Chapter Nine
Saul Chosen to Be the First King
9:1 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. 2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.
We are introduced to a man named Kish (there are several people in the Old Testament with that name this is the first one), we are told that he is from the tribe of Benjamin, and that he is a wealthy man. But in a similar manner how the author introduced Hannah at the beginning of the book (see 1 Samuel 1:1), Kish is not the focal point, his son Saul is, and he is described as being a handsome (Hebrew ṭôḇ’, good, well-pleasing, can refer to being pleasant to the senses) young man, who was taller than anyone else.
9:3 Now 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.” 4 And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, 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.
We are told that Kish’s donkeys got loose and were now lost, Kish assigns his son Saul to take one the servants and go out and look for the donkeys. Saul did an extensive search for the animals as he likely followed a potential path and covered a sizable amount of territory in the hill country of Ephraim and south through the land of Benjamin (the locations of Shalishah and Shaalim are unknown but thought to be in the same vicinity), but to no avail.
9:5 When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let us go back, lest my father cease to care about the donkeys and become anxious about us.” 6 But he said to him, “Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.” 7 Then Saul said to his servant, “But if we go, 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?” 8 The servant answered Saul again, “Here, I have with me a quarter of a shekel of silver, and I will give it to the man of God to tell us our way.” 9 (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for today’s “prophet” was formerly called a seer.) 10 And Saul said to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.
Now arriving to the land of Zuph (another unknown location, most believe it was a regional name, not a city), the two young men still having not found the donkeys realize that a lot of time has passed (we are not told how much time had passed here, but we are told three days had passed in verse twenty) so they decide to return home before Kish begins to worry about them. The servant then suggests that they go and inquire from the “man of God in this city” where the donkeys are (Zuph was likely near Ramah). The servant says this man is held in high honor and everything he says comes true. Saul says they have nothing to give the man of God as they are out of food (not knowing how true prophets of God work, he assumed the man would require payment), the servant then tells Saul that he has a quarter of a shekel of silver to give him. So they go and look for this man of God. It is interesting that the author injects a parenthetical editorial statement at this point in the narrative, that the people of Israel in the past used to call these men ’seers’ (Hebrew rō·’ě(h)’, to see, not always with eyes) but that they are now called ‘prophets’ (Hebrew nā·ḇî’, a spokesman), for most applications the terms are truly synonymous. Saul agrees and they proceed to the city where the man of God was.
9:11 As they went up the hill to the city, they met young women coming out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?” 12 They answered, “He is; behold, he is just ahead of you. Hurry. He has come just now to the city, because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place. 13 As 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.” 14 So 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.
The two young men enter the city and talk with some young women drawing water from a well and ask if the seer is there, and they tell them that he is just up ahead. But then told them to hurry as he had to bless the sacrifice. We know that Samuel had built an altar in Ramah (see 1 Samuel 7:17) and was likely on the top of the hill (remember that ‘Ramah’ means height) so this sacrifice may have been a daily occurrence (such as a peace offering that allowed others to share). The women further note that the people will not eat until the seer comes and blesses the food, and then afterwards those who are invited can eat. When they entered the city they saw Samuel walking towards them.
9:15 Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed to Samuel: 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.”
The narrative flashes back to the previous day when YHWH revealed to Samuel that He was going to show him tomorrow the person he was to anoint to be prince over His people. And that he will save the people of Israel from the hand of the Philistines, for God has heard their cry for help.
9:17 When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.”
When Samuel saw Saul, YHWH told him that he was the one He told him about, the one who will “restrain" (Hebrew yǎ·ṣōr’, to restrain, to keep in slavery, to detain) His people.
9:18 Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, “Tell me where is the house of the seer?” 19 Samuel 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 As 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?”
As Saul approaches Samuel at the gate, he asks him where the seer lived. Samuel tells him that he was the seer, and invited him to have a meal with him and then in the morning he will tell tell him what he wants to know and let him go. He also tells him that he can stop worrying about the donkeys as they have found and adds that he will tell him that he and his father’s family are the focus of Israel’s hopes!
9:21 Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? 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?”
Undoubtedly stunned by such a proclamation, Saul recognizes the scope and honor of what Samuel said and asks how is that possible and states that he is from the least of the tribes of Israel (a true statement since the tribe came close to being extinct during the conflict recorded in Judges 20:1-21:24) and that his clan was the humblest (Hebrew ṣei·rā(h)’, younger, little, small, insignificant) of the tribe (although we are told in verse one that his father was a man of wealth).
9:22 Then 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. 23 And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Put it aside.’ ” 24 So the cook took up 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.” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall (Hebrew liš·kā’·ṯā(h), room, chamber, often thought to be a structure with three sides) and gave them the most prestigious position at the head of the table where approximately thirty others had gathered. He was given a choice piece of meat which was set aside for him and he ate with Samuel that day.
9:25 And when they came down from the high place into the city, a bed was spread for Saul on the roof, and he lay down to sleep. 26 Then 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.
When the dinner was over a bed was prepared for Saul on the roof and he went to sleep. In the morning Samuel woke him and walked with Samuel down the street.
9:27 As 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.”
As they were walking out of the city, Samuel stopped and told Saul to send his servant go on ahead of him because he wanted to tell Saul what God had told him.
Considerations
Normal to Supernatural
God can direct what seemingly is a common occurrence, such as going out looking for a lost animal, to being supernaturally guided to comply with his will. Undoubtedly Saul had other duties to perform that day that didn’t get done, but God had other plans. An application of what Paul wrote to the church in Rome, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, ESV)