1 Samuel 10:1-16
New English Translation
Samuel Anoints Saul
10 Then Samuel took a small container of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s[a] head. Samuel[b] kissed him and said, “The Lord has chosen you[c] 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[d] you as leader over his inheritance.[e] 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![f] He is asking, “What should I do about my son?”’
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 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. 4 They will ask you how you’re doing and will give you two loaves of bread. You will accept them. 5 Afterward you will go to Gibeah of God, where there are Philistine officials.[g] 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. 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.
7 “When these signs have taken place, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God will be with you.[h] 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.”
Saul Becomes King
9 As Saul[i] turned[j] to leave Samuel, God changed his inmost person.[k] All these signs happened on that very day. 10 When Saul and his servant[l] arrived at Gibeah, a company of prophets was coming out to meet him. Then the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul[m] and he prophesied among them. 11 When everyone who had known him previously saw him prophesying with the prophets, the people asked one another, “What on earth has happened to the son of Kish? Does even Saul belong with the prophets?”
12 A man who was from there replied, “And who is their father?” Therefore this became a proverb: “Is even Saul among the prophets?” 13 When Saul[n] had finished prophesying, he went to the high place.
14 Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?” Saul[o] replied, “To look for the donkeys. But when we realized they were lost,[p] we went to Samuel.” 15 Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.”[q] 16 Saul said to his uncle, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But Saul[r] did not tell him what Samuel had said about the matter of kingship.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Samuel 10:1 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Samuel 10:1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Samuel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Samuel 10:1 tn Heb “Is it not that the Lord has anointed you?” The question draws attention to the fact and is a rhetorical way of affirming the Lord’s choice of Saul. The translation reflects the rhetorical force of the question.
- 1 Samuel 10:1 tn That is, “anointed.”
- 1 Samuel 10:1 tc The MT reads simply “Is it not that the Lord has anointed you over his inheritance for a leader?” The translation follows the LXX. The MT apparently suffers from parablepsis, whereby a scribe’s eye jumped from the first occurrence of the expression “the Lord has anointed you” to the second occurrence of this expression at the end of v. 1. This mistake caused the accidental omission of the intervening material in the LXX, which appears to preserve the original Hebrew text here.
- 1 Samuel 10:2 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.
- 1 Samuel 10:5 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.
- 1 Samuel 10:7 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.
- 1 Samuel 10:9 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Samuel 10:9 tn Heb “turned his shoulder.”
- 1 Samuel 10:9 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.”
- 1 Samuel 10:10 tc Two medieval Hebrew mss, the LXX, and the Syriac Peshitta have the singular “he” (in which case the referent would be Saul alone).tn Heb “they”; the referents (Saul and his servant) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Samuel 10:10 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Samuel 10:13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Samuel 10:14 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Samuel 10:14 tn Heb “And we saw that they were not.”
- 1 Samuel 10:15 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.
- 1 Samuel 10:16 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
1 Samuel 10:1-16
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
10 1
Saul Prophesies
9 As he turned away to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day.(H) 10 When they were going from there to Gibeah,[c] a band of prophets met him, and the spirit of God possessed him, and he fell into a prophetic frenzy along with them.(I) 11 When all who knew him before saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another, “What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”(J) 12 A man of the place answered, “And who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” 13 When his prophetic frenzy had ended, he went home.[d]
14 Saul’s uncle said to him and to the young man, “Where did you go?” And he replied, “To seek the donkeys, and when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.” 15 Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.” 16 Saul said to his uncle, “He told us that the donkeys had been found.” But about the matter of the kingship, of which Samuel had spoken, he did not tell him anything.(K)
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