1Now 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. 2And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. 3Now 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 search for the donkeys. 4And 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. 5And 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 leave the donkeys and become concerned about us. 6And he said to him, Behold now, there is a man of God in this city, and he is an honorable man; all that he speaks succeeds to come to pass. Now let us go there; perhaps he can show us the way that we should go. 7Then Saul said to his servant, But behold, 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? 8And the servant answered Saul again and said, Behold, 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. 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.) 10Then Saul said to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went to the city where the man of God was. 11And 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? 12And they answered them and said, Yes, behold he is ahead of you. Hurry now; for today he has come to this city, because there is a sacrifice of the people today at the high place. 13As 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 today you will find him. 14So they went up to the city; and as they were coming into the city, behold, Samuel was coming out to meet them, to go up to the high place. 15Now Jehovah had revealed in Samuel's ear the day before Saul came, saying, 16Tomorrow 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 deliver My people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to me. 17And when Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah said to him, Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall reign over My people. 18And Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Please tell me, where is the seer's house? 19And 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 send you away and will declare to you all that is in your heart. 20And as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your heart on 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. 21And 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 of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken this word to me? 22And Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall, and had them sit in the place at the head of those who were invited; which were about thirty men. 23And Samuel said to the cook, Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, Set it beside you. 24And the cook took up the leg with what was on it and set it before Saul. And he said, Behold here is what was reserved. Set it before you and eat; for until this appointed time it has been kept for you, since I said I invited the people. So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25And when they had come down from the high place into the city, he spoke with Saul on the top of the house. 26And they arose early; and it was about daybreak that Samuel summoned Saul to the top of the house, saying, Arise, that I may send you away. And Saul arose, and both of them went outside, he and Samuel. 27And as they were going down to the city limits, Samuel said to Saul, Command the servant to go on ahead of us. And he went on. But you stand here a moment, that I may proclaim to you the Word of God.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 SAUL, DESPAIRING TO FIND HIS FATHER'S ASSES, COMES TO SAMUEL. (
1Sam 9:1-14)
a mighty man of power--that is, of great wealth and substance. The family was of high consideration in the tribe of Benjamin, and therefore Saul's words must be set down among the common forms of affected humility, which Oriental people are wont to use.
2 Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly--He had a fine appearance; for it is evident that he must have been only a little under seven feet tall. A gigantic stature and an athletic frame must have been a popular recommendation at that time in that country.
3 the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost. And Kish said to Saul . . . arise, go seek the asses--The probability is that the family of Kish, according to the immemorial usage of Oriental shepherds in the purely pastoral regions, had let the animals roam at large during the grazing season, at the close of which messengers were despatched in search of them. Such travelling searches are common; and, as each owner has his own stamp marked on his cattle, the mention of it to the shepherds he meets gradually leads to the discovery of the strayed animals. This ramble of Saul's had nothing extraordinary in it, except its superior directions and issue, which turned its uncertainty into certainty.
4 he passed through mount Ephraim--This being situated on the north of Benjamin, indicates the direction of Saul's journey. The district explored means the whole of the mountainous region, with its valleys and defiles, which belonged to Ephraim. Turning apparently southwards--probably through the verdant hills between Shiloh and the vales of Jordan (Shalisha and Shalim)--he approached again the borders of Benjamin, scoured the land of Zuph, and was proposing to return, when his servant recollected that they were in the immediate neighborhood of the man of God, who would give them counsel.
6 there is in this city a man of God--Ramah was the usual residence of Samuel, but several circumstances, especially the mention of Rachel's sepulchre, which lay in Saul's way homeward [
1Sam 10:2], lead to the conclusion that "this city" was not the Ramah where Samuel dwelt.
peradventure he can show us our way that we should go--It seems strange that a dignified prophet should be consulted in such an affair. But it is probable that at the introduction of the prophetic office, the seers had discovered things lost or stolen, and thus their power for higher revelations was gradually established.
7 Saul said to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man?--According to Eastern notions, it would be considered a want of respect for any person to go into the presence of a superior man of rank or of official station without a present of some kind in his hand, however trifling in value.
the bread is spent in our vessels--Shepherds, going in quest of their cattle, put up in a bag as much flour for making bread as will last sometimes for thirty days. It appears that Saul thought of giving the man of God a cake from his travelling bag, and this would have been sufficient to render the indispensable act of civility--the customary tribute to official dignity.
8 the fourth part of a shekel of silver--rather more than sixpence. Contrary to our Western notions, money is in the East the most acceptable form in which a present can be made to a man of rank.
9 seer . . . Prophet--The recognized distinction in latter times was, that a seer was one who was favored with visions of God--a view of things invisible to mortal sight; and a prophet foretold future events.
11 as they went up the hill--The modern village, Er-Rameh, lies on an eminence; and on their way they met a band of young maidens going out to the well, which, like all similar places in Palestine, was beyond the precincts of the town. From these damsels they learned that the day was devoted to a festival occasion, in honor of which Samuel had arrived in the city; that a sacrifice had been offered, which was done by prophets in extraordinary circumstances at a distance from the tabernacle, and that a feast was to follow--implying that it had been a peace offering; and that, according to the venerable practice of the Israelites, the man of God was expected to ask a special blessing on the food in a manner becoming the high occasion.
14 Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place--Such were the simple manners of the times that this prophet, the chief man in Israel, was seen going to preside at a high festival undistinguished either by his dress or equipage from any ordinary citizen.
15 GOD REVEALS TO SAMUEL SAUL'S COMING, AND HIS APPOINTMENT TO THE KINGDOM. (
1Sam 9:15-27)
Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear a day before--The description of Saul, the time of his arrival, and the high office to which he was destined, had been secretly intimated to Samuel from heaven. The future king of Israel was to fight the battles of the Lord and protect His people. It would appear that they were at this time suffering great molestation from the Philistines, and that this was an additional reason of their urgent demands for the appointment of a king (see
1Sam 10:5;
1Sam 13:3).
18 Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is--Satisfying the stranger's inquiry, Samuel invited him to the feast, as well as to sojourn till the morrow; and, in order to reconcile him to the delay, he assured him that the strayed asses had been recovered.
20 on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house?--This was a covert and indirect premonition of the royal dignity that awaited him; and, though Saul's answer shows that he fully understood it, he affected to doubt that the prophet was in earnest.
21 And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, &c.--By selecting a king from this least and nearly extinct tribe (
Judg 20:46-
Judg 20:48), divine wisdom designed to remove all grounds of jealousy among the other tribes.
22 Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour--The toil-worn but noble-looking traveller found himself suddenly seated among the principal men of the place and treated as the most distinguished guest.
24 the cook took up the shoulder . . . and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left; set it before thee, and eat--that is, reserved (see on
Gen 18:7;
Gen 43:34). This was, most probably, the right shoulder; which, as the perquisite of the sacrifice, belonged to Samuel, and which he had set aside for his expected guest. In the sculptures of the Egyptian shambles, also, the first joint taken off was always the right shoulder for the priest. The meaning of those distinguished attentions must have been understood by the other guests.
25 Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house--Saul was taken to lodge with the prophet for that night. Before retiring to rest, they communed on the flat roof of the house, the couch being laid there (
Josh 2:6), when, doubtless, Samuel revealed the secret and described the peculiar duties of a monarch in a nation so related to the Divine King as Israel. Next morning early, Samuel roused his guest, and conveying him on his way towards the skirts of the city, sought, before parting, a private interview--the object of which is narrated in the next chapter.
