1 Samuel 10

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The pak hashemen ('flask of oil') uses pak, a small vessel — not the shofar (horn) used for David's anointing in 16:13. Some commentators see the fragile flask as foreshadowing Saul's fragile reign versus David's more enduring horn-anointing. The verb mashach ('to anoint') is the root of mashiach ('messiah/anointed one'). The term nagid ('ruler, leader, one placed at the front') differs from melekh ('king') — nagid emphasizes appointed military-political leadership under God's authority, while melekh carries connotations of sovereign rule. The LXX significantly expands this verse, adding 'over his people, over Israel, and you shall reign over the people of the LORD, and you shall save them from the hand of their enemies round about.'

Translator Notes

1. Rachel's tomb (qevurat Rachel) near the Benjamin border is a significant landmark — Rachel was the mother of Benjamin, making this location ancestrally meaningful for Saul the Benjaminite. The place name Zelzah (betseltsach) is obscure; its location remains uncertain and the word may be corrupt. The shift from Kish worrying about donkeys to worrying about his son (mah e'eseh livni) is poignant: the mundane search for livestock has escalated into a father's fear for his child. The verb da'ag ('to be anxious, to worry') conveys genuine emotional distress, not casual concern.

Translator Notes

1. The elon Tavor ('oak of Tabor') is a sacred tree serving as a landmark — trees frequently mark holy sites in the patriarchal narratives (Genesis 12:6; 35:8). The three men are pilgrims heading to Bethel ('House of God'), carrying offerings: young goats (gedayim) for sacrifice, bread (lechem) for a grain offering or communal meal, and wine (yayin) for a drink offering. This is a complete sacrificial provision. The term nevel-yayin ('skin of wine') uses nevel for a leather wineskin — the same word that elsewhere means a stringed instrument (both have rounded, bulging shapes).

Translator Notes

1. The phrase sha'alu lekha leshalom ('they will ask about your peace/welfare') is the standard Hebrew greeting — but here strangers will spontaneously offer both greeting and provision to a man they do not know. That pilgrims carrying offerings to God would divert part of their provision to Saul is a sign of unsolicited divine favor. The instruction velaqachta miyyadam ('accept from their hands') is significant: Saul must receive, not refuse. Accepting provision from strangers is an act of trust in the God who arranged the encounter.

Translator Notes

1. Gibeah ha'Elohim ('Hill of God') is likely Saul's own hometown of Gibeah in Benjamin — the Philistine garrison there underscores how deeply Philistia has penetrated into Israelite territory. The chevel nevi'im ('band/company of prophets') uses chevel, literally 'cord, rope,' suggesting a bound-together group — these are not isolated individuals but a prophetic community. The instruments — nevel (lyre), tof (hand-drum/tambourine), chalil (flute/pipe), and kinnor (harp) — indicate that prophetic activity was accompanied by music. The hitpael form mitnabbe'im ('prophesying') suggests ecstatic, Spirit-driven behavior rather than formal oracular proclamation.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The verb tsalchah (from tsalach, 'to rush upon, to prosper') is the characteristic verb for the Spirit's powerful, sudden action on individuals — it is used of Samson (Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14) and later of David (1 Samuel 16:13). The phrase ruach YHWH ('Spirit of the LORD') denotes God's active, empowering presence — not an abstract force but the personal energy of the living God directed at a specific person for a specific purpose. The phrase le'ish acher ('into a different man') uses acher ('other, different') — this is not improvement but replacement; Saul will become someone he was not before.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase aseh lekha asher timtsa yadekha ('do for yourself what your hand finds') is an idiom for seizing the opportunity at hand — acting decisively when the moment comes. Samuel does not give Saul a detailed action plan; he gives him signs to confirm God's presence and then tells him to act on his own judgment. This is the essence of Spirit-empowered leadership: God confirms the calling, then the leader must act with courage. The grounding clause ki ha'Elohim immakh ('because God is with you') is the ultimate authorization — not strategy, not resources, but divine presence.

Translator Notes

1. This instruction becomes critically important in chapter 13, where Saul fails to wait the full seven days and offers the sacrifice himself — the act that costs him his dynasty. Samuel is establishing a chain of authority: Saul leads, but Samuel mediates between God and king. The burnt offerings (olot) represent total consecration to God; the peace offerings (zivchei shelamim) represent communion and covenant fellowship. Gilgal, near Jericho, was the site of Israel's first camp after crossing the Jordan (Joshua 4:19-20) — a place of new beginnings. The seven-day wait is a test of obedience embedded within the commission.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase kehafnoto shikhmo ('when he turned his shoulder') is vivid physical description — the narrative captures the exact moment of departure. The verb hafakh ('to turn, transform, overturn') is used for dramatic reversals throughout the Hebrew Bible: the overthrow of Sodom (Genesis 19:25), turning water to blood (Exodus 7:17), and turning mourning to joy (Esther 9:22). Lev acher ('a different heart') uses the same adjective acher ('other, different') as ish acher ('a different man') in verse 6. The confirmation vayyavo'u khol-ha'otot ha'elleh bayyom hahu ('all those signs came that day') compresses what must have been hours of travel into a single summary statement.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The third sign is now fulfilled. The verb vatitslach ('rushed upon') is the same tsalach promised in verse 6, now narrated as accomplished fact. The phrase vayyitnabbe betokham ('he prophesied among/in the midst of them') uses the hitpael form of n-b-a, which suggests ecstatic, Spirit-driven prophetic behavior — Saul is swept up into something larger than himself. The plural 'they arrived' (vayyavo'u) indicates Saul was traveling with companions, possibly including the servant from chapter 9. The scene is public: Saul prophesies in the open, and the people who know him are watching.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase kol-yode'o me'itmol shilshom ('all who knew him from yesterday and the day before,' i.e., 'from before') establishes that this behavior is unprecedented for Saul. His neighbors know him as a farmer's son, not a prophet. The question mah-zeh hayah leven-Qish ('what has happened to the son of Kish?') expresses genuine bewilderment — they identify him by his father's name, emphasizing his ordinary family origin. The question hagam Sha'ul banneviim ('Is Saul also among the prophets?') becomes a proverbial saying in Israel (referenced again in 19:24), expressing incredulity when an unlikely person displays unexpected spiritual capacity.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase umi avihem ('and who is their father?') is one of the most debated lines in 1 Samuel. The pronoun 'their' could refer to the prophets (challenging the assumption that prophecy requires noble lineage) or could be a rhetorical challenge about Saul specifically. The word mashal ('proverb, parable, byword') indicates that the saying transcended this specific event and entered Israel's cultural vocabulary. A mashal is a compressed piece of wisdom that captures a recurring human situation in a memorable phrase.

Translator Notes

1. The verb vaykhal ('he finished, he completed') indicates the prophetic episode was temporary — it had a beginning and an end. The Spirit's rushing was for a specific moment, not a permanent state. Saul then goes to the bamah ('high place'), the elevated worship site. This may be the same high place the prophets were descending from in verse 5, or a different one. High places were the standard local worship sites before the temple was built — they were elevated platforms, sometimes with structures, used for sacrifice and prayer.

Translator Notes

1. The dod ('uncle') of Saul appears without prior introduction — the narrative assumes the reader knows the family context. The uncle's question is casual, but Saul's answer is carefully edited: he mentions Samuel but omits the anointing entirely. The phrase vanir'eh ki-ayin ('we saw that they were nowhere') explains the escalation from donkey-search to prophet-consultation, making the visit to Samuel sound practical rather than revelatory.

Translator Notes

1. The uncle's follow-up question (mah-amar lakhem Shemu'el, 'what did Samuel say to you?') presses further. The particle na ('please, I ask') adds urgency — he senses there is more to the story than a donkey search. The uncle uses the plural lakhem ('to you all'), including the servant in the question.

Translator Notes

1. The infinitive absolute haged higgid ('declaring he declared / he certainly told') gives emphatic force to Saul's partial truth — he makes the donkey report sound thorough while omitting everything that matters. The term melukhah ('kingship, royal authority') is the narrator's word, not Saul's — Saul does not use it because he does not speak of it at all. The narrator's aside (ve'et devar hammelukhah lo-higgid lo) breaks the dialogue pattern to make a psychological observation: Saul is already managing information, already guarding the secret of his anointing.

Translator Notes

1. The verb vayyats'eq ('he cried out, he summoned') conveys urgent, authoritative calling — this is a national assembly, not a casual gathering. Mizpah (hammitspah, 'the watchtower') was a traditional assembly site in Benjamin (Judges 20:1; 1 Samuel 7:5-6). The phrase el-YHWH ('to the LORD') indicates this is a sacred convocation — the people are summoned not just to hear Samuel but to stand before God. What follows is a public, lot-based selection to confirm what has already been determined privately.

Translator Notes

1. Samuel speaks with prophetic authority — koh amar YHWH ('thus says the LORD') is the standard messenger formula used by prophets throughout the Hebrew Bible. God recites his own resume: He'eleiti ('I brought up') references the Exodus, and va'atsil ('I rescued') from the root n-ts-l references ongoing deliverance. The phrase kol-hammamlakhot hallochatsim etkhem ('all the kingdoms that oppressed you') summarizes the entire Judges period — Moab, Canaan, Midian, Ammon, Philistia. God's point is: I have been your deliverer all along. The request for a king is a rejection of that history.

Translator Notes

1. The verb me'astem ('you have rejected') is strong — ma'as means to refuse, reject, despise. God does not describe the people's request as misguided or premature but as rejection. The participle moshi'a ('who saves') is in the present tense — God is not merely their past deliverer but their ongoing savior. The phrase ra'oteikhem vetsaroteikhem ('your disasters and your distresses') covers both external calamities and internal pressures. The command hityatssevu ('present yourselves') uses the hitpael, implying deliberate, formal positioning — they must stand formally before God for the lot to be cast. The organization leshivteikhem ule'alpeikhem ('by your tribes and by your thousands/clans') follows the military census structure.

Translator Notes

1. The verb vayyiqqarev ('he brought near') is a technical term for presenting before God, often used in sacrificial contexts. The verb vayyillakhed ('was taken, was captured') from l-k-d means literally 'was seized' — the lot 'captures' the chosen party. The mechanism of the lot is not described — it may have been Urim and Thummim, casting stones, or another sacred lot procedure. The passive voice ('was taken') emphasizes that the selection is not Samuel's doing but God's. Benjamin, the smallest tribe (Judges 21:6), is chosen — God's pattern of selecting the least continues.

Translator Notes

1. The Matri clan (mishpachat hammaTri) appears only here in the Hebrew Bible; nothing else is known about it. The triple narrowing (tribe, clan, individual) follows the procedure used when Achan was identified in Joshua 7:16-18. The phrase vayvaqshuhu velo nimtsa ('they sought him and he was not found') creates dramatic tension: God's lot has identified Saul, but Saul himself is absent. The verb biqesh ('to seek') echoes the donkey search of chapter 9, creating an ironic reversal — the seeker has become the sought.

Translator Notes

1. The verb vayyish'alu ('they inquired') puns on Saul's name (Sha'ul, 'asked for / requested'). The inquiry of the LORD (ba-YHWH) likely involved Urim and Thummim or another oracular device — God gives a direct, locational answer. The verb nechba ('has hidden himself') from ch-b-a means to hide deliberately; this is not accidental absence but intentional concealment. The kelim ('baggage, vessels, equipment') refers to the assembled supplies and gear the people brought to Mizpah. The image of Israel's first king hiding among luggage has generated centuries of commentary on the psychology of divine calling.

Translator Notes

1. The verb vayyarutsu ('they ran') conveys urgency and excitement — the crowd rushes to retrieve their king. The verb vayyityatsev ('he stood, he positioned himself') uses the same root as hityatssevu ('present yourselves') in verse 19: the people were told to present themselves before God, and now Saul finally does the same. His physical stature — taller than everyone mishikhmo vama'lah ('from his shoulders and upward') — is emphasized as visible confirmation of his selection. The same description appeared in 9:2. In a culture that associated height with leadership capacity, Saul looks the part, whatever his internal reluctance.

Translator Notes

1. Samuel's presentation uses bachar ('to choose, to elect') — the verb of divine selection used for Israel itself (Deuteronomy 7:6). The rhetorical question hare'item ('do you see?') forces the crowd to look and acknowledge. The phrase ein kamahu bekhol-ha'am ('there is none like him among all the people') is ambiguous — it could refer to his height, his character, or simply his unique divine selection. The acclamation vayyari'u ('they shouted') followed by yechi hammelekh ('long live the king!') is Israel's first royal acclamation — the birth of the monarchy in a single shout. The word melekh ('king') is now spoken aloud by the people; the transition from theocracy to monarchy is verbally enacted.

Translator Notes

1. The mishpat hammelukhah ('the rights/manner of kingship') is a constitutional document — mishpat here means 'established ordinance, regulation, charter.' This may be distinct from the mishpat hammelekh ('the manner of the king') in 8:11-18, which was a warning; this appears to be a positive charter defining how kingship should function under God. Samuel writes it bassefer ('in the/a document') and places it lifnei YHWH ('before the LORD') — likely at a sanctuary, as a covenant witness. This is Israel's first written constitution, stored in sacred space to indicate that the king's authority derives from and answers to God.

Translator Notes

1. Saul returns not to a palace but to his home in Gibeah — the monarchy has no infrastructure yet. The chayil ('valiant men, men of substance') who accompany him are not conscripts but volunteers drawn by divine impulse: asher-naga Elohim belibbam ('whose hearts God had touched'). The verb naga ('to touch, to strike') suggests direct divine contact — God physically reaching into these men's hearts to stir loyalty toward Saul. This is a small, Spirit-formed entourage, not an army. The new king goes home with a handful of God-touched followers.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The phrase benei veliyya'al ('sons of worthlessness/wickedness') is a Hebrew idiom for morally bankrupt troublemakers — beliyya'al may compound beli ('without') and ya'al ('worth, profit'). The verb vayyivzuhu ('they despised him') from b-z-h is the same verb used when Esau 'despised' his birthright (Genesis 25:34) — it indicates contemptuous disregard. The minchah ('tribute, gift, offering') they withhold is the standard acknowledgment of a new ruler's authority; refusing it is a political act of defiance. The final phrase vayyehi kemmacharish ('he was as one being silent') uses the hiphil participle of ch-r-sh ('to plow, to be silent, to be deaf'). The comparative ke- ('like, as') is unusual — he was 'like' one who keeps silent, as if the narrator sees him choosing silence rather than silence being his natural state.