19 And ye have this day H3117 rejected H3988 your God, H430 who himself saved H3467 you out of all your adversities H7451 and your tribulations; H6869 and ye have said H559 unto him, Nay, but set H7760 a king H4428 over us. Now therefore present H3320 yourselves before H6440 the LORD H3068 by your tribes, H7626 and by your thousands. H505
In the morning H1242 therefore ye shall be brought H7126 according to your tribes: H7626 and it shall be, that the tribe H7626 which the LORD H3068 taketh H3920 shall come H7126 according to the families H4940 thereof; and the family H4940 which the LORD H3068 shall take H3920 shall come H7126 by households; H1004 and the household H1004 which the LORD H3068 shall take H3920 shall come H7126 man H1397 by man. H1397 And it shall be, that he that is taken H3920 with the accursed thing H2764 shall be burnt H8313 with fire, H784 he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed H5674 the covenant H1285 of the LORD, H3068 and because he hath wrought H6213 folly H5039 in Israel. H3478 So Joshua H3091 rose up early H7925 in the morning, H1242 and brought H7126 Israel H3478 by their tribes; H7626 and the tribe H7626 of Judah H3063 was taken: H3920 And he brought H7126 the family H4940 of Judah; H3063 and he took H3920 the family H4940 of the Zarhites: H2227 and he brought H7126 the family H4940 of the Zarhites H2227 man H1397 by man; H1397 and Zabdi H2067 was taken: H3920 And he brought H7126 his household H1004 man H1397 by man; H1397 and Achan, H5912 the son H1121 of Carmi, H3756 the son H1121 of Zabdi, H2067 the son H1121 of Zerah, H2226 of the tribe H4294 of Judah, H3063 was taken. H3920 And Joshua H3091 said H559 unto Achan, H5912 My son, H1121 give, H7760 I pray thee, glory H3519 to the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 and make H5414 confession H8426 unto him; and tell H5046 me now what thou hast done; H6213 hide H3582 it not from me. And Achan H5912 answered H6030 Joshua, H3091 and said, H559 Indeed H546 I have sinned H2398 against the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 and thus and thus have I done: H6213 When I saw H7200 among the spoils H7998 a H259 goodly H2896 Babylonish H8152 garment, H155 and two hundred H3967 shekels H8255 of silver, H3701 and a H259 wedge H3956 of gold H2091 of fifty H2572 shekels H8255 weight, H4948 then I coveted H2530 them, and took H3947 them; and, behold, they are hid H2934 in the earth H776 in the midst H8432 of my tent, H168 and the silver H3701 under it. So Joshua H3091 sent H7971 messengers, H4397 and they ran H7323 unto the tent; H168 and, behold, it was hid H2934 in his tent, H168 and the silver H3701 under it. And they took H3947 them out of the midst H8432 of the tent, H168 and brought H935 them unto Joshua, H3091 and unto all the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and laid them out H3332 before H6440 the LORD. H3068 And Joshua, H3091 and all Israel H3478 with him, took H3947 Achan H5912 the son H1121 of Zerah, H2226 and the silver, H3701 and the garment, H155 and the wedge H3956 of gold, H2091 and his sons, H1121 and his daughters, H1323 and his oxen, H7794 and his asses, H2543 and his sheep, H6629 and his tent, H168 and all that he had: and they brought H5927 them unto the valley H6010 of Achor. H5911 And Joshua H3091 said, H559 Why H4100 hast thou troubled H5916 us? the LORD H3068 shall trouble H5916 thee this day. H3117 And all Israel H3478 stoned H7275 him with stones, H68 and burned H8313 them with fire, H784 after they had stoned H5619 them with stones. H68 And they raised H6965 over him a great H1419 heap H1530 of stones H68 unto this day. H3117 So the LORD H3068 turned H7725 from the fierceness H2740 of his anger. H639 Wherefore the name H8034 of that place H4725 was called, H7121 The valley H6010 of Achor, H5911 unto this day. H3117
But the thing H1697 displeased H3415 H5869 Samuel, H8050 when they said, H559 Give H5414 us a king H4428 to judge H8199 us. And Samuel H8050 prayed H6419 unto the LORD. H3068 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Samuel, H8050 Hearken H8085 unto the voice H6963 of the people H5971 in all that they say H559 unto thee: for they have not rejected H3988 thee, but they have rejected H3988 me, that I should not reign H4427 over them. According to all the works H4639 which they have done H6213 since the day H3117 that I brought them up H5927 out of Egypt H4714 even unto this day, H3117 wherewith they have forsaken H5800 me, and served H5647 other H312 gods, H430 so do H6213 they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken H8085 unto their voice: H6963 howbeit H389 yet protest H5749 solemnly H5749 unto them, and shew H5046 them the manner H4941 of the king H4428 that shall reign H4427 over them.
Is it not wheat H2406 harvest H7105 to day? H3117 I will call H7121 unto the LORD, H3068 and he shall send H5414 thunder H6963 and rain; H4306 that ye may perceive H3045 and see H7200 that your wickedness H7451 is great, H7227 which ye have done H6213 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 in asking H7592 you a king. H4428 So Samuel H8050 called H7121 unto the LORD; H3068 and the LORD H3068 sent H5414 thunder H6963 and rain H4306 that day: H3117 and all the people H5971 greatly H3966 feared H3372 the LORD H3068 and Samuel. H8050 And all the people H5971 said H559 unto Samuel, H8050 Pray H6419 for thy servants H5650 unto the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 that we die H4191 not: for we have added H3254 unto all our sins H2403 this evil, H7451 to ask H7592 us a king. H4428
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Samuel 10
Commentary on 1 Samuel 10 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 10
1Sa 10:1-27. Samuel Anoints Saul, and Confirms Him by the Prediction of Three Signs.
1. Then Samuel took a vial of oil—This was the ancient (Jud 9:8) ceremony of investiture with the royal office among the Hebrews and other Eastern nations. But there were two unctions to the kingly office; the one in private, by a prophet (1Sa 16:13), which was meant to be only a prophetic intimation of the person attaining that high dignity—the more public and formal inauguration (2Sa 2:4; 5:3) was performed by the high priest, and perhaps with the holy oil, but that is not certain. The first of a dynasty was thus anointed, but not his heirs, unless the succession was disputed (1Ki 1:39; 2Ki 11:12; 23:30; 2Ch 23:11).
kissed him—This salutation, as explained by the words that accompanied it, was an act of respectful homage, a token of congratulation to the new king (Ps 2:12).
2. When thou art departed from me to-day—The design of these specific predictions of what should be met with on the way, and the number and minuteness of which would arrest attention, was to confirm Saul's reliance on the prophetic character of Samuel, and lead him to give full credence to what had been revealed to him as the word of God.
Rachel's sepulchre—near Beth-lehem (see on Ge 35:16).
Zelzah—or Zelah, now Bet-jalah, in the neighborhood of that town.
3. the plain—or, "the oak of Tabor," not the celebrated mount, for that was far distant.
three men going up to God to Beth-el—apparently to offer sacrifices there at a time when the ark and the tabernacle were not in a settled abode, and God had not yet declared the permanent place which He should choose. The kids were for sacrifice, the loaves for the offering, and the wine for the libations.
5. the hill of God—probably Geba (1Sa 13:3), so called from a school of the prophets being established there. The company of prophets were, doubtless, the pupils at this seminary, which had probably been instituted by Samuel, and in which the chief branches of education taught were a knowledge of the law, and of psalmody with instrumental music, which is called "prophesying" (here and in 1Ch 25:1, 7).
6. the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee—literally, "rush upon thee," suddenly endowing thee with a capacity and disposition to act in a manner far superior to thy previous character and habits; and instead of the simplicity, ignorance, and sheepishness of a peasant, thou wilt display an energy, wisdom, and magnanimity worthy of a prince.
8. thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal—This, according to Josephus, was to be a standing rule for the observance of Saul while the prophet and he lived; that in every great crisis, such as a hostile incursion on the country, he should repair to Gilgal, where he was to remain seven days, to afford time for the tribes on both sides Jordan to assemble, and Samuel to reach it.
9-11. when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart—Influenced by the words of Samuel, as well as by the accomplishment of these signs, Saul's reluctance to undertake the onerous office was overcome. The fulfilment of the two first signs [1Sa 10:7, 8] is passed over, but the third is specially described. The spectacle of a man, though more fit to look after his father's cattle than to take part in the sacred exercises of the young prophets—a man without any previous instruction, or any known taste, entering with ardor into the spirit, and skilfully accompanying the melodies of the sacred band, was so extraordinary a phenomenon, that it gave rise to the proverb, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" (see 1Sa 19:24). The prophetic spirit had come upon him; and to Saul it was as personal and experimental an evidence of the truth of God's word that had been spoken to him, as converts to Christianity have in themselves from the sanctifying power of the Gospel.
12. But who is their father?—The Septuagint reads, "Who is his father?" referring to Saul the son of Kish.
17-25. Samuel called the people together … at Mizpeh—a shaft-like hill near Hebron, five hundred feet in height. The national assemblies of the Israelites were held there. A day having been appointed for the election of a king, Samuel, after having charged the people with a rejection of God's institution and a superseding of it by one of their own, proceeded to the nomination of the new monarch. As it was of the utmost importance that the appointment should be under the divine direction and control, the determination was made by the miraculous lot, tribes, families, and individuals being successively passed until Saul was found. His concealment of himself must have been the result either of innate modesty, or a sudden nervous excitement under the circumstances. When dragged into view, he was seen to possess all those corporeal advantages which a rude people desiderate in their sovereigns; and the exhibition of which gained for the prince the favorable opinion of Samuel also. In the midst of the national enthusiasm, however, the prophet's deep piety and genuine patriotism took care to explain "the manner of the kingdom," that is, the royal rights and privileges, together with the limitations to which they were to be subjected; and in order that the constitution might be ratified with all due solemnity, the charter of this constitutional monarchy was recorded and laid up "before the Lord," that is, deposited in the custody of the priests, along with the most sacred archives of the nation.
26. And Saul also went home to Gibeah—near Geba. This was his place of residence (see Jud 20:20), about five miles north of Jerusalem.
there went … a band of men, whose hearts God had touched—who feared God and regarded allegiance to their king as a conscientious duty. They are opposed to "the children of Belial."
27. the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents—In Eastern countries, the honor of the sovereign and the splendor of the royal household are upheld, not by a fixed rate of taxation, but by presents brought at certain seasons by officials, and men of wealth, from all parts of the kingdom, according to the means of the individual, and of a customary registered value. Such was the tribute which Saul's opponents withheld, and for want of which he was unable to set up a kingly establishment for a while. But "biding his time," he bore the insult with a prudence and magnanimity which were of great use in the beginning of his government.