1 Samuel 9
9
Saul Chosen to Be King
1There was a man of Benjamin whose name was #ch. 14:51; 1 Chr. 8:33; 9:39Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. 2And he had a son whose name was Saul, #[ch. 8:16] a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. #ch. 10:23From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.
3Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.” 4And he passed through #See Josh. 24:33 the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of #2 Kgs. 4:42Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.
5When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant#9:5 Hebrew young man; also verses 7, 8, 10, 27 who was with him, “Come, let us go back, #ch. 10:2lest my father cease to care about the donkeys and become anxious about us.” 6But he said to him, “Behold, there is #Deut. 33:1; Judg. 13:6; 1 Kgs. 13:1 a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; #ch. 3:19all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.” 7Then Saul said to his servant, “But if we go, #[1 Kgs. 14:3; 2 Kgs. 4:42; 8:8]what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?” 8The servant answered Saul again, “Here, I have with me a quarter of a shekel#9:8 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams of silver, and I will give it to the man of God to tell us our way.” 9(Formerly in Israel, when a man #Gen. 25:22went to inquire of God, he said, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for today’s “prophet” was formerly called a seer.) 10And Saul said to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.
11As they went up the hill to the city, #Gen. 24:11they met young women coming out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?” 12They answered, “He is; behold, he is just ahead of you. Hurry. He has come just now to the city, because the people #ch. 16:2; 20:29; Gen. 31:54 have a sacrifice today on #ch. 10:5; 1 Kgs. 3:2-4the high place. 13As soon as you enter the city you will find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat till he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now go up, for you will meet him immediately.” 14So they went up to the city. As they were entering the city, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way up to the high place.
15Now the day before Saul came, #ch. 15:1; [Acts 13:21] the Lord had #Ruth 4:4revealed to Samuel: 16“Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, #ch. 10:1 and you shall anoint him to be prince#9:16 Or leader over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. #Ex. 2:25; 3:7, 9For I have seen#9:16 Septuagint adds the affliction of my people, because their cry has come to me.” 17When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, #[ch. 16:12]“Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.” 18Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, “Tell me where is the house of the seer?” 19Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind. 20#ver. 3As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s house?” 21Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, #[Judg. 20:46; 21:6; Ps. 68:27] from the least of the tribes of Israel? #ch. 15:17; [Judg. 6:15]And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”
22Then Samuel took Saul and his young man and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, who were about thirty persons. 23And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Put it aside.’” 24So the cook took up #Ex. 29:22, 27; Lev. 7:32, 33; [Ezek. 24:4]the leg and what was on it and set them before Saul. And Samuel said, “See, what was kept is set before you. Eat, because it was kept for you until the hour appointed, that you might eat with the guests.”#9:24 Hebrew appointed, saying, ‘I have invited the people’
So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25And when they came down from the high place into the city, a bed was spread for Saul #[Deut. 22:8; 2 Sam. 11:2; 16:22; Neh. 8:16; Matt. 24:17; Acts 10:9]on the roof, and he lay down to sleep.#9:25 Septuagint; Hebrew city, he spoke with Saul on the roof 26Then at the break of dawn#9:26 Septuagint; Hebrew And they arose early, and at the break of dawn Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Up, that I may send you on your way.” So Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out into the street.
27As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to pass on before us, and when he has passed on, stop here yourself for a while, that I may make known to you the word of God.”
Currently Selected:
1 Samuel 9: ESV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV:
1 Samuel 9
9
1And 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, the son of a Benjaminite, a mighty man of wealth. 2And he had a son whose name was Saul, choice and comely; and there was not among the children of Israel a comelier person than he; from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.
3And the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost; and Kish said to Saul his son, Take, I pray, one of the young men with thee, and arise, go seek the asses. 4And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they found them not; and they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there; and they passed through the land of Benjamin, and they found them not. 5They had come to the land of Zuph when Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come and let us return; lest my father give up the asses, and be anxious about us. 6And he said to him, Behold now, a man of God#GodHebrew: Elohim is in this city, and the man is held in honour; all that he says comes surely to pass. Let us now go thither: perhaps he will shew us the way that we should go. 7And Saul said to his servant, But if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and we have no present to give to the man of God#GodHebrew: Elohim what have we? 8And the servant answered Saul again and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver; that will I give to the man of God#GodHebrew: Elohim to tell us our way. 9(In former time in Israel, when a man went to ask counsel of God#GodHebrew: Elohim he said, Come and let us go to the seer; for he that is now called a Prophet was in former time called a Seer.) 10And Saul said to his servant, Well said: come, let us go. So they went to the city where the man of God#GodHebrew: Elohim was.
11As they went up the ascent to the city, they met maidens going forth to draw water; and they said to them, Is the seer here? 12And they answered them and said, He is; behold, he is before thee: make haste now, for he came to-day to the city; for the people have a sacrifice to-day in the high place. 13As soon as ye come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people eat not until he has come, because he blesses the sacrifice; afterwards they eat that are invited. And now go up; for this very day shall ye find him. 14And they went up into the city. As they were coming into the midst of the city, behold, Samuel was coming out towards them, to go up to the high place. 15Now Jehovah had apprised Samuel one day before Saul came, saying, 16To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him prince over my people Israel; and he will save my people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. 17And as Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah answered him, Behold the man of whom I spoke to thee! this man shall rule over my people.
18And Saul drew near to Samuel in the midst of the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is. 19And Samuel answered Saul and said, I am the seer: go up before me to the high place, and ye shall eat with me to-day; and to-morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thy heart. 20And as for the asses that thou didst lose three days ago, set not thy heart on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel set? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house? 21And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjaminite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? and why dost thou speak such words to me? 22And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the chamber, and gave them a place at the head of them that were invited; and they were about thirty persons. 23And Samuel said to the cook, Bring the portion that I gave thee, of which I said to thee, Set it by thee. 24And the cook took up the shoulder, and what was on it, and set it before Saul. And he said, Behold that which has been reserved! set it before thee, eat; for against the set time has it been kept for thee, since I said, I will invite the people. So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25And they came down from the high place into the city, and he spoke with Saul upon the roof. 26And they arose early; and when it was about the dawning of the day, Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, Arise, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, into the street. 27As they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Tell the servant to pass on before us (and he passed on), but stand thou still now, that I may cause thee to hear the word of God#GodHebrew: Elohim.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.