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1 Samuel
Chapter Ten
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 10
In
this chapter we read of Saul's being anointed king by Samuel, 1 Samuel 10:1, and
of certain signs given as confirming the same, which should come to pass, and
did, before Saul got to his father's house, 1 Samuel 10:2, of
his arrival at his father's house, and of what passed between him and his uncle
there, 1 Samuel 10:14, of
Samuel's calling all Israel together at Mizpeh, and of the election of Saul by
lot to be king, and of his being declared such, 1 Samuel 10:17, and
of his return to his city, being respected by some, and despised by others, 1 Samuel 10:26.
1 Samuel 10:1 Then Samuel
took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said:
“Is it not because the Lord has anointed you
commander over His inheritance?[a]
YLT
1And Samuel taketh the vial
of the oil, and poureth on his head, and kisseth him, and saith, `Is it not
because Jehovah hath appointed thee over His inheritance for leader?
Then Samuel took a vial of oil,.... Out of his pocket
very probably, which he brought along with him on purpose for the use he made
of it: this, as the JewsF25T. Bab. Horayot, fol. 11. 2. & 12. 1.
say, was not the anointing oil that was in the tabernacle, which was at another
and distant place, and with which only the kings of the house of David were
anointed; but common oil, or, as they say, oil of balsam; and this was not an
horn, but a vial, which held a small quantity, and was brittle; and they
observe that Saul and Jehu, who were anointed with a vial, their reigns were
short, whereas David and Solomon, who were anointed with a horn, their reigns
were long; and as oil is a symbol of the gifts and graces of the Spirit, it may
denote a smaller measure conferred on Saul than on David and Solomon:
and kissed him; congratulating him on the dignity he was
raised to, and in reverence and respect to him, because of the high office he
was arrived to; and as a token of subjection and homage, and to testify his
well pleased in his being king, and that he readily, willingly, and with
pleasure resigned the government to him:
and said, is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be
captain over his inheritance? the people of Israel, so called, Deuteronomy 32:9
and which is observed here to show, that though Saul was anointed king over
them, they were the Lord's possession still, and he was accountable to him for
his government and usage of them, over whom he was to be a captain, leader, and
commander, to go before them, and fight their battles for them, of which his
being anointed with oil was a token; and therefore it is said, "is it not?"
or dost thou not see by this? or knowest thou not, as R. Isaiah supplies it,
that this is of the Lord? for it was the Lord that anointed him, or Samuel by
his orders; and such questions as these, as Kimchi observes, are for the
greater confirmation of what is spoken; and if Saul had any doubt upon his
mind, as perhaps he might because of his meanness, and the high honour designed
hereby, not only this question is put, but three following signs are given him,
whereby he might be assured of the truth of it.
1 Samuel 10:2 2 When
you have departed from me today, you will find two men by Rachel’s tomb in the
territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys which
you went to look for have been found. And now your father has ceased caring
about the donkeys and is worrying about you, saying, “What shall I do about my
son?”’
YLT
2In thy going to-day from me
-- then thou hast found two men by the grave of Rachel, in the border of
Benjamin, at Zelzah, and they have said unto thee, The asses have been found
which thou hast gone to seek; and lo, thy father hath left the matter of the
asses, and hath sorrowed for you, saying, What do I do for my son?
When thou art departed from me today,.... Not as
soon as he was departed, for he had some few miles to go from Ramah to Rachel's
grave near Bethlehem:
thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre, in the border of
Benjamin, at Zelzah; the Jews move a difficulty here, that Rachel's sepulchre should
be said to be in the border of Benjamin, when it was by Bethlehemephrath, in
the tribe of Judah, Genesis 35:19 and
which they solve by observing, that these men were now, at the time Samuel was
speaking, by the grave of Rachel, but as they were coming on he would meet them
at Zelzah, in the border of BenjaminF26Bereshit Rabba, sect. 82.
fol. 71. 4. R. Isaiah, Jarchi, Kimchi, Abarbinel, & Abendana in loc. ; but
there is no need of this, Rachel's grave was not at Bethlehem, but in, the way
to it; and besides, as these two tribes were contiguous, and this city being on
the borders of both, it might be said at one time to be in the border of
Benjamin, and at another in the border of Judah, or in Judah, without any
contradiction. Of Zelzah we nowhere else read, but it is plain it was near the
sepulchre of Rachel, and perhaps nearer than Bethlehem. The Arabic geographerF1Chinat.
3. par. 5. speaks of Rachel's grave as in the midway between Jerusalem and
Bethlehem; and says there were twelve stones upon it, and a stone arched vault
over it; and the same is affirmed by Benjamin of TudelaF2ltinerar.
p. 47. , who makes it to be but half a mile from Bethlehem. Jarchi would have
Zelzah to be the same with Jerusalem, which is not probable:
and they will say unto thee, the asses which thou wentest to seek
are found; as Samuel had before told Saul they were, 1 Samuel 9:20.
and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses; or had left
all thoughts about them, and concern for them, not minding whether he heard of
them or not, and this before they were found; or otherwise it would have been
no strange thing to drop all thoughts about them, when they were found:
and sorroweth for you; for Saul, and his
servant; such was the anxiety and distress of his mind lest any evil should
befall them, having been gone so long in quest of the asses, that he had as it
were forgot them, and lost all care and concern about them, in comparison of
his son and servant; but especially his sorrow rose high for his son, as
follows:
saying, what shall I do for my son? though he was concerned
for his servant, yet most for his son; he might have another servant, and not
another son, and Saul seems to be his only one, which made his grief for him
the greater, see 1 Chronicles 8:33.
Now as these were contingent events here foretold, as meeting with two men at a
certain place described, the words related expressly they should say to him
when he met them, and these exactly coming to pass, would most clearly prove
Samuel to be a true prophet, and confirm Saul in the belief of what he had said
and done to him concerning the kingdom. Another sign follows.
1 Samuel 10:3 3 Then
you shall go on forward from there and come to the terebinth tree of Tabor.
There three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three
young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a
skin of wine.
YLT
3`And thou hast passed on
thence, and beyond, and hast come in unto the oak of Tabor, and found thee
there have three men going up unto God to Beth-El, one bearing three kids, and
one bearing three cakes of bread, and one bearing a bottle of wine,
Then shall thou go on forward from thence,.... From
Zelzah and Rachel's sepulchre there:
and thou shall come to the plain of Tabor; not that
which lay at the bottom of the famous and well known mountain Tabor; for that
was in the tribe of Zebulun, at a great distance from hence: but a plain, so
called perhaps from the name of the owner of it:
and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel: the same with
Luz, where Jacob built an altar, and called upon God; and so Elohimbethel here
is the same with Elbethel, Genesis 35:6. Here
was an high place as at Ramah, whither in those times, when there was no fixed
place for worship, the tabernacle at one place, and the ark at another, the
people went up to worship; and they might the rather choose this, because it
was a place devoted to the worship and service of God by their father Jacob; so
the Targum paraphrases it,"going up to worship God in Bethel;'so JosephusF3Antiqu.
l. 6. c. 4. sect. 2. , they were going thither to pray, and, as it seems by
what follows, to sacrifice: one carrying three kids; which were used in
sacrifice, and were a pretty heavy load if carried far; though, according to
JosephusF4lbid. , it was but one kid:
and another carrying three loaves of bread; for the
minchah, the meat offering, or rather bread offering, Leviticus 2:4.
and another carrying a bottle of wine; for the drink
offering, the fourth part of an hin of wine being required for each kid, Numbers 15:5. This
bottle, Ben Melech says, was a bottle made of skin, a leathern bottle or bag,
or a potter's vessel or pitcher; the Targum renders it, a flagon of wine.
1 Samuel 10:4 4 And
they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall
receive from their hands.
YLT
4and they have asked of thee
of welfare, and given to thee two loaves, and thou hast received from their
hand.
And they will salute thee,.... Not as king, of
which they knew nothing, but in a common way; and though a stranger and unknown
to them, yet finding their hearts disposed and affected towards him, would
inquire of his welfare, and wish him all happiness, peace, and prosperity:
and give thee two loaves of bread; which was
pretty much that they should give him two out of three, and leave but one for
themselves, and especially if they were going to sacrifice; but perhaps they
knew they could buy more bread at Bethel, and so were disposed to give two of
their loaves to Saul, one for himself and another for his servant; though
Kimchi thinks that these are not the same before called loaves; and indeed the
word "loaves" is not in the text, but cakes of bread, which were
lesser than loaves, and which they carried for their own use, besides three
loaves of bread:
which thou shall receive of their hands; being sent
out by Samuel early that morning without eating any food, and having travelled
some miles, might become weary and faint, and which the three men might discern,
and so had compassion on them, and relieved them; and Saul was not to refuse
the offer of them, but take them at their hands, though he was anointed to be
king; and this was to teach him humility, and to be kind to the poor and needy,
and relieve them when he was in more elevated circumstances. All these actions
also were contingent, and when they came to pass, as they did, must be still
more confirming than the former sign.
1 Samuel 10:5 5 After
that you shall come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is.
And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a
group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a
tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying.
YLT
5`Afterwards thou dost come
unto the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines [is], and it cometh
to pass, at thy coming in thither to the city, that thou hast met a band of
prophets coming down from the high place, and before them psaltery, and tabret,
and pipe, and harp, and they are prophesying;
After that thou shall come to the hill of God,.... The
Targum is, the hill in which was the ark of the Lord, and that was in the house
of Abinadab, on a hill in the city of Kirjathjearim, 1 Samuel 7:1 and so
the Jewish commentators generally interpret this hill of God of Kirjathjearim;
but rather it was Geba, a city of Benjamin, partly because by this time he must
have got out of the tribe of Judah into the tribe of Benjamin, and even almost
to the end of his journey, and among those that were his relations, 1 Samuel 10:11 and
partly because it is certain there was a garrison of the Philistines at Geba, 1 Samuel 13:3 as
there was at this place, as follows:
where is the garrison of the Philistines; which they
were allowed by the terms of peace made between Israel and them; or which
through their growing power over them in the latter days of Samuel they placed
there, and which yet they kept, without giving the people any molestation in
their worship and service:
and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city; to the city
Geba, or near it:
that thou shall meet a company of prophets; of Scribes,
as the Targum; which were, as Kimchi observes, disciples; for the disciples of
the wise men were called Scribes, and these were the disciples of prophets, the
same with the sons of the prophets; and the prophets that were at this time, as
he says, from Eli to David, were Elkanah, Samuel, Gad, Nathan, Asaph, Heman,
and Jeduthun; here was a school or college of young prophets, where they were
trained up, under the care and tuition of one or other of the above prophets,
in the knowledge of the word of God, in psalmody, and other religious
exercises; for though the word of the Lord was scarce and precious in the
beginning of Samuel's time, yet through his industry, influence, and
encouragement, divine knowledge was greatly promoted, and many were trained up
and qualified to instruct the people; who, though they had not the gift of
foretelling future events, or of the vision of prophecy, yet had gifts
qualifying for the edification of the people; and out of these schools and
colleges God sometimes raised up prophets in the highest sense, who foretold
things to come, and to whom the Lord appeared in dreams and visions. And this
company Saul would meet
coming down from the high place; where they had been to
worship, to sacrifice, or to pray, for here was an high place for such service,
as well as at Ramah:
with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; which were
several instruments of "music" used in singing praises to God in
those times:
and they shall prophesy; or praise, as the
Targum, sing praises at the same time they played on their instruments of
music; and singing praises is one sort of prophesying, see 1 Chronicles 25:1,
and in which sense it seems to be used in 1 Corinthians 11:4.
1 Samuel 10:6 6 Then
the Spirit of the Lord
will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another
man.
YLT
6and prospered over thee
hath the Spirit of Jehovah, and thou hast prophesied with them, and hast been
turned to another man;
And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee,.... As a
spirit of prophecy, so the Targum; whereby he would be enabled at once to
compose psalms and hymns of praise, and sing them in a proper manner, though he
had not been trained up in this exercise in the school of the prophets; which
made it more wonderful to those that knew him:
and thou shalt prophesy with them: or "praise"
with them, as the same Targum; join with them in singing praises, and perform
this service in an orderly manner, as if he had been instructed in it, and used
to it:
and shall be turned into another man; for the
Spirit of God would not only operate on him in that way, as to fit him for
composing and singing psalms and hymns, but inspire him with wisdom, and
prudence, and greatness of mind, and with every qualification necessary for a
king; so that he would appear quite another man than he was before, in his
outward behaviour, as well as in the endowments of his mind; and from a rustic,
an husbandman, a farmer's son, would appear with the air of a prince, and in
the majesty of a king; and, as Procopius Gazaeus, have a royal mind or heart
given him.
1 Samuel 10:7 7 And
let it be, when these signs come to you, that you do as the occasion
demands; for God is with you.
YLT
7and it hath been, when
these signs come to thee -- do for thyself as thy hand findeth, for God [is]
with thee.
And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee,.... And are
all fulfilled, especially the last:
that thou do as occasion shall serve thee: as his
circumstances would require, and as he in his great wisdom and prudence, with
which he should now be furnished, would see necessary to prepare for his taking
upon him the kingdom he was anointed to, and would be in a little time openly
chosen to, and invested with. Some understand this of royal ornaments befitting
a king, or of preparing arms for the defence of the kingdom:
for God is with thee; or the Word of the Lord
is thy help, as the Targum, and therefore he need not fear engaging in any
enterprise that might be for the glory of God, and good of the kingdom.
1 Samuel 10:8 8 You
shall go down before me to Gilgal; and surely I will come down to you to offer
burnt offerings and make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you
shall wait, till I come to you and show you what you should do.”
YLT
8`And thou hast gone down
before me to Gilgal, and lo, I am going down unto thee, to cause to ascend
burnt-offerings, to sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings; seven days thou
dost wait till my coming in unto thee, and I have made known to thee that which
thou dost do.'
And thou shall go down before me to Gilgal,.... Not
immediately; for the first summons of the people, and of Saul, and the first
meeting of them by Samuel, were at Mizpeh, where Saul was chosen by lot; nor
the first time of Saul's being at Gilgal, when the kingdom was renewed; for
Saul had no need to wait seven days there, since he and Samuel went together, 1 Samuel 11:14
rather at the second time of his being there, where not staying the time quite
up, was reproved for it, which was two years after this, 1 Samuel 13:1,
though it may be this was a general rule to be observed by Saul, that whenever
anything turned up of importance to the children of Israel, and was a
difficulty with him, he should go to Gilgal, and there wait seven days for
Samuel, from the time he gave him notice of it, who would come at the appointed
time, and would give him what advice and instructions were necessary; and this
place was the rather appointed, because it was the place where the Israelites
first pitched their camp when they came over Jordan, and where the tabernacle
first was; and where prayer and sacrifices were wont to be made; and where the
kingdom of Saul was renewed; and which lay convenient for all the tribes, both
on the one and the other side of Jordan:
and, behold, I will come down to thee to offer burnt offerings,
and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings; so he did when the
kingdom was renewed, and Saul was confirmed in it, 1 Samuel 11:15 but
two years after, Saul not staying the full time, he offered them himself by
another, for which he was reproved, 1 Samuel 13:9.
seven days shalt thou tarry till I come to thee; either from
the time of the notice he should give to Samuel of his going thither, or from
the time of his arrival there; for it can by no means be understood as from the
time of his present departure from him, for the reasons before given:
and show thee what thou shalt do; in the then present
emergency or difficulty on his hands; and this he said to encourage him under
the weight and burden of government laid upon him.
1 Samuel 10:9 9 So it was, when he had
turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart; and all
those signs came to pass that day.
YLT
9And it hath been, at his turning
his shoulder to go from Samuel, that God turneth to him another heart, and all
these signs come on that day,
And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel,.... When he
had taken his leave of him, and set forward on his journey:
God gave him another heart; not in a moral or
spiritual sense, not a new heart, and a new spirit, as in conversion, but in a
civil sense, a right heart, a heart fit for government; filled with wisdom and
prudence to rule a people; with courage and magnanimity to protect and defend
them against their enemies, and fight for them; a heart not taken up with the
affairs of husbandry, with care for his father's asses, and looking after his
herds, but filled with concern for the civil welfare of Israel, and with schemes
and contrivances for their good, and with warm resolutions to deliver them out
of the hands of their enemies:
and all these signs came to pass that day; the two
first, which are not particularly mentioned as fulfilled, being more private,
as finding two men at Rachel's sepulchre, and meeting with three others going
to Bethel, which came to pass just as they were described; and the third, which
was more public, and gave Saul more reverence and respect among the people, is
next particularly observed.
1 Samuel 10:10 10 When they came there to
the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God
came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
YLT
10and they come in thither to
the height, and lo, a band of prophets -- to meet him, and prosper over him
doth the Spirit of God, and he prophesieth in their midst.
When they came thither to the hill,.... Or, to Gibeah, as
the Targum, and so JosephusF5Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 4. sect.
2.) :
behold, a company of prophets met him; as foretold, 1 Samuel 10:5,
and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he prophesied among
them; the spirit of prophecy, as the Targum, and he sung praises among
them; he joined with them in their psalmody, and performed it as regularly as
if he had been brought up with them. The Jews sayF6Hieron. Trad.
Heb. fol. 75. H. he prophesied of the world to come, of Gog and Magog, and of
the rewards of the righteous, and of the punishment of the wicked.
1 Samuel 10:11 11 And it happened, when all
who knew him formerly saw that he indeed prophesied among the prophets, that
the people said to one another, “What is this that has come upon
the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”
YLT
11And it cometh to pass, all
his acquaintance heretofore, see, and lo, with prophets he hath prophesied, and
the people say one unto another, `What [is] this hath happened to the son of
Kish? is Saul also among the prophets?'
And it came to pass, that when all that knew him before time,.... As there
must be many that personally knew him, and were acquainted with him, since
Gibeah, the place he was near to, was his native place:
saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets; or praised
among them, as the Targum, sung psalms and hymns with them:
what is this that is come unto the son of Kish? a rustic, a
plebeian, that never was in the school of the prophets, or learned music, and
yet is as dexterous at it as any of them:
is Saul also among the prophets? an husbandman, an
herdsman that looked after his father's farms, fields, and cattle, and now
among the prophets of the Lord, bearing his part with them, and performing it
as well as any of them: this was matter of wonder to those who knew his person,
family, and education; and so it was equally matter of admiration that Saul the
persecutor, one of the same tribe, should be among the preachers of the Gospel,
Acts 9:20.
1 Samuel 10:12 12 Then a man from there
answered and said, “But who is their father?” Therefore it became a
proverb: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
YLT
12And a man thence answereth
and saith, `And who [is] their father?' therefore it hath been for a simile,
`Is Saul also among the prophets?'
And one of the same place answered, and said,.... One of
the same city, and in the same company, that expressed their admiration at what
was come to Saul, and at what he did, and wondering how he came into such
company, and to have such a gift, who was of so mean an education:
but who is their father? the father of the prophets; their fathers
were not prophets, no more than Saul's was; their Father that taught them is
the Lord, and he was able to teach Saul, and bestow on him the gift of
prophecy, as well as on them; and so the Targum, who is their master or
teacher; for though they might have an undermaster or teacher, as Samuel, or
another prophet, yet their chief teacher was God; who could and did give men
the gift of prophecy, and even in the highest sense, who had neither prophets
for their fathers, nor were indeed trained up in any of the schools of the
prophets, which was the case of Amos:
therefore it became a proverb, is Saul also among the prophets? that when a
person of a mean parentage, and of a low life and education, was raised up to
any degree of dignity in sacred and civil things, they used to apply this
proverbial expression to him, or speak of him in this manner, is Saul among the
prophets?
1 Samuel 10:13 13 And when he had finished
prophesying, he went to the high place.
YLT
13And he ceaseth from
prophesying, and cometh in to the high place,
And when he had made an end of prophesying,.... For, as
Procopius Gazaeus observes, he had not the gift of prophecy always; it did not
continue with him, but, like that of the seventy elders in the times of Moses,
it was designed to make him respectable among the people, and to be taken
notice of as a person that God had honoured with a peculiar gift, that so, when
he should be chosen king, they would the more readily receive him:
he came to the high place; to return thanks to God
for the gift bestowed on him, and for that high honour and dignity he was
raised unto, of which he had private knowledge; and to pray God to fit him more
and more for government, and to, assist him in it, and help him to discharge
his office in a wise and faithful manner.
1 Samuel 10:14 14 Then Saul’s uncle said to
him and his servant, “Where did you go?” So he said, “To look for the donkeys.
When we saw that they were nowhere to be found, we went to
Samuel.”
YLT
14and the uncle of Saul saith
unto him, and unto his young man, `Whither went ye?' and he saith, `To seek the
asses; and we see that they are not, and we come in unto Samuel.'
And Saul's uncle said unto him, and to his servant, whither went
ye?.... Since they had been absent so long a time. This was his
father's brother, as the Targum, and so Aquila; whose name was Ner, the father
of Abner, 1 Samuel 14:50 who
met with him at the high place, or found him in the city, in his father's house
it may be. JosephusF7Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 4.) sect. 3. says,
Saul went into the house of his kinsman Abner, whom he loved above all his
relations, and that it was he that discoursed with Saul, and asked him, the
questions before and after related:
and he said, to seek the asses: he first observes the
end of their going, the business they went upon, in which not succeeding, then
he answers more directly to the question:
and when we saw that they were nowhere; could not see
them, nor find them any where, or hear of them where they went:
we came to Samuel; at Ramah, to inquire of him, if he could
direct us which way to go, and what methods to take, to find the asses.
1 Samuel 10:15 15 And Saul’s uncle said,
“Tell me, please, what Samuel said to you.”
YLT
15And the uncle of Saul
saith, `Declare, I pray thee, to me, what Samuel said to you?'
And Saul's uncle said, &c. l On hearing he
had been with Samuel, and perceiving so great an alteration in Saul, perhaps he
began to suspect something about the kingdom; it being what everyone was
talking of, and expecting every day to hear from Samuel who should be king,
according to the Lord's appointment:
tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you; the
earnestness with which he put this question seems to confirm the above
conjecture.
1 Samuel 10:16 16 So Saul said to his uncle,
“He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But about the matter of
the kingdom, he did not tell him what Samuel had said.
YLT
16And Saul saith unto his
uncle, `He certainly declared to us that the asses were found;' and of the
matter of the kingdom he hath not declared to him that which Samuel said.
And Saul said unto his uncle,.... In answer to his
question:
he told us plainly the asses were found; or "in
telling told us"F8הגד הגיד "indicando indicavit", Pagninus, Montanus,
&c. ; not only plainly in so many words, but he affirmed it with the
greatest certainty that the asses were found, and we need not give ourselves
further trouble about them:
but of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told
him not; he said not one word about that, which is commonly ascribed to
his modesty; or he might conceal it, as JosephusF9Ut supra. (Antiqu.
l. 6. c. 4. scet. 3.) observes, because he thought it would not be believed by
his relations, or might create in them envy to him; and besides, he knew it was
the pleasure of Samuel that it should be kept a secret until the election by
lot was over, lest it should be thought to proceed from Samuel himself; and
Saul chose it should remain so, that it might not be thought to be of his own
seeking; and by keeping it from his relations and friends, it would be a clear
case that he did not make interest for it.
1 Samuel 10:17 17 Then Samuel called the
people together to the Lord
at Mizpah,
YLT
17And Samuel calleth the
people unto Jehovah to Mizpeh,
And Samuel called the people together unto the Lord at Mizpeh. Not that in
Gilead, but in the tribe of Benjamin, where the people had been before convened
on a certain occasion, 1 Samuel 7:5 and
the people called together could not be every individual of the nation, but the
heads and elders of the people, their representatives, and who were summoned by
the orders of Samuel; perhaps by an herald making proclamation and cry of the
same, as the word signifies; and these were gathered together to the Lord, to
have the following affair transacted before him, and under his guidance and
direction; the priest perhaps being here with the Urim and Thummim, as Kimchi
thinks, and who also conjectures that the ark might be brought hither at this
time, the symbol of the divine Presence; though wherever the church and people
of God were gathered together in his name, in a solemn manner, there the Lord
was.
1 Samuel 10:18 18 and said to the children
of Israel, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I brought
up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and
from the hand of all kingdoms and from those who oppressed you.’
YLT
18and saith unto the sons of
Israel, `Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, I have brought up Israel out of
Egypt, and I deliver you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand
of all the kingdoms who are oppressing you;
And said unto the children of Israel,.... In the
name of the Lord, using the phrase which the prophets used when they spoke in
the name of the Lord:
thus saith the Lord God of Israel; the great Jehovah, the
Being of beings, the covenant God of his people Israel:
I brought up Israel out of Egypt; when in bondage there,
with a mighty hand and outstretched arm, by means of signs and wonders done by
the hands of Moses and Aaron; the Lord working mightily with them, and thereby
inclining Pharaoh and his people to let them go:
and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians; at the Red
sea, drowning them in it, when they threatened Israel with an utter
destruction:
and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that
oppressed you; as the Arabic writers, the kingdoms of Og and Bashan in their
way to Canaan, and the Mesopotamians, Moabites, Canaanites, Midianites,
Ammonites, and Philistines, in the times of the judges; all which is observed
to show their ingratitude, and aggravate their guilt.
1 Samuel 10:19 19 But you have today
rejected your God, who Himself saved you from all your adversities and your
tribulations; and you have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us!’ Now
therefore, present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by
your clans.”[b]
YLT
19and ye to-day have rejected
your God, who [is] Himself your saviour out of all your evils and your
distresses, and ye say, `Nay, but -- a king thou dost set over us; and now,
station yourselves before Jehovah, by your tribes, and by your thousands.'
And ye have this day rejected your God,.... As their
king, by desiring another to be set over them:
who himself saved you out of all your adversity and your
tribulations; that they had been in at any time in Egypt, in their passage
through the wilderness to Canaan, and after they were settled there:
ye have said unto him, nay, but set a king over us: they did as
good as say God should not be their King, but they would have one set over them
like the kings of the nations about them; Samuel reminds them of this their
request and resolution to have a king, which they had expressed some time ago,
that it might appear to them that this was wholly of their own seeking; the
motion came from themselves, and not from the Lord, nor from Samuel, and
therefore, whatever ill consequences might follow upon it, they had none to
blame but themselves:
now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes,
and by your thousands; by the heads of their tribes, and by the rulers of the thousands
into which their tribes were divided, that it might be known either by Urim and
Thummim, or rather by casting lots, out of which tribe, and out of which
thousand, house, and family in it, their king was to be chosen; which method,
an it would clearly appear to be a choice directed by the Lord, so it would
prevent all contention and discord among themselves.
1 Samuel 10:20 20 And when Samuel had caused
all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.
YLT
20And Samuel bringeth near
the whole tribes of Israel, and the tribe of Benjamin is captured,
And when Samuel had caused all the tribes to come near,.... The heads
and representatives of them, to the place where the lots were cast:
the tribe of Benjamin was taken; the lot fell upon that
tribe for the choice of a king out of it; not the tribe of, Reuben, who was the
firstborn, nor the tribe of Judah, to whom the kingdom was promised, but the
tribe of Benjamin, the least of all the tribes, and which sprung from the
youngest son of Jacob, contrary, as it were probable, to the expectation of
all.
1 Samuel 10:21 21 When he had caused the
tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was
chosen. And Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they sought him, he could
not be found.
YLT
21and he bringeth near the
tribe of Benjamin by its families, and the family of Matri is captured, and
Saul son of Kish is captured, and they seek him, and he hath not been found.
And when he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their
families,.... By the heads of them, to have lots cast for them, out of
which of the families the king should be chosen:
the family of Matri was taken; that is, by lot; the lot
fell upon that family for the choice of a king out of them: in the account of
the families of the tribe of Benjamin, 1 Chronicles 8:1 no
mention is made of this family, nor any where else, and yet no doubt there was
such a family, and Saul was of it; it seems to have its name from the butt or
mark arrows were shot at; some of the Benjamites being famous for their skill
in darting and slinging, and perhaps this family might be so:
and Saul the son of Kish was taken; the lot being cast upon
the men in the family of Matri, though it is not expressed, fell upon Saul; for
though he was not there, as Jarchi observes, the lot fell upon him; for their
names were written on a piece of paper, and put into a box, and the prophet put
in his hand and took out one, and on that was the name of Saul, and this was
the manner of the lot:
and when they sought him, he could not be found; because he
had hid himself, as in the next verse; it is very probable, and indeed plain,
that he was in this assembly at the first opening of it; and knowing what
Samuel had said and done to him, and perceiving in what way the lot was going
concerning the same, the tribe of Benjamin being taken, he concluded how it
would issue, and therefore left the assembly, and hid himself, as follows.
1 Samuel 10:22 22 Therefore they inquired of
the Lord
further, “Has the man come here yet?” And the Lord answered,
“There he is, hidden among the equipment.”
YLT
22And they ask again at
Jehovah, `Hath the man yet come hither?' and Jehovah saith, `Lo, he hath been
hidden near the vessels.'
Therefore they inquired of the Lord further,.... Or again,
by lot, by which they knew who the person was the was chosen king, but they did
not know where he was, and therefore inquire further how they must come at him;
and this inquiry was made either before the high priest by Urim and Thummim, or
by Samuel the prophet of the Lord: and the inquiry was:
if the man should yet come thither; whether he was already
come, or would come there, and if not, what methods they must take to find him:
and the Lord answered, behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff the word signifies
household stuff, vessels, utensils, arms, &c. which the people had brought
along with them for their use, and were laid up in some one place; and among
these baggages Saul hid himself, hoping that if he was not found they would
proceed to another choice, so free from ambition was he, and such was his
modesty; nor does this seem to be affected and dissembled, but real; though
afterwards, when he was settled in the kingdom, he did not care to part with
it, and sought to kill David, whom he looked upon as his rival: there were many
things which now concurred, that made him uneasy and unwilling to assume the
government of the people; partly the envy and ill will of some of them, which
he must expect; chiefly the sense he had of his own unfitness for such an
office, being of a mean family, and having had so mean an education, and so
little knowledge of the maxims of government; and besides, must at once, as
soon as on the throne, enter into a war with the Ammonites; but what might most
of all distress him, he perceived by Samuel's speech to the people, that the
affair of a king was displeasing to the Lord, though he condescended to grant
the people's request; and therefore what comfort and happiness could he expect
in such a situation?
1 Samuel 10:23 23 So they ran and brought
him from there; and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of
the people from his shoulders upward.
YLT
23And they run and bring him
thence, and he stationed himself in the midst of the people, and he is higher
than any of the people from his shoulder and upward.
And they ran and fetched him thence,.... Being in haste to
see their king elect, and proclaim him:
and when he stood among the people; being brought among
them, and presented to them:
he was higher than any of the people, from the shoulders, and
upwards; which made him look very graceful and majestic; height of
stature, and a comely form, as Kimchi observes, recommend to royal dignity; and
make the people stand more in awe of a prince, and have always been reckoned
among all other nations to make a prince venerable; see Gill on 1 Samuel 9:2.
1 Samuel 10:24 24 And Samuel said to all the
people, “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen, that there
is no one like him among all the people?” So all the people shouted and
said, “Long live the king!”
YLT
24And Samuel saith unto all
the people, `Have ye seen him on whom Jehovah hath fixed, for there is none
like him among all the people?' And all the people shout, and say, `Let the
king live!'
And Samuel said to all the people, see ye him whom the Lord hath
chosen,.... For the choice being made by lot, the disposal of which is
of the Lord, it is properly attributed to him, and the people could not object
to it, but must allow it was the Lord's doing. EupolemusF11Apud
Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 30. p. 447. , an Heathen writer, says, that
Saul was made king by Samuel by the counsel or will of God; and Samuel appeals
to their eyes for the goodness of the choice, a better could not have been
made:
that there is none like him among the people? so graceful,
so stately, so prince like and majestic; they wanted to have a king like such
the nations had; and Saul was such an one, had all the outward appearance of
grandeur that could be wished for, and which in other nations recommended
persons to the imperial dignity:
and all the people shouted; made a general ado:
and said, God save the king; or "let the king
live"F12יחי המלך
"vivat rex", Pagninus, Montanus, &c. ; they owned and saluted him
as their king, and prayed he might live long to reign over them; the Targum is,
"let the king prosper"; let his reign be prosperous and glorious, and
let him enjoy all health and happiness, peace and prosperity.
1 Samuel 10:25 25 Then Samuel explained to
the people the behavior of royalty, and wrote it in a book and laid it
up before the Lord.
And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
YLT
25And Samuel speaketh unto
the people the right of the kingdom, and writeth in a book, and placeth before
Jehovah; and Samuel sendeth all the people away, each to his house.
Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, According to
Ben Gersom, he laid before them the power a king had over his people, and the
punishment he might inflict upon them, if they rebelled against him; and some
think this is the same he delivered in 1 Samuel 8:10
concerning the arbitrary power of their kings, and how they would be used by
them; and which he here repeated, and then wrote it, that it might be a
testimony against them hereafter; with which what JosephusF13Antiqu.
l. 6. c. 4. sect. 6. says pretty much agrees, that in the hearing of the king
he foretold what would befall them, and then wrote it, and laid it up, that it
might be a witness of his predictions; but that in
1Sa 8:10-17. Samuel said,
was the manner of their king, or how he would use them, but this the manner of
the kingdom, and how the government of it was to be managed and submitted to,
what was the office of a king, and what the duties of the subject; and yet was
different from, at least not the same with that in Deuteronomy 17:15,
for that had been written and laid up already:
and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord; in the ark of
the Lord; as Kimchi; or rather by the ark of the Lord, on one side of it, as
Ben Gersom; or best of all, as JosephusF14Ibid. , in the tabernacle
of the Lord, where recourse might be had to it, at any time, at least by a
priest, and where it would be safe, and be preserved to future times:
and Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house; for though
Saul was chosen king, he did not take upon him the exercise of government
directly, but left it to Samuel to dismiss the people, who had been for many
years their chief magistrate.
1 Samuel 10:26 26 And Saul also went home to
Gibeah; and valiant men went with him, whose hearts God had touched.
YLT
26And also Saul hath gone to
his house, to Gibeah, and the force go with him whose heart God hath touched;
And Saul also went home to Gibeah,.... His native place,
where was his father's house, to which he retired; where were no royal palace,
or princely court, nor any of the ensigns of kingly majesty; and whither it
does not appear that he was followed by the nobility or princes of the tribes,
only accompanied by a few men, as next observed:
and there went with him a band of men; an army, or
part of one they seem to be military men, at least men of strength, valour, and
courage; gallant men, who, in honour to their king elect, freely offered
themselves to be his body guard, however, until he was come to his house at
Gibeah; the Targum is only, "some of the people"
whose heart God had touched; and inclined to show
honour and respect to their king; the Targum describes them,"men that
feared to sin, and in whose hearts the fear of God was put.'
1 Samuel 10:27 27 But some rebels said, “How
can this man save us?” So they despised him, and brought him no presents. But
he held his peace.
YLT
27and the sons of
worthlessness have said, `What! this one doth save us!' and they despise him,
and have not brought to him a present; and he is as one deaf.
But the children of Belial said,.... Wicked, dissolute,
lawless persons; men without a yoke, as the word signifies, who did not care to
be under the yoke of government, at least not under the yoke of Saul; and these
might be men of wealth, and of larger tribes, and better families than Saul was
of, and therefore envied him, and thought themselves better for government than
he was; and in a jeering scornful manner said:
how shall this man save us? whose family is so mean,
and whose tribe is so small, that they can give but little assistance to
deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, the Philistines and Ammonites;
intimating, that a king ought to have been of a rich family, and a large tribe,
and a prince in it, whose interest and influence were great, not only in his
own tribe, but in others, which would enable him to engage in war with an
enemy, and protect the people; but what, as if they should say, can be expected
from "this man?", this mean contemptible man, of no birth nor
fortune, brought up in an obscure manner, and altogether inexpert in things
civil and military?
and they despised him; on account of the above
things, not only in their hearts, but spared not to speak out, and use
opprobrious language, and with which their actions and conduct agreed:
and brought him no presents; as others did, and as it
was usual when a king came to the throne; nor were any visits made unto him, in
token of their subjection to him, and complacency in him, and by way of
congratulation of him, see 1 Kings 4:21 the
Targum is, they did not salute him, or ask of his welfare:
but he held his peace, or "was as one that
is deaf and dumb"F15ויהי כמחריש "et fuit veluti surdus", Pagninus,
Montanus, Vatablus; "fuit quasi obmutescens", Drusius; "veluti
tacens aut silens", so some in Vatablus; so the Targum. ; took no
notice of what they said, as if he was deaf and heard it not, and was as silent
as if he had been a dumb man, which showed his wisdom and prudence; for had he
taken notice of them, he must have punished them, and he judged it more
advisable to use lenity and mildness, and not begin his reign with contention
and bloodshed.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)