1 Samuel 9
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Saul Anointed King
9 There was an influential man of Benjamin named Kish(A) son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, son of a Benjaminite. 2 He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man.(B) There was no one more impressive among the Israelites than he. He stood a head taller than anyone else.[a](C)
3 One day the donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off. Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the attendants with you and go look for the donkeys.” 4 Saul and his attendant went through the hill country of Ephraim(D) and then through the region of Shalishah,(E) but they didn’t find them. They went through the region of Shaalim(F)—nothing. Then they went through the Benjaminite region but still didn’t find them.
5 When they came to the land of Zuph,(G) Saul said to the attendant who was with him, “Come on, let’s go back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”(H)
6 “Look,” the attendant said, “there’s a man of God(I) in this city who is highly respected; everything he says is sure to come true.(J) Let’s go there now. Maybe he’ll tell us which way we should go.”(K)
7 “Suppose we do go,” Saul said to his attendant, “what do we take the man? The food from our packs is gone, and there’s no gift to take to the man of God.(L) What do we have?”
8 The attendant answered Saul: “Here, I have a piece[b] of silver. I’ll give it to the man of God, and he will tell us our way.”
9 Formerly in Israel, a man who was going to inquire of God would say, “Come, let’s go to the seer,” for the prophet of today was formerly called the seer.(M)
10 “Good,” Saul replied to his attendant. “Come on, let’s go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was. 11 As they were climbing the hill to the city, they found some young women coming out to draw water(N) and asked, “Is the seer here?”
12 The women answered, “Yes, he is ahead of you. Hurry, he just now came to the city, because there’s a sacrifice(O) for the people at the high place(P) today. 13 If you go quickly, you can catch up with him before he goes to the high place to eat. The people won’t eat until he comes because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests can eat. Go up immediately—you can find him now.” 14 So they went up toward the city.
Saul and his attendant were entering the city when they saw Samuel coming toward them on his way to the high place. 15 Now the day before Saul’s arrival, the Lord had informed Samuel,[c](Q) 16 “At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over My people Israel.(R) He will save them from the hand of the Philistines because I have seen the affliction of My people,(S) for their cry has come to Me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man I told you about;(T) he will rule over My people.”
18 Saul approached Samuel in the gate area and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”
19 “I am the seer,” Samuel answered.[d] “Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today. When I send you off in the morning, I’ll tell you everything that’s in your heart. 20 As for the donkeys that wandered away from you three days ago,(U) don’t worry about them because they’ve been found. And who does all Israel desire(V) but you and all your father’s family?”
21 Saul responded, “Am I not a Benjaminite(W) from the smallest of Israel’s tribes and isn’t my clan the least important of all the clans of the Benjaminite tribe?(X) So why have you said something like this to me?”
22 Samuel took Saul and his attendant, brought them to the banquet hall, and gave them a place at the head of the 30[e] or so men who had been invited. 23 Then Samuel said to the cook, “Get the portion of meat that I gave you and told you to set aside.”
24 The cook picked up the thigh(Y) and what was attached to it and set it before Saul. Then Samuel said, “Notice that the reserved piece is set before you. Eat it because it was saved for you for this solemn event at the time I said, ‘I’ve invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25 Afterward, they went down from the high place to the city, and Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof.[f](Z)
26 They got up early, and just before dawn, Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up, and I’ll send you on your way!” Saul got up, and both he and Samuel went outside. 27 As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the attendant to go on ahead of us, but you stay for a while, and I’ll reveal the word of God to you.” So the attendant went on.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 9:2 Lit From his shoulder and up higher than any of the people
- 1 Samuel 9:8 Lit a quarter of a shekel
- 1 Samuel 9:15 Lit had uncovered Samuel’s ear, saying
- 1 Samuel 9:19 Lit answered Saul
- 1 Samuel 9:22 LXX reads 70
- 1 Samuel 9:25 LXX reads city. They prepared a bed for Saul on the roof, and he slept.
1 Samuel 9
International Standard Version
Saul Selected as Israel’s First King
9 There was a man from Benjamin named Kish, Abiel’s son, the grandson of Zeror and great-grandson of Aphiah’s son Becorath. A prominent man[a] from Benjamin, 2 he had a son named Saul, who was a choice and handsome[b] young man. There was no one among the Israelis as handsome as he, and he was a head taller[c] than any of the other people.
3 The donkeys belonging to Kish, Saul’s father, were lost, and Kish told his son Saul, “Take one of the young men with you, get up, and go look for the donkeys.” 4 He went through the hill country of Ephraim and through the region of Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they went through the region of Shaalim, but they were not there. They also went through the territory of the descendants of Benjamin, but they did not find them.
5 When they entered the region of Zuph, Saul told the[d] young man with him, “Come on, let’s go back so my father does not stop worrying[e] about the donkeys and become anxious about us.”
6 The young man[f] said, “Look, there’s a man of God in this town. The man is respected, and everything he predicts happens. Now, let’s go there. Perhaps he can tell us about the[g] journey on which we have set out.”
7 Saul told the[h] young man, “Look, we could go, but what could we bring the man? The bread is gone from our bags, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have with us?”
8 The young man answered Saul again, “Look here! I have in my hand a quarter shekel[i] of silver. I’ll give it to the man of God, and he will tell us about our journey.”
9 (Previously in Israel, a person would say when he went to inquire of God, “Come on! Let’s go to the seer!” because the person known as a prophet[j] today was formerly called a seer.)
10 Saul told his young man, “That’s a good suggestion! Come on, let’s go!” Then they entered the town where the man of God was.
11 As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women going out to draw water, and they told them, “Is the seer here?”
12 They answered them: “Yes, he’s right there ahead of you. Hurry, for he came to town just today because there is a sacrifice for the people on the high place today. 13 When you come into town you can find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people don’t eat until he arrives, because he must bless the sacrifice and then after that those who are invited will eat. So go up right now because you can find him now.” 14 They went up to the town, and as they were coming to the center of the town, Samuel was coming out to meet them, on his way[k] up to the high place.
The Lord’s Revelation to Samuel
15 Now one day before Saul’s arrival, the Lord had revealed to[l] Samuel: 16 “About this time tomorrow I’ll send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you are to anoint him as Commander-in-Chief[m] over my people Israel. He’ll deliver my people from the control[n] of the Philistines, because I’ve seen the suffering of[o] my people and because their cry has come up to me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man I told you about. This man will rule over my people.”
18 As Saul approached Samuel in the middle of the gate, he said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.”
19 Samuel answered Saul: “I’m the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place, and eat with me today. In the morning I’ll send you away and tell you everything that is on your mind. 20 Now as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, don’t give any thought to them, because they’ve been found. Meanwhile, to whom is all Israel looking, if not to you and all of your father’s household?”
21 Saul answered: “Am I not a descendant of Benjamin from the least of the tribes of Israel? Isn’t my family the least important of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why have you spoken to me like this?”
22 Then Samuel took Saul and his young man and brought them to a room where he gave them a place at the head of those who were invited, of whom there were about 30 men. 23 Then Samuel told the cook, “Bring the portion that I gave you, the one I told you to set aside.” 24 The cook picked up the thigh and what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Then Samuel[p] said, “Here is what is left! Set it before you and eat, for it has been kept for you until the appointed time, about which I said,[q] ‘I’ve invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25 When they had come down from the high place into town,[r] Samuel[s] spoke to Saul on the roof. 26 They got up early in the morning, and about daybreak Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up and I’ll send you off.” Saul got up and the two of them, he and Samuel, went outside. 27 As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel told Saul, “Tell your young man to go ahead of us and when he has gone ahead, stop for a while so I may declare God’s word to you.”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 9:1 I.e. a man of wealth, military skill, or high reputation
- 1 Samuel 9:2 Or good
- 1 Samuel 9:2 Lit. from his shoulder up he was taller
- 1 Samuel 9:5 Lit. his
- 1 Samuel 9:5 The Heb. lacks worrying
- 1 Samuel 9:6 Lit. He
- 1 Samuel 9:6 Lit. our
- 1 Samuel 9:7 Lit. his
- 1 Samuel 9:8 I.e. about 0.1 ounces at 0.4 shekels per ounce
- 1 Samuel 9:9 Lit. the prophet
- 1 Samuel 9:14 Lit. going
- 1 Samuel 9:15 Lit. uncovered the ear of
- 1 Samuel 9:16 Lit. Nagid; i.e. a senior officer entrusted with dual roles of operational oversight and administrative authority
- 1 Samuel 9:16 Lit. hand
- 1 Samuel 9:16 So LXX; the Heb. lacks the suffering of
- 1 Samuel 9:24 Lit. he
- 1 Samuel 9:24 Lit. appointed time, saying
- 1 Samuel 9:25 LXX adds, they made a bed for Saul on the roof and he slept
- 1 Samuel 9:25 Lit. he
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
