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1 SAMUEL 9

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph
2. Second paragraph
3. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:1-2
  ¹Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. ²He had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.

9:1 "Kish" Saul's family lineage is given in 1 Chr. 9:35-44 (also note 1 Sam. 14:49-51).

The MT seems to list six different ancestors.

▣ "a mighty man of valor" This Hebrew idiom can refer to

1. military skill (i.e., Jdgs. 11:1)
2. wealth/property (i.e., Ruth 2:1; 2 Kgs. 15:20)
3. social influence and standing (NJB "a person of rank")

9:2 Notice the things said about Saul.

1. young ‒ BDB 104
2. a choice man ‒ (lit. "good," BDB 373)
3. handsome ‒ BDB 373
4. taller than others ‒ BDB 147

He was the kind of Israelite that could be king.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:3-4
  ³Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. So Kish said to his son Saul, "Take now with you one of the servants, and arise, go search for the donkeys." ⁴He passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.

9:4 "Shalishah" This refers to a district in Ephraim, not far from Gilgal. It is also known as "Baal-shalishah" (cf. 2 Kgs. 4:42).

▣ "Shaalim" This site/region appears only here in the OT. It may be be in the tribal allocation of Ephraim. Some scholars speculate it should read:

1. Shaalbiim ‒ Jdgs. 1:35; 1 Kgs. 4:9
2. Shual ‒ 1 Sam. 13:17

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:5-10
  ⁵When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, "Come, and let us return, or else my father will cease to be concerned about the donkeys and will become anxious for us." ⁶He said to him, "Behold now, there is a man of God in this city, and the man is held in honor; all that he says surely comes true. Now let us go there, perhaps he can tell us about our journey on which we have set out." ⁷Then Saul said to his servant, "But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is gone from our sack and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?" ⁸The servant answered Saul again and said, "Behold, I have in my hand a fourth of a shekel of silver; I will give it to the man of God and he will tell us our way." ⁹(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he used to say, "Come, and let us go to the seer"; for he who is called a prophet now 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.

9:5 Saul was concerned about the feelings of his father. This says something about his character.

9:6 Notice how Samuel is characterized.

1. a man of God, vv. 6,7,8,10 (title of Moses in Deut. 33:1)
2. held in honor (from כבד, BDB 457, KB 455, Niphal PARTICIPLE; see SPECIAL TOPIC: GLORY (OT)
3. accurate in his predictions (cf. Deut. 18:14-22)
4. called "seer" (v. 9) and "prophet" (v. 9); see SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHET (the different Hebrew terms)

Notice he is not called a "priest," even though a Peace Offering at a local High Place is involved.

▣ "surely comes true" This is an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and an IMPERFECT VERB of the same root (BDB 97, KB 112, Qal), which denotes intensity.

9:8 "a fourth of a shekel of silver" Divisions of the shekel were common.

1. half-shekel ‒ Exod. 30:13
2. one-third shekel ‒ Neh. 10:33
3. quarter of a shekel ‒ here

SPECIAL TOPIC: ANE WEIGHTS AND VOLUMES

9:9 "seer. . .prophet" See SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHET (the different Hebrew terms).

Verse 9 is in parentheses in many translations, which denotes it as a later editorial addition, given for information to a later reader.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:11-14
  ¹¹As they went up the slope to the city, they found young women going out to draw water and said to them, "Is the seer here?" ¹²They answered them and said, "He is; see, he is ahead of you. Hurry now, for he has come into the city today, for the people have a sacrifice on the high place today. 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 until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now therefore, go up for you will find him at once." ¹⁴So they went up to the city. As they came into the city, behold, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the high place.

9:13 "he must bless the sacrifice" This is the only place in the OT where a prophet blesses a sacrifice.

▣ "afterward those who are invited will eat" See SPECIAL TOPIC: PEACE OFFERING.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:15-21
  ¹⁵Now a day before Saul's coming, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel saying, ¹⁶"About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over My people Israel; and he will deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have regarded My people, because their cry has come to Me." ¹⁷When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, "Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! This one shall rule over My people." ¹⁸Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, "Please tell me where the seer's house is." ¹⁹Samuel answered Saul and said, "I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and in the morning I will let you go, and will tell you all that is on your mind. ²⁰As for your donkeys which 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 household?" ²¹Saul replied, "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 do you speak to me in this way?"

The MT has the idiom "uncovered the ear" (NOUN "ear," BDB 217 and the VERB "uncovered," BDB 162, KB 191, Qal PERFECT, cf. 1 Sam. 20:2, 12, 13; 22:8, 17; 2 Sam. 7:27; Isa. 50:5).

9:16 Notice how Samuel was to identify the new king.

1. this time tomorrow
2. send a man from the land of Benjamin

The new king's task was, like a judge, to deliver Israel militarily (i.e., from the Philistines). This was the result of Israel's prayers.

▣ "anoint" See SPECIAL TOPIC: "ANOINTING" IN THE BIBLE.

The MT has the NOUN "prince" (BDB 617). BDB suggests it is literally "one in front." It was used of

1. Saul, here; 1 Sam. 10:1
2. David, 1 Sam. 13:14; 25:30; 2 Sam. 6:21; 7:8
3. Solomon, 1 Chr. 29:22
4. Hezekiah, 2 Kgs. 20:5

▣ "deliver" Some scholars (see NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 501) think the two terms should be translated together as "ruler-deliverer."

SPECIAL TOPIC: SALVATION (OT Term)

The key term is "desirable" (BDB 336). Here, it denotes the longing of national Israel for a king who would defeat the Philistines. This statement by Samuel surprised Saul (cf. v. 21)!

9:21 The small size of Benjamin is related to the almost complete destruction of the tribe described in Judges 20-21.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:22-24
  ²²Then Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who were invited, who were about thirty men. ²³Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the portion that I gave you, concerning which I said to you, 'Set it aside.'" ²⁴Then the cook took up the leg with what was on it and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, "Here is what has been reserved! Set it before you and eat, because it has been kept for you until the appointed time, since I said I have invited the people." So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

9:22 "into the hall" As the worship site at Shiloh, so too, the worship site here (i.e., land of Zuph, cf. 1 Sam. 1:1), had a fellowship room for corporate events. Here, eating a Peace Offering.

▣ "thirty men" The LXX, followed by Josephus (Antiq. 6.4.1), has "seventy." Josephus speculates these were leaders like the Sanhedrin and their presence was to alert Saul that they would be his counselors.

Apparently the MT and LXX represent two different Hebrew manuscript traditions.

9:23 Apparently Samuel reserved for YHWH's choice leader the biggest and best part of the Peace Offering meal. Everyone present would have recognized this symbolic act.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:25-27
  ²⁵When they came down from the high place into the city, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof. ²⁶And they arose early; and at daybreak Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, "Get up, that I may send you away." So Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out into the street. ²⁷As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Say to the servant that he might go ahead of us and pass on, but you remain standing now, that I may proclaim the word of God to you."

9:25 "on the roof" The LXX adds "they spread a bed for Saul on the roof and he slept."

9:27 The context continues into chapter 10, where the anointing of Saul is described.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Was Samuel a priest?
2. Why was a sacrifice allowed on a high place in a local town?
3. Why was Saul reluctant to be selected?

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