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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Josephus i Cises; his name, according to Hillerus k, signifies "ensn... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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, princ... [ Continue Reading ]
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 l... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 ag... [ Continue Reading ]
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: T... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID SAUL TO HIS SERVANT, WELL SAID,.... Or "good is thy word" d, 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 mus... [ Continue Reading ]
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 u... [ Continue Reading ]
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 say f they gave a token to know it by, that there was a cloud at the door,... [ Continue Reading ]
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 T... [ Continue Reading ]
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" i;... [ Continue Reading ]
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 th... [ Continue Reading ]
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 t... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 pr... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 tho... [ Continue Reading ]
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 th... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 THE... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Jew o; since this joined to the shoulder be... [ Continue Reading ]
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; o... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 di... [ Continue Reading ]