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Texts -- 1 Samuel 9:1-13 (NET)

Context
Samuel Meets with Saul
9:1 There was a Benjaminite man named Kish son of Abiel , the son of Zeror , the son of Becorath , the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. He was a prominent person . 9:2 He had a son named Saul , a handsome young man . There was no one among the Israelites more handsome than he was; he stood head and shoulders above all the people . 9:3 The donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off , so Kish said to his son Saul , “Take one of the servants with you and go look for the donkeys .” 9:4 So Saul crossed through the hill country of Ephraim , passing through the land of Shalisha , but they did not find them. So they crossed through the land of Shaalim , but they were not there. Then he crossed through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not find them. 9:5 When they came to the land of Zuph , Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come on , let’s head back before my father quits worrying about the donkeys and becomes anxious about us!” 9:6 But the servant said to him, “Look , there is a man of God in this town . He is highly respected . Everything that he says really happens . Now let’s go there . Perhaps he will tell us where we should go from here .” 9:7 So Saul said to his servant , “All right , we can go . But what can we bring the man , since the food in our bags is used up ? We have no gift to take to the man of God . What do we have ?” 9:8 The servant went on to answer Saul , “Look , I happen to have in my hand a quarter shekel of silver . I will give it to the man of God and he will tell us where we should go .” 9:9 (Now it used to be in Israel that whenever someone went to inquire of God he would say, “Come on , let’s go to the seer .” For today’s prophet used to be called a seer .) 9:10 So Saul said to his servant , “That’s a good idea ! Come on . Let’s go .” So they went to the town where the man of God was. 9:11 As they were going up the ascent to the town , they met some girls coming out to draw water . They said to them, “Is this where the seer is?” 9:12 They replied , “Yes , straight ahead ! But hurry now , for he came to the town today , and the people are making a sacrifice at the high place . 9:13 When you enter the town , you can find him before he goes up to the high place to eat . The people won’t eat until he arrives , for he must bless the sacrifice . Once that happens, those who have been invited will eat . Now go on up , for this is the time when you can find him!”

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • Saul

    [ebd] asked for. (1.) A king of Edom (Gen. 36:37, 38); called Shaul in 1 Chr. 1:48. (2.) The son of Kish (probably his only son, and a child of prayer, "asked for"), of the tribe of Benjamin, the first king of the Jewish nation. T...
    [isbe] SAUL - sol (sha'ul; Saoul): (1) The first king of Israel. I. EARLY HISTORY 1. Name and Meaning 2. Genealogy 3. Home and Station 4. Sources for Life 5. Election as King 6. Reasons for It II. REIGN AND FALL 1. His First Action...
    [smith] (desired), more accurately Shaul. One of the early kings of Edom, and successor of Samlah. (Genesis 36:37,38; 1 Chronicles 1:48) (B.C. after 1450.) The first king of Israel, the son of Kish, and of the tribe of Benjamin. ...
    [nave] SAUL 1. Called also Shaul. King of Edom, Gen. 36:37, 38; 1 Chr. 1:48, 49. 2. King of Israel. A Benjamite, son of Kish, 1 Sam. 9:1, 2. Sons of, 1 Chr. 8:33. His personal appearance, 1 Sam. 9:2; 10:23. Made king of Israel,...

  • Samuel

    [isbe] SAMUEL - sam'-u-el (shemu'el; Samouel): The word "Samuel" signifies "name of God," or "his name is El" (God). Other interpretations of the name that have been offered are almost certainly mistaken. The play upon the name in ...
    [smith] was the son of Elkanah and Hannah, and was born at Ramathaim-zophim, among the hills of Ephraim. [RAMAH No. 2] (B.C. 1171.) Before his birth he was dedicated by his mother to the office of a Nazarite and when a young child, 1...
    [nave] SAMUEL Miraculous birth of, 1 Sam. 1:7-20. Consecrated to God before his birth, 1 Sam. 1:11, 22, 24-28. His mother's song of thanksgiving, 1 Sam. 2:1-10. Ministered in the house of God, 1 Sam. 2:11, 18, 19. Blessed of Go...

  • Stray

    [nave] STRAY Animals straying to be returned, Ex. 23:4; Deut. 22:1-3. Instance of animals straying, Kish's, 1 Sam. 9.

  • Herdsman

    [ebd] In Egypt herdsmen were probably of the lowest caste. Some of Joseph's brethren were made rulers over Pharaoh's cattle (Gen. 47:6, 17). The Israelites were known in Egypt as "keepers of cattle;" and when they left it they too...

  • ISRAEL, HISTORY OF, 2

    [isbe] ISRAEL, HISTORY OF, 2 - III. Period of the Judges. 1. General Character of Period: In such a period of weakened national and religious life, it could easily happen that Israel would again lose the supremacy that it had won b...

  • SLAVE; SLAVERY

    [isbe] SLAVE; SLAVERY - slav, slav'-er-i: 1. Acquiring of Slaves 2. Hebrews as War Captives 3. Freedom of Slaves 4. Rights of Slaves 5. Rights of Slave Masters 6. The New Testament Conception LITERATURE The origin of the term "slav...

  • Kish

    [ebd] a bow. (1.) A Levite of the family of Merari (1 Chr. 23:21; 24:29). (2.) A Benjamite of Jerusalem (1 Chr. 8:30; 9:36). (3.) A Levite in the time of Hezekiah (2 Chr. 29:12). (4.) The great-grandfather of Mordecai (Esther 2:5)...
    [isbe] KISH - kish (qish; Kis, Keis, "bow," "power"): The name of five persons mentioned in the Bible: (1) The son of Abiel and the father of Saul, the first king of Israel. He was of the tribe of Benjamin, of the family of the Mat...
    [nave] KISH 1. Father of Saul, 1 Sam. 9:1-3; 10:21; 2 Sam. 21:14. Called Cis in Acts 13:21. 2. A Benjamite, 1 Chr. 8:30; 9:36. 3. A Levite, 1 Chr. 23:21, 22; 24:29. 4. A Levite, 2 Chr. 29:12. 5. Great grandfather of Mordecai, ...

  • INTERCESSION

    [isbe] INTERCESSION - in-ter-sesh'-un (pagha`, "to make intercession"; originally "to strike upon," or "against"; then in a good sense, "to assail anyone with petitions," "to urge," and when on behalf of another, "to intercede" (Ru...

  • Abiel

    [ebd] father (i.e., "possessor") of God = "pious." (1.) The son of Zeror and father of Ner, who was the grandfather of Saul (1 Sam. 14:51; 1 Chr. 8:33; 9:39). In 1 Sam. 9:1, he is called the "father," probably meaning the grandfat...
    [isbe] ABIEL - a'-bi-el, ab'-yel, a-bi'-el ('abhi'el, "my father is God," or "God is father"): (1) A descendant of Benjamin the son of Jacob. Father of Kish the father of King Saul, and also, apparently, the father of Ner the fathe...
    [nave] ABIEL 1. Saul's grandfather, 1 Sam. 14:51. 2. A Benjamite, 1 Sam. 9:1. See: Abi-Albon.

  • Zeror

    [isbe] ZEROR - ze'-ror (tseror, meaning unknown; the Septuagint has Ared; Lucian has Sara): An ancestor of Kish and King Saul (1 Sam 9:1). See ZUR, (2).
    [smith] (a bundle), a Benjamite, ancestor of Kish the father of Saul. (1 Samuel 9:1) (B.C. about 1730.)
    [nave] ZEROR, father of Abiel, 1 Sam. 9:1.

  • PALESTINE, 2

    [isbe] PALESTINE, 2 - III. Palestine in the Historic Books of the Old Testament. 1. Book of Joshua: Joshua is the great geographical book of the Old Testament; and the large majority of the 600 names of places, rivers and mountains...

  • SEER

    [ebd] a name sometimes applied to the prophets because of the visions granted to them. It is first found in 1 Sam. 9:9. It is afterwards applied to Zadok, Gad, etc. (2 Sam. 15:27; 24:11; 1 Chr. 9:22; 25:5; 2 Chr. 9:29; Amos 7:12; ...
    [isbe] SEER - se'-er, ser: The word in English Versions of the Bible represents two Hebrew words, ro'eh (1 Sam 9:9,11,18,19; 2 Sam 15:27; 1 Ch 9:22, etc.), And chozeh (2 Sam 24:11; 2 Ki 17:13; 1 Ch 21:9; 25:5; 29:29, etc.). The for...

  • HIGH PLACE

    [isbe] HIGH PLACE - 1. General: (1) "High place" is the normal translation of bamah, a word that means simply "elevation" (Jer 26:18; Ezek 36:2, etc.; compare the use in Job 9:8 of the waves of the sea. For the plural as a proper n...

  • Prophets

    [nave] PROPHETS Called Seers, 1 Sam. 9:19; 2 Sam. 15:27; 24:11; 2 Kin. 17:13; 1 Chr. 9:22; 29:29; 2 Chr. 9:29; 12:15; 29:30; Isa. 30:10; Mic. 3:7. Schools of, 1 Kin. 20:35; 2 Kin. 2:3-15; 4:1, 38; 9:1. Kept the chronicles, 1 Chr....

  • Zuph

    [isbe] ZUPH - zuf (tsuph, "honeycomb"): (1) According to 1 Sam 1:1b; 1 Ch 6:35 (Hebrew verse 20) = "Zophai" of 1 Ch 6:26 (11), an ancestor of Elkanah and Samuel. But Budde and Wellhausen take it to be an adjective, and so read tsup...
    [smith] (honeycomb), The land of, a district at which Saul and his servant arrived after passing through the possessions of Shalisha, of Shalim and of the Benjamites. (1 Samuel 9:5) only. It evidently contained the city in which t...
    [nave] ZUPH 1. A Kohathite, 1 Sam. 1:1; 1 Chr. 6:35. 2. A district northwest of Jerusalem, 1 Sam. 9:5.

  • Aphiah

    [isbe] APHIAH - a-fi'-a ('aphiach): A Benjaminate and an ancestor of King Saul (1 Sam 9:1).
    [smith] (refreshed), one of the fore-fathers of King Saul. (1 Samuel 9:1)
    [nave] APHIAH, a Benjamite, 1 Sam. 9:1.

  • BENJAMITE

    [isbe] BENJAMITE - ben'-ja-mit: One belonging to the tribe of Benjamin, such as Ehud (Jdg 3:15), Saul (1 Sam 9:1,2), Sheba (2 Sam 20:1), Shimei (1 Ki 2:8), etc.

  • Bechorath

    [smith] (first-born), son of Aphiah or Abiah, and grandson of Becher according to (1 Samuel 9:1; 1 Chronicles 7:8) (B.C. before 1093.)
    [nave] BECHORATH, son of Aphiah, 1 Sam. 9:1.

  • Children

    [smith] The blessing of offspring, but especially of the male sex, is highly valued among all eastern nations, while a the absence is regarded as one of the severest punishments. (Genesis 16:2; 7:14; 1 Samuel 1:6; 2 Samuel 6:23...
    [nave] CHILDREN In answer to prayer: To Abraham, Gen. 15:2-5, with Gen. 21:1, 2; Isaac, Gen. 25:21; Leah, Gen. 30:17-22; Rachel, Gen. 30:22-24; Haah, 1 Sam. 1:9-20; Zacharias, Luke 1:13. Treatment of, at birth, Ezek. 16:4-6; Luke ...

  • WOMAN

    [ebd] was "taken out of man" (Gen. 2:23), and therefore the man has the preeminence. "The head of the woman is the man;" but yet honour is to be shown to the wife, "as unto the weaker vessel" (1 Cor. 11:3, 8, 9; 1 Pet. 3:7). Sever...
    [isbe] WOMAN - woom'-an ('ishshah, "a woman" (feminine of 'ish, "a man"]; gune, "a woman" "wife"): I. IN THE CREATIVE PLAN II. IN OLD TESTAMENT TIMES 1. Prominence of Women 2. Social Equality 3. Marriage Laws 4. Inheritance 5. Dome...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • God did not just condemn forms of worship that were inappropriate, but He instructed the Israelites positively how they were to worship Him.This pericope serves as an introduction to 42 judgments in 21:1-23:12. A similar sect...
  • Statements in the Book of Samuel imply that someone who had witnessed at least some of the events recorded wrote it. However the original writer must have written most of it after Samuel's death (i.e., -1 Sam. 25-2 Sam. 24) a...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • I. Eli and Samuel chs. 1-3A. The change from barrenness to fertility 1:1-2:101. Hannah's condition 1:1-82. Hannah's vow 1:9-183. Hannah's obedience 1:19-284. Hannah's song 2:1-10B. The contrast between Samuel and Eli's sons 2...
  • The rest of the chapter explains why God would put Eli's sons to death (v. 25). The specific criticism that the man of God (a prophet, cf. 9:9-10) directed against Eli and his sons was two-fold. They had not appreciated God's...
  • "Clearly these five chapters constitute a literary unit, for they are immediately preceded by the formula that marks the end of the story of a judge (7:13-17) and immediately followed by the formula that marks the beginning o...
  • In chapters 9-11 the writer painted Saul as the ideal man to serve as king from the human viewpoint. This pericope (9:1-10:16) sets forth his personal conduct.100...
  • Saul's concern for his father's peace of mind was commendable. It shows a sensitivity that would have been an asset in a king (v. 5). Likewise his desire to give Samuel a present for his help was praiseworthy (v. 7; cf. 1 Kin...
  • Anointing with oil was a symbolic act in Israel that pictured consecration to service. The only things anointed with oil before this anointing were the priests and the tabernacle. The oil symbolized God's Spirit, and anointin...
  • We should probably not interpret the reference to God changing Saul's heart (v. 9) to mean that at this time Saul experienced personal salvation. This always takes place when a person believes God's promise, and there is no i...
  • "Saul's rise to kingship over Israel took place in three distinct stages: He was (1) anointed by Samuel (9:1-10:16), (2) chosen by lot (10:17-27), and (3) confirmed by public acclamation (11:1-15).112Saul's anointing had been...
  • The writer wrote chapters 12-15 very skillfully to parallel chapters 8-11. Each section begins with Samuel warning the people about the dangers of their requesting a king (chs. 8 and 12). Each one also follows with a descript...
  • The people's rebellion against God was not something they could undo. Consequences would follow. Nevertheless Samuel counselled them to follow and serve the Lord faithfully from then on. They should not fear that God would ab...
  • "In the short pericope 13:7b-15a obedience was the stone on which Saul stumbled; here it is the rock that crushes him."147Chapter 15 records one of the battles Saul had with the Amalekites, Israel's enemy to the south (cf. 14...
  • "In addition to being the middle chapter of 1 Samuel, chapter 16 is pivotal in another way as well: Its first half (vv. 1-13), ending with a statement concerning David's reception of the Spirit of God, describes David's anoin...
  • Since he had been unsuccessful in murdering David himself, Saul also tried to get other people to kill him (cf. 2 Sam. 11:15). Saul had promised his daughter in marriage to Goliath's victor (17:25). Nevertheless now Saul adde...
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. The First Book of Samuel. Cambridge Bible Commentary on the New English Bible series. Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1971._____. "The Verb Love--'Aheb in the David-Jonathan Narratives--A Footnote."Vetus ...
  • Chapters 9-20 contrast with chapters 2-8 in that this later section is negative whereas the earlier one was positive. It records failure; the former records success. Compare the similar narrative of Saul's triumphs (1 Sam. 7-...
  • Should Solomon have married Pharaoh's daughter? In view of 11:1-2 and 2 Chronicles 8:1 there is no way we can say yes. Furthermore Solomon already had a wife when he married Pharaoh's daughter (14:21; cf. Gen. 2:24). Why then...
  • 7:10 Amaziah, who was one of the apostate priests who served at the Bethel sanctuary (cf. 1 Kings 12:26-33), felt that Amos was being unpatriotic in what he was prophesying. So Amaziah sent a message to King Jeroboam II charg...
  • 3:5 The Lord also had a message concerning the false prophets who were misleading His people. The false prophets gave benedictions to those who paid them, but people who did not give them anything received maledictions of doo...
  • 2:1-2 When did the Magi visit Jesus in Bethlehem?74There are several factors that point to a time about a year after Jesus' birth. First, Matthew described Jesus as a "child"(Gr. paidion, v. 11), not an "infant"(Gr. brephos, ...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • 1 Samuel 10:17-27These verses fit on to 1 Samuel 8., 1 Samuel 9, through 1 Samuel 10:16, being probably from another source, inserted here because the anointing of Saul, told in them, did occur between Samuel's dismissal of t...
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