1 Samuel 3:7
Samuel <08050> [Now Samuel.]
Or, Thus did Samuel before he knew the Lord, and before the word of the Lord was revealed unto him.
yet ............ yet <02962> [did not yet.]
Samuel was not destitute of the knowledge of God, in that sense which implies the total absence of true piety, as Eli's sons were; for he knew and worshipped the God of Israel: but he did not know him as communicating special revelations of his will to him, in the manner in which he made it known to the prophets.
1 Samuel 14:35
built .............. built <01129> [built.]
It is probable that Saul converted the great stone, on which the cattle had been slaughtered, into an altar, on which sacrifices were offered, before the people attempted to proceed any further. This we are told was the first he had built. Samuel, as a prophet and priest, had hitherto erected the altars, but Saul seems to have thought he had sufficient authority to erect one himself, without the prophet, as he had once offered sacrifice without him.
first <02490> [the same, etc. Heb. that altar he began to build unto the]
Lord.
1 Samuel 15:19
rushed .... plunder <05860 07998> [fly upon.]
done .... wrong <07451 06213> [didst evil.]
1 Samuel 16:14
Spirit ............. spirit <07307> [the Spirit.]
Spirit ............ evil spirit <07307 07451> [evil spirit.]
The evil spirit was either sent immediately from the Lord, or permitted to come; but whether this was a diabolic possession, or a mere mental malady, is not agreed: it seems to have partaken of both. That Saul had fallen into a deep melancholy, there is little doubt; and that an evil spirit might work more effectually on such a state of mind, there can be little question. His malady appears to have been of a mixed kind, natural and diabolical: there is too much of apparent nature in it to permit us to believe it was all spiritual; and there is too much of apparently supernatural influence, to suffer us to believe it was all natural.
tormented <01204> [troubled. or, terrified.]
1 Samuel 24:12
Lord judge .......... Lord <08199 03068> [Lord judge.]
hand <03027> [but mine hand.]
1 Samuel 28:6
inquired <07592> [enquired.]
dreams <02472> [by dreams.]
Urim <0224> [by Urim.]
prophets <05030> [by prophets.]
1 Samuel 28:10
swore <07650> [sware.]
