was the
usual business of maidens in those countries to fetch water for the service of
the family; see Gill on Genesis 24:11; see
Gill on Genesis 24:15; see
Gill on Genesis 24:16. R.
AkibaF5In Pirke Eliezer, c. 36. fol. 39. 1. 2. makes this
observation, that whenever a man meets maidens coming out of a city before he
goes into it, it is a token of prosperity to him; and instances in the cases of
Abraham's servant, of Jacob, and of Moses, and here of Saul, who was informed
of a kingdom, and anointed for it, see Genesis 24:14 Exodus 2:16,
and said unto them, is the seer here? meaning, is
he in the city? or is he at home? or is he in the country?
1 Samuel 9:12 12 And they answered them and
said, “Yes, there he is, just ahead of you. Hurry now; for today he came to
this city, because there is a sacrifice of the people today on the high place.
YLT
12And they answer them and
say, `He is; lo, before thee! haste, now, for to-day he hath come in to the
city, for the people hath a stated sacrifice in a high place.
And they answered them, and said, he is,.... That is,
he is in the city, at home, and to be spoken with:
behold, he is before you; his house is straight
before you as you go along, you cannot miss of it. Some Jewish writers sayF6Midrash
Schemuel & Pesikta apud Abarbinel in loc. they gave a token to know it by,
that there was a cloud at the door, and when they saw that, they might know it
was the seer's house:
haste now, for he came today to the city; from the
suburbs to it, or from his country house, or from the other Ramah, for there
were two of them, one over against the other, see 1 Samuel 1:1, for
that he was just now come off a circuit, is not so probable, since he was now
old, and past riding his circuits; and indeed the meaning may be no more than
as it may be rendered, "today he comes into the city"F7בא "venit", Pagninus, Montanus. ; that is, he
comes out of his own house into the city, and was then just coming out; so
that, if they made haste, they might meet him in the street before he got to
the place of sacrifice and feasting:
for there is a sacrifice of the people today in the high place; whether it
was the new moon, or some festival they observed, though the tabernacle was not
there, is not certain; at which, besides the offerings required, freewill
offerings and peace offerings were brought by the people, on part of which they
feasted with their friends; and very probably, as Samuel was acquainted by the
Lord that he who was to be king of Israel would be with him that day, he might
add to the sacrifices of the people, to make the entertainment the more grand
and liberal; since he had a principal concern in ordering the guests, and
dividing the portions, as well as blessing the food, which indeed he might take
upon him, as being judge, priest, and prophet: this was an high place where
this sacrifice or feast was; for Shiloh being destroyed, and the tabernacle
removed elsewhere, and that being in one place, and the ark in another, and
they not together, no distinction of places was made, none being yet chosen,
all were fit; and particularly high places, which were always reckoned the most
proper for divine service and sacrifice.
1 Samuel 9:13 13 As soon as you come into
the city, you will surely find him before he goes up to the high place to eat.
For the people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice;
afterward those who are invited will eat. Now therefore, go up, for about this
time you will find him.”
YLT
13At your going in to the
city so ye do find him, before he doth go up in to the high place to eat; for
the people do not eat till his coming, for he doth bless the sacrifice;
afterwards they eat, who are called, and now, go up, for at this time ye find
him.'
As soon as ye come into the city, ye shall straightway find him,.... By which
it seems that the house of Samuel was at that end of it at which they entered;
and with which agrees what is observed in the preceding verse, that "he
was before them", his house was in sight of them:
before he go up to the high place to eat; intimating
they would, if they made haste, come up to him before he got thither to sit
down and eat with the people; for if they did not, they would not be able to
see him and speak with him for some time, if on that day:
for the people will not eat until he come; partly out of
affection and veneration for him, being their chief magistrate, as well as seer
or prophet, and partly for the reason following:
because he doth bless the sacrifice; ask a blessing upon it,
upon the meat of the peace offerings before it was eaten; for as this was
usually done at every common meal, then much more at such a solemn festival as
this. Jarchi gives us the form of blessing used on such an
occasion,"blessed art thou, O Lord our God, the King of the world, who
hath sanctified us by his commandments, and hath commanded us to eat the sacrifice:'and
"afterwards they eat that be bidden"; for when a man offered his
peace offerings, he not only had his family with him, but invited his friends,
and the poor, and the fatherless, the strangers, and the Levites, to partake
with him, see Deuteronomy 12:18,
the number of the guests at this time, see in 1 Samuel 9:22.
Now therefore get ye up; ascend the hill as fast
as ye can:
for about this time ye shall find him; that is, by
the time they could get up the hill into the city they would find him coming
out of his house to go to the sacrifice: or "as this day"F8כהיום "invenietis cum tam certo quam certum est hunc
diem esse", Drusius; so Jarchi. ; so sure as the day is, so sure shall ye
find him.
1 Samuel 9:14 14 So they went up to the
city. As they were coming into the city, there was Samuel, coming out toward
them on his way up to the high place.
YLT
14And they go up in to the
city; they are coming in to the midst of the city, and lo, Samuel is coming out
to meet them, to go up to the high place;
And they went up into the city,.... Saul and his servant
went up the hill to the city of Ramah: and
when they were come into the city; were within it, within
the walls of it:
behold, Samuel came out against them; came out of a
door of his house upon them, just as they came up: or "to meet them"F9לקרא־תאם "in occursum eorum", Pagninus, Montanus;
"eis obviam", V. L. Tigurine version. ; his way to the high place lay
where they were coming; unless it can be thought he went out purposely to meet
them, having, as in the following verse, an intimation, that about that time
one from the tribe of Benjamin, who should be king, would come to him, and so
made this his way, knowing that one coming from that tribe must come that way;
but it seems most likely that this was his readiest way:
for to go up to the high place; or place of sitting
down, or feasting, as the Targum; see Gill on 1 Samuel 9:12.
1 Samuel 9:15 15 Now the Lord had told
Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, saying,
YLT
15and Jehovah had uncovered
the ear of Samuel one day before the coming of Saul, saying,
Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear,.... In a
private manner, whispering in his ear, telling him in a free, familiar,
friendly way, as a secret:
a day before Saul came; that he might prepare
for the entertainment of him, and not be surprised at his coming, as well as
hereby be assured he was the person designed to be king of Israel, when he
should come:
saying; as follows.
1 Samuel 9:16 16 “Tomorrow about this time
I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him
commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of
the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come
to Me.”
YLT
16`At this time tomorrow, I
send unto thee a man out of the land of Benjamin -- and thou hast anointed him
for leader over My people Israel, and he hath saved My people out of the hand
of the Philistines; for I have seen My people, for its cry hath come in unto
Me.'
Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of
Benjamin,.... Who without any thought or design of his own, but merely
directed by the providence of God, should come to him, not expecting a kingdom;
at most only to hear of his father's asses, and which way he should take to
find them; missing the finding of which would and did bring him thither:
and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel; the leader,
ruler, and governor of them; to which high office he was to be appointed by
pouring oil upon him, and was the first king on whom this ceremony was
performed, and from whence he was called the Lord's anointed:
that he may save my people out of the hands of the Philistines; who, since Samuel
was grown old, made encroachments upon them, built garrisons on their borders,
and made, it is very probable, incursions upon them, and ravages and
oppressions of them:
for I have looked upon my people; with an eye of pity and
compassion:
because their cry is come unto me; by reason of the
oppressions of the Philistines, and the war they were threatened with by the
Ammonites; though Abarbinel thinks this refers to their importunate cry,
supplication, and request to have a king set over them.
1 Samuel 9:17 17 So when Samuel saw Saul,
the Lord
said to him, “There he is, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall reign
over My people.”
YLT
17When Samuel hath seen Saul,
then hath Jehovah answered him, `Lo, the man of whom I have spoken unto thee;
this [one] doth restrain My people.'
And when Samuel saw Saul,.... Who could not but
take notice of him for his height, and which might give him a suspicion he was
the man the Lord had spoken of to him; and the rather, because this was the
exact time in which he was to be sent to him, and therefore he fixed his eyes
upon him: and that he might be assured it was he, and be left at no uncertainty
about it:
the Lord said unto him; by a still small voice,
or by an impulse upon his mind:
behold the man whom I spake to thee of; yesterday,
this is he:
this same shall reign over my people; be their
king, as they have desired: or "shall restrain"F11יעצר "cohibebit", Montanus;
"continebit", Tigurine version; "retinebit", Drusius; i.e.
"coercebit", Piscator. them, keep them in due bounds, in the
discharge of their duty to God and man; and keep them from doing that which is
evil, or walking in evil ways, which is the business of a good king; or who
shall restrain them from having their own will, but shall rule over them in an
absolute manner, according to his own arbitrary will and pleasure.
1 Samuel 9:18 18 Then Saul drew near to
Samuel in the gate, and said, “Please tell me, where is the seer’s
house?”
YLT
18And Saul draweth nigh to
Samuel in the midst of the gate, and saith, `Declare, I pray thee, to me, where
[is] this -- the seer's house?'
Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate,.... Either at
the door of his own house, just as he was coming out of it, or within the gate
of the city as Saul entered that, Samuel came to it, in order to go through it
to the high place, which it is probable was without the city; wherefore it is
very properly said that Samuel came out to meet them, 1 Samuel 9:14.
and said, tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is; one knows not
which to wonder at most, the simplicity and humility of Samuel to be in so
plain an habit, unattended by servants, and yet going to a public festival, so
that he seemed to be no other than a common man, to be inquired of whereabout
his house was; or the ignorance of Saul, who had lived so long in the world,
and so near Samuel, and yet had never seen and knew not the chief magistrate in
the nation, so famous both for his civil and religious character.
1 Samuel 9:19 19 Samuel answered Saul and
said, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall
eat with me today; and tomorrow I will let you go and will tell you all that is
in your heart.
YLT
19And Samuel answereth Saul
and saith, `I [am] the seer; go up before me into the high place, and ye have
eaten with me to-day, and I have sent thee away in the morning, and all that
[is] in thy heart I declare to thee.
And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer,.... For he
supposed, by inquiring for his house, that his business was with him; wherefore
this he said, not as boasting of his character and office, or in the pride and
vanity of his mind, but merely for information sake:
go up before me unto the high place; instead of returning
home with him, he invited him to go to the place of feasting, as the Targum,
whither he was going to partake of the entertainment there; and he bids him go
before him, either because he was an old man, and could not go his pace, or he
had business to do by the way, or this was in honour to Saul, whom he knew was
to be king of Israel:
for ye shall eat with me today; he and his servant, at
the public feast: he insisted upon his dining, or it may be rather supping with
him:
and tomorrow I will let thee go; for it being in the
evening when this feast was, he could not depart that night, but must stay till
morning, and then he promised to dismiss him:
and will tell thee all that is in thine heart; answer all questions
he had in his mind to ask him, for which he came into the city, and inquired
for his house. The JewsF12Hieron. Trad. Heb. in lib. Reg. fol. 75.
G. have a tradition that it was in the heart of Saul that he should be a king,
having in a vision seen himself placed on the top of a palm tree, which was a
sign of royalty, and this Samuel told him.
1 Samuel 9:20 20 But as for your donkeys
that were lost three days ago, do not be anxious about them, for they have been
found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you
and on all your father’s house?”
YLT
20As to the asses which are
lost to thee this day three days, set not thy heart to them, for they have been
found; and to whom [is] all the desire of Israel?' is it not to thee and to all
thy father's house?'
And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago,.... Which,
according to Kimchi, is to be understood not of the time from whence they were
lost, but to be reckoned from the time that Saul had been seeking of them; so
the Targum,"as to the business of the asses, which are lost to thee, and
thou art come to seek them today, these three days:'though it is probable
enough that the same day they were lost Saul set out to seek them, Now Samuel
telling him of the asses that were lost, and of the time of their being lost,
or of his seeking them, so exactly, before ever he said a word to him about
them, must at once convince him that he was a true prophet, and which must
prepare him to give credit to all that he should hereafter say to him:
set not thy mind on them, for they are found; of the truth
of which he could not doubt, after he had said the above words; and which he
said to make his mind easy, that he might the more cheerfully attend the feast,
and be the more willing to stay all night:
and on whom is all the desire of Israel? which was to
have a king; in this they were unanimous, and who so fit and proper as Saul, it
is intimated, whom Samuel knew God had chosen and appointed to be king over
them?
is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house? not that the
Israelites had their eye on Saul, and their desire after him to be their king,
though he was such an one as they wished for; but that as this desire of theirs
was granted, it would issue and terminate in him and his family; he should be
advanced to the throne, which would be attended with the promotion of his
father's house, as Abner particularly, who was his uncle's son, and was made
the general of the army.
1 Samuel 9:21 21 And Saul answered and
said, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel,
and my family the least of all the families of the tribe[a] of
Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?”
YLT
21And Saul answereth and
saith, `Am not I a Benjamite -- of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my
family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? and why hast
thou spoken unto me according to this word?'
And Saul answered and said, am not I a Benjamite,.... Or the
son of Jemini, the name of one of his ancestors, see 1 Samuel 9:1 or
rather, as the Targum, a son of the tribe of Benjamin:
of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? having been
greatly reduced, even to the number of six hundred men, by the fatal war
between that tribe and the rest, on account of the Levite's concubine, and is
called little Benjamin, Psalm 68:27.
and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of
Benjamin? the smallest in number, had the least share of authority in the
tribe, and of land and cattle, wealth and substance:
wherefore then speakest thou so to me? Saul
presently understood Samuel's meaning, that he should be chosen king of Israel,
the affair of a king being at this time in everyone's mind and mouth; but could
not believe that one of so small a tribe, and which sprung from the youngest
son of Jacob, and of so mean a family, would be raised to such dignity, but
that a person of great figure and character would be settled upon; and,
therefore he took Samuel to be in joke, as JosephusF13Antiqu. l. 6.
c. 4. sect. 1. says, and not in earnest.
1 Samuel 9:22 22 Now Samuel took Saul and
his servant and brought them into the hall, and had them sit in the place of
honor among those who were invited; there were about thirty persons.
YLT
22And Samuel taketh Saul, and
his young man, and bringeth them in to the chamber, and giveth to them a place
at the head of those called; and they [are] about thirty men.
And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the
parlour,.... The dining room of the house, which belonged to the high
place:
and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were
bidden; and who very probably were the principal persons in the city;
and yet Saul was placed at the head of them by Samuel, to convince him that
what he had said to him was in earnest, and to do him honour before all the
people; and for the sake of him, and to show his respect to him, he placed his
servant; his minister, also in the chief place with him; what was reckoned the
highest and most honourable places at table; see Gill on Matthew 23:6. The
guests were placed by the master of the feast according to their rank; and the
dignity of the person, as Jarchi observes, was known by his manners and place
of sitting:
which were about thirty persons; more or less; JosephusF14Antiqu.
l. 6. c. 4. sect. 1. says seventy, disagreeing with the text, the Targum,
Syriac and Arabic versions, but agreeing with the Septuagint.
1 Samuel 9:23 23 And Samuel said to the
cook, “Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Set it
apart.’”
YLT
23And Samuel saith to the
cook, `Give the portion which I gave to thee, of which I said unto thee, `Set
it by thee?'
And Samuel said unto the cook,.... That dressed and
prepared the food for the entertainment of the guests:
bring the portion which I gave thee; to dress; for part of
the provisions of the feast was Samuel's, and the other part the people's that
brought the peace offerings:
of which I said unto thee, set it by thee; do not bring
it in with the rest, but keep it in the kitchen till called for.
1 Samuel 9:24 24 So the cook took up the
thigh with its upper part and set it before Saul. And Samuel
said, “Here it is, what was kept back. It was set apart for you. Eat;
for until this time it has been kept for you, since I said I invited the
people.” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
YLT
24(and the cook lifteth up
the leg, and that which [is] on it, and setteth before Saul), and he saith,
`Lo, that which is left; set [it] before thee -- eat, for to this appointed
season it is kept for thee, saying, The people I have called;' and Saul eateth
with Samuel on that day.
And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it,.... Meaning
either, as some think, some sauce that was poured on it, or garnish about it;
or the thigh, as the Targum, and so Jarchi, Kimchi, and others; or rather the
breast, as a more ancient JewF15R. Eliezer in T. Bab. Avodah Zara,
fol. 25. 1. ; since this joined to the shoulder before separated, and in
sacrifices went along with it; though most think this was the left shoulder and
breast, because the right shoulder and breast of the peace offerings were given
to the priest, to be eaten by him and his sons, Leviticus 7:34 but
in those unsettled times, with respect to sacrifices, many things were
dispensed with; and Samuel, though a Levite, might officiate as a priest, and
so the right shoulder and breast belonged to him as such; and this best
accounts for his having the disposal of it; and upon this extraordinary
occasion, Saul, though not the son of a priest, might be admitted to eat of it,
it being the choicest part, and fit to be set before one designed to be king;
and to show that he was to live in friendship with the priests of the Lord, and
to take care of and protect the ministerial function:
and set it before Saul; by the direction of
Samuel no doubt, as a token of honour and respect unto him; it being usual in
other countries to commend the best dishes, or best pieces of flesh, to the
more excellent and worthy persons at tableF16Vid. Diodor. Sicul. l.
5. p. 306. ; and this was, as JosephusF17Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 6. c.
4. sect. 1.) calls it, a royal portion: the arm or shoulder, especially the
right arm, being a symbol of strength, may denote that strength which was
necessary for him to bear the burden of government, to protect his people, and
fight in defence of them; and the breast being the seat of wisdom and prudence,
of affection and love, may signify how necessary such qualities were for kingly
government, to know how to go in and out before the people, and be heartily
concerned for their good: and Samuel said:
behold that which is left; not by the guests, and
what they could not eat; for till Samuel came they did not begin to eat; and as
for this part, it was but just brought in, and was never set before the guests,
but it was left by Samuel in the hands of the cook, and reserved for the use of
Saul:
set it before thee, and eat; it was already set
before him, but he would have him keep it by him, and eat of it, and make his
meal of it, it being the best dish at the table:
for unto this time hath it been kept for thee; by which he
gave him to understand that he knew of his coming before hand, and therefore
had made this provision for him; and which might serve to persuade him of the
truth and certainty of what he had hinted to him:
since I said I have invited the people; not the
thirty persons before mentioned, for it does not appear that they were invited
by Samuel, but rather by those who brought the peace offerings, who had a right
to invite any of their friends they thought fit; but by "the people"
are meant Saul and his servant; for in the eastern languages two or three
persons, and even one, are called a people; and this Samuel had said to his
cook, when he bid him set by the shoulder, and what was on it, because he had
invited some, for whom he had designed it:
so Saul did eat with Samuel that day: they dined
together.
1 Samuel 9:25 25 When they had come down
from the high place into the city, Samuel spoke with Saul on the top of
the house.[b]
YLT
25And they come down from the
high place to the city, and he speaketh with Saul on the roof.
And when they came down from the high place into the city,.... After the
feast was ended; and though Ramah itself was situated on an eminence, yet it
seems this high place was higher than that, being without the city upon an
hill, and therefore they are said to come down from the one to the other; or
they came down from the high place, and then ascended the hill to the city:
Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house: of Samuel's
house; when they were come thither, Samuel took Saul up to the roof of his
house, which was flat, as the roofs of houses in this country were; see Deuteronomy 22:8 on
which they could walk to and fro, and converse together; hence you read of
preaching and praying on housetops, Matthew 10:27 what
they communed about is not said, but may be guessed at, that it was about
Saul's being made king; of the certainty of it, by divine designation; of the
manner of executing that office wisely and justly; about the objections Saul
had made of the smallness of his tribe and family; and of Samuel's willingness
to resign the government to him, with other things of the like kind.
1 Samuel 9:26 26 They arose early; and it
was about the dawning of the day that Samuel called to Saul on the top of the
house, saying, “Get up, that I may send you on your way.” And Saul arose, and
both of them went outside, he and Samuel.
YLT
26And they rise early, and it
cometh to pass, at the ascending of the dawn, that Samuel calleth unto Saul, on
the roof, saying, `Rise, and I send thee away;' and Saul riseth, and they go
out, both of them -- he and Samuel, without.
And they arose early,.... Neither of them
being able to sleep, as Abarbinel supposes; not Samuel for thinking what he was
to do the next morning, anoint Saul king over Israel; nor Saul for what Samuel
had hinted to him about the desire of all Israel being upon him, and for the
honour done him at the feast, and because of the conversation they had together
afterwards:
and it came to pass about the spring of the day; or the
"ascents of the morning"F24כעלות
השחר "circa ascendere auroram", Montanus;
"quum ascenderet aurora", Junius & Tremellius. , when day was
about to break, before the sun was up:
that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house; where they
had conversed together the evening before:
saying, up, that I may send thee away; meaning not
rise from his bed, for he was risen; but that he would prepare to set out on
his journey, that Samuel might take his leave of him for the present, when he
had accompanied him some part of his way, as he intended; and he was the more
urgent upon him, because there was something to be done before people were
stirring:
and Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel,
abroad; out of Samuel's house, without doors, into the street.
1 Samuel 9:27 27 As they were going down to
the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on
ahead of us.” And he went on. “But you stand here awhile, that I may announce
to you the word of God.”
YLT
27They are going down in the
extremity of the city, and Samuel hath said unto Saul, `Say to the young man
that he pass on before us (and he passeth on), and thou, stand at this time,
and I cause thee to hear the word of God.'
And as they were going down to the end of the city,.... That end
of it that led the way to the place where Saul was going. As this city was
built on an hill, going to the end of it was a declivity, a descent:
Samuel said to Saul, bid the servant pass on before us; being another
man's servant, he did not choose of himself to bid him go on, but desired his
master to order him to go before them, that he might not hear what Samuel had
to say to Saul, or see what he did unto him; for as the choice of Saul to be
king was to be declared by lot, as coming from the Lord, all those precautions
were taken of rising early, and going abroad, and sending the servant before
them, that it might not be thought that Samuel did this of himself:
and he passed on; his master bidding him:
but stand thou still a while; that he might hear the
better, and more attentively than in walking; such a posture was most fitting
also for what was to be done, anointing him with oil:
that I may show thee the word of God: tell him more
of the mind of God concerning his being king, and declare more fully the word,
will, and decree of God about that matter, by an action which would put it out
of all doubt that he was the man God designed to be king, as in the following
chapter.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)