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, 1 so Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go 2 look for the donkeys.” 3 9:4 So Saul 4 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. 5 Now let’s go there. Perhaps he will tell us where we should go from here.” 6 9:7 So Saul said to his servant, “All right, 7 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 8 of silver. I will give it to the man of God and he will tell us where we should go.” 9 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! 10 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 11 this is the time when you can find him!”
9:14 So they went up to the town. As they were heading for the middle of the town, Samuel was coming in their direction 12 to go up to the high place. 9:15 Now the day before Saul arrived, the Lord had told 13 Samuel: 9:16 “At this time tomorrow I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin. You must consecrate 14 him as a leader over my people Israel. He will save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked with favor on my people. Their cry has reached me!”
9:17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, 15 “Here is the man that I told you about! He will rule over my people.” 9:18 As Saul approached Samuel in the middle of the gate, he said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.”
9:19 Samuel replied to Saul, “I am the seer! Go up in front of me to the high place! Today you will eat with me and in the morning I will send you away. I will tell you everything that you are thinking. 16 9:20 Don’t be concerned 17 about the donkeys that you lost three days ago, for they have been found. Whom does all Israel desire? Is it not you, and all your father’s family?” 18
9:21 Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel’s tribes, and is not my family clan the smallest of all the tribes of Benjamin? Why do you speak to me in this way?”
9:22 Then Samuel brought 19 Saul and his servant into the room and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited. There were about thirty people present. 9:23 Samuel said to the cook, “Give me the portion of meat that I gave to you – the one I asked you to keep with you.”
9:24 So the cook picked up the leg and brought it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel 20 said, “What was kept is now set before you! Eat, for it has been kept for you for this meeting time, from the time I said, ‘I have invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
9:25 When they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof. 9:26 They got up at dawn and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up, so I can send you on your way.” So Saul got up and the two of them – he and Samuel – went outside. 9:27 While they were going down to the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.” So he did. 21 Samuel then said, 22 “You remain here awhile, so I can inform you of God’s message.”
10:1 Then Samuel took a small container of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s 23 head. Samuel 24 kissed him and said, “The Lord has chosen you 25 to lead his people Israel! You will rule over the Lord’s people and you will deliver them from the power of the enemies who surround them. This will be your sign that the Lord has chosen 26 you as leader over his inheritance. 27 10:2 When you leave me today, you will find two men near Rachel’s tomb at Zelzah on Benjamin’s border. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you have gone looking for have been found. Your father is no longer concerned about the donkeys but has become anxious about you two! 28 He is asking, “What should I do about my son?”’
10:3 “As you continue on from there, you will come to the tall tree of Tabor. At that point three men who are going up to God at Bethel 29 will meet you. One of them will be carrying three young goats, one of them will be carrying three round loaves of bread, and one of them will be carrying a container of wine. 10:4 They will ask you how you’re doing and will give you two loaves of bread. You will accept them. 10:5 Afterward you will go to Gibeah of God, where there are Philistine officials. 30 When you enter the town, you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place. They will have harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying. 10:6 Then the spirit of the Lord will rush upon you and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person.
10:7 “When these signs have taken place, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God will be with you. 31 10:8 You will go down to Gilgal before me. I am going to join you there to offer burnt offerings and to make peace offerings. You should wait for seven days, until I arrive and tell you what to do.”
10:9 As Saul 32 turned 33 to leave Samuel, God changed his inmost person. 34 All these signs happened on that very day. 10:10 When Saul and his servant 35 arrived at Gibeah, a company of prophets was coming out to meet him. Then the spirit of God rushed upon Saul 36 and he prophesied among them. 10:11 When everyone who had known him previously saw him prophesying with the prophets, the people all asked one another, “What on earth has happened to the son of Kish? Does even Saul belong with the prophets?”
10:12 A man who was from there replied, “And who is their father?” Therefore this became a proverb: “Is even Saul among the prophets?” 10:13 When Saul 37 had finished prophesying, he went to the high place.
10:14 Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?” Saul 38 replied, “To look for the donkeys. But when we realized they were lost, 39 we went to Samuel.” 10:15 Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.” 40 10:16 Saul said to his uncle, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But Saul 41 did not tell him what Samuel had said about the matter of kingship.
1 tn Heb “became lost.”
2 tn Heb “and arise, go.”
3 tc The Syriac Peshitta includes the following words: “So Saul arose and went out. He took with him one of the boys and went out to look for his father’s donkeys.”
4 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the verb for emphasis.
6 tn Heb “our way on which we have gone.”
7 tn Heb “look.”
8 sn A quarter shekel of silver would weigh about a tenth of an ounce (about 3 grams).
9 tn Heb “our way.”
10 tn Heb “your word is good.”
11 tc The MT has “him” (אֹתוֹ, ’oto) here, in addition to the “him” at the end of the verse. The ancient versions attest to only one occurrence of the pronoun, although it is possible that this is due to translation technique rather than to their having a Hebrew text with the pronoun used only once. The present translation assumes textual duplication in the MT and does not attempt to represent the pronoun twice. However, for a defense of the MT here, with the suggested translation “for him just now – you will find him,” see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 72-73.
12 tn Heb “to meet them.” This may indicate purpose on Samuel’s part. The next sentence indicates that the meeting was by design, not just an accident.
13 tn Heb “uncovered the ear of.”
14 tn Heb “anoint.”
15 tn Heb “responded.”
16 tn Heb “all that is in your heart.”
17 tn Heb “do not fix your heart.”
18 tn Heb “and all the house of your father.”
19 tn Heb “took and brought.”
20 tn Heb “he” (also in v. 25); the referent (Samuel) has been specified in both places in the translation for clarity.
21 tc This statement is absent in the LXX (with the exception of Origen), an Old Latin
22 tn The words “Samuel then said” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
23 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
24 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Samuel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
25 tn Heb “Is it not that the
26 tn That is, “anointed.”
27 tc The MT reads simply “Is it not that the
28 sn In the Hebrew text the pronoun you is plural, suggesting that Saul’s father was concerned about his son and the servant who accompanied him.
29 map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.
30 tn Or “sentries.” Some translate “outpost” (NIV) or “garrison” (NAB, NRSV, NLT) here (see 1 Sam 13:3). The noun is plural in the Hebrew text, but the LXX and other ancient witnesses read a singular noun here.
31 sn In light of Saul’s commission to be Israel’s deliverer (see v. 1), it is likely that some type of military action against the Philistines (see v.5) is implied.
32 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
33 tn Heb “turned his shoulder.”
34 tn Heb “God turned for him another heart”; NAB, NRSV “gave him another heart”; NIV, NCV “changed Saul’s heart”; TEV “gave Saul a new nature”; CEV “made Saul feel like a different person.”
35 tc Two medieval Hebrew
36 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
37 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
38 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
39 tn Heb “And we saw that they were not.”
40 tc In the LXX and Vulgate the pronoun “you” is singular, referring specifically to Saul. In the MT it is plural, including Saul’s servant as well.
41 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.