27 But the children H1121 of Belial H1100 said, H559 How shall this man save H3467 us? And they despised H959 him, and brought H935 him no presents. H4503 But he held his peace. H2790
Certain men, H582 the children H1121 of Belial, H1100 are gone out H3318 from among H7130 you, and have withdrawn H5080 the inhabitants H3427 of their city, H5892 saying, H559 Let us go H3212 and serve H5647 other H312 gods, H430 which ye have not known; H3045
Now the sons H1121 of Eli H5941 were sons H1121 of Belial; H1100 they knew H3045 not the LORD. H3068
And the people H5971 said H559 unto Samuel, H8050 Who is he that said, H559 Shall Saul H7586 reign H4427 over us? bring H5414 the men, H582 that we may put them to death. H4191
And he smote H5221 Moab, H4124 and measured H4058 them with a line, H2256 casting them down H7901 to the ground; H776 even with two H8147 lines H2256 measured H4058 he to put to death, H4191 and with one full H4393 line H2256 to keep alive. H2421 And so the Moabites H4124 became David's H1732 servants, H5650 and brought H5375 gifts. H4503
And there happened H7122 to be there a man H376 of Belial, H1100 whose name H8034 was Sheba, H7652 the son H1121 of Bichri, H1075 a Benjamite: H1145 and he blew H8628 a trumpet, H7782 and said, H559 We have no part H2506 in David, H1732 neither have we inheritance H5159 in the son H1121 of Jesse: H3448 every H376 man H376 to his tents, H168 O Israel. H3478
And Solomon H8010 reigned H4910 over all kingdoms H4467 from the river H5104 unto the land H776 of the Philistines, H6430 and unto the border H1366 of Egypt: H4714 they brought H5066 presents, H4503 and served H5647 Solomon H8010 all the days H3117 of his life. H2416
And there are gathered H6908 unto him vain H7386 men, H582 the children H1121 of Belial, H1100 and have strengthened H553 themselves against Rehoboam H7346 the son H1121 of Solomon, H8010 when Rehoboam H7346 was young H5288 and tenderhearted, H7390 H3824 and could not withstand H2388 them. H6440
But I, as a deaf H2795 man, heard H8085 not; and I was as a dumb man H483 that openeth H6605 not his mouth. H6310
And G2532 when they were come G2064 into G1519 the house, G3614 they saw G2147 G1492 the young child G3813 with G3326 Mary G3137 his G846 mother, G3384 and G2532 fell down, G4098 and worshipped G4352 him: G846 and G2532 when they had opened G455 their G846 treasures, G2344 they presented G4374 unto him G846 gifts; G1435 gold, G5557 and G2532 frankincense, G3030 and G2532 myrrh. G4666
And G2532 when G1722 he G846 was accused G2723 of G5259 the chief priests G749 and G2532 elders, G4245 he answered G611 nothing. G3762 Then G5119 said G3004 Pilate G4091 unto him, G846 Hearest thou G191 not G3756 how many things G4214 they witness against G2649 thee? G4675 And G2532 he answered G3756 G611 him G846 to G4314 never G3761 a G1520 word; G4487 insomuch G5620 that the governor G2232 marvelled G2296 greatly. G3029
This G5126 Moses G3475 whom G3739 they refused, G720 saying, G2036 Who G5101 made G2525 thee G4571 a ruler G758 and G2532 a judge? G1348 the same G5126 did God G2316 send G649 to be a ruler G758 and G2532 a deliverer G3086 by G1722 the hand G5495 of the angel G32 which G3588 appeared G3700 to him G846 in G1722 the bush. G942
Ye stiffnecked G4644 and G2532 uncircumcised G564 in heart G2588 and G2532 ears, G3775 ye G5210 do G496 always G104 resist G496 the Holy G40 Ghost: G4151 as G5613 your G5216 fathers G3962 did, so G2532 do ye. G5210 Which G5101 of the prophets G4396 have G1377 not G3756 your G5216 fathers G3962 persecuted? G1377 and G2532 they have slain G615 them which G3588 shewed before G4293 of G4012 the coming G1660 of the Just One; G1342 of whom G3739 ye G5210 have been G1096 now G3568 the betrayers G4273 and G2532 murderers: G5406
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.