Samuel privately anoints Saul as ruler over Israel and gives him three signs to confirm the divine appointment: he will meet men near Rachel's tomb who tell him the donkeys are found, then three men going up to God at Bethel will give him bread, and finally he will encounter a band of prophets at Gibeah and the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon him and he will prophesy with them. All three signs come true that same day. Samuel then convenes Israel at Mizpah, where the lot falls on Saul of the tribe of Benjamin. When they search for him, Saul is found hiding among the baggage. Samuel presents him to the people — taller than anyone — and declares him God's chosen. Some valiant men rally to Saul, but certain worthless men despise him and bring him no tribute. Saul keeps silent.
What Makes This Chapter Remarkable
This chapter contains the most detailed anointing scene in the Hebrew Bible. Samuel does not merely pour oil; he kisses Saul, explains the significance of the act, and then provides three escalating confirmatory signs — each more supernatural than the last. The first sign involves ordinary information (the donkeys are found), the second involves unsolicited provision (bread from strangers), and the third involves radical personal transformation (the Spirit of God changing Saul into a different man). The progression mirrors how God confirms a calling: through circumstances, through provision, and finally through inner transformation. The proverb 'Is Saul also among the prophets?' (hagam Sha'ul banneviim) became a lasting idiom in Israel — the skeptic's question about whether an unlikely person truly belongs among the inspired. That Saul hides among the baggage at Mizpah is one of the Bible's most psychologically revealing moments: the man God has chosen does not want to be found.
Translation Friction
Verse 1 in the Masoretic Text is unusually long and some scholars believe the opening phrase ('Then Samuel took a flask of oil...') originally began a sentence that continued into what is now verse 2 — the verse division may be secondary. The Hebrew of verse 1 also contains the phrase halo ki meshachakha YHWH al nachalato lenagid ('Has not the LORD anointed you as ruler over his inheritance?'), which the Septuagint expands significantly, adding an entire clause about Saul saving Israel from their enemies. We follow the MT but note the LXX divergence. The word tsemach in verse 2 (rendered 'Zelzah' as a place name) is obscure and its location uncertain. The phrase vayyitnabbe betokham ('he prophesied among them') in verse 10 raises the question of what prophesying means here — ecstatic behavior, musical worship, or spoken oracles. The Hebrew hitpael form of n-b-a suggests ecstatic or reflexive prophetic behavior rather than formal oracular speech.
Connections
The anointing of Saul connects directly to Samuel's warning in chapter 8 about what a king will do, and to God's instruction in 9:16 to anoint a man from Benjamin. The oil flask (pak hashemen) echoes priestly anointing in Exodus 29 and Leviticus 8, but here it is applied to a political-military leader — the first time in Israel's history that royal anointing occurs. The Spirit rushing upon Saul (ruach Elohim tsalchah) uses the same verb (tsalach) later applied to Samson (Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14) and to David after his anointing (1 Samuel 16:13). The lot-casting at Mizpah recalls Joshua's distribution of land by lot (Joshua 18-19) and anticipates the Urim and Thummim decisions of Israel's later history. Saul hiding among the baggage will find its dark mirror in his later disobedience when he spares Agag and the best livestock (chapter 15) — a man who hides from authority eventually abuses it.
Samuel took the flask of oil and poured it over Saul's head. He kissed him and said, "The LORD has anointed you as leader over his own inheritance."
KJV Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?
Notes & Key Terms
2 terms
Key Terms
מָשַׁחmashach
"anointed"—to smear, to anoint, to consecrate by anointing, to install in office
Mashach is the act that creates a mashiach — an anointed one. In ancient Israel, anointing with oil signified divine selection and empowerment for a specific role: priests were anointed (Exodus 29:7), prophets symbolically so (1 Kings 19:16), and now kings. The oil itself was not magical; it was the visible sign of an invisible reality — that God had chosen this person and would equip them for the task. Saul is the first person in Israel's history to receive royal anointing, making this moment the origin point of the entire messianic concept.
נָגִידnagid
"leader"—leader, ruler, prince, designated commander, one placed at the front
Nagid comes from the root n-g-d ('to be in front, to declare'). It designates someone placed at the head of the people by divine appointment — a leader who stands before both the people and God. It is subtly distinct from melekh ('king'): a nagid rules under God's ultimate sovereignty, while melekh can imply autonomous royal authority. Samuel and God consistently use nagid for Saul rather than melekh, preserving the theological claim that God alone is Israel's true king.
Translator Notes
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.'
"When you leave me today, you will find two men near Rachel's tomb, at the border of Benjamin in Zelzah. They will tell you, 'The donkeys you went looking for have been found. Your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and is now anxious about you, saying, What can I do about my son?'"
KJV When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
"From there, continue on until you reach the oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there — one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine."
KJV Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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).
"They will greet you with a blessing of peace and give you two loaves of bread. Accept them from their hands."
KJV And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
"After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistine garrison is stationed. As you enter the town, you will encounter a band of prophets coming down from the high place, with lyres, tambourines, flutes, and harps playing before them, and they will be prophesying."
KJV After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy:
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
"The Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them, and you will be transformed into a different man."
KJV And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
Notes & Key Terms
1 term
Key Terms
רוּחַ יְהוָהruach YHWH
"Spirit of the LORD"—wind, breath, spirit; the active presence and power of God directed toward a person or situation
Ruach YHWH is the divine energy that empowers, transforms, and enables. It is not a separate entity from God but God himself in active engagement with the human world. When ruach YHWH rushes upon someone, it does not add something foreign — it activates what God intends for that person. For Saul, the Spirit's coming enables prophetic ecstasy and confirms his divine appointment. The same Spirit will later depart from Saul (16:14) and rush upon David (16:13) — the transfer of the Spirit narrates the transfer of God's favor from one king to the next.
Translator Notes
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.
"When these signs come to you, do whatever your hand finds to do, because God is with you."
KJV And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
"Then go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Wait seven days until I come to you, and I will tell you what to do."
KJV And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
As Saul turned his shoulder to leave Samuel, God gave him a different heart. And all those signs were fulfilled that same day.
KJV And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
When they arrived at Gibeah, a band of prophets came to meet him. The Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them.
KJV And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
Notes & Key Terms
1 term
Key Terms
הִתְנַבֵּאhitnabbe
"prophesied"—to prophesy, to speak under divine influence, to behave ecstatically, to be in a prophetic state
The hitpael form of n-b-a (nava, 'to prophesy') carries reflexive or iterative force, suggesting behavior that is experienced rather than merely performed. In this context, hitnabbe likely describes ecstatic worship accompanied by music — Spirit-driven speech or behavior that visibly marks the person as under divine influence. This is not the measured oracular prophecy of later writing prophets but something more raw and immediate: the uncontrollable overflow of the Spirit's presence. Saul's prophesying is so out of character that it generates a proverb (verse 12).
Translator Notes
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.
Everyone who had known him before saw him prophesying with the prophets, and the people said to one another, "What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul really among the prophets?"
KJV And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
A man from there responded, "And who is their father?" That is why it became a proverb: "Is Saul really among the prophets?"
KJV And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
1 Samuel 10:13
וַיְכַ֖ל מֵהִתְנַבּ֑וֹת וַיָּבֹ֖א הַבָּמָֽה׃
When the prophesying ended, Saul went to the high place.
KJV And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
Saul's uncle asked him and his servant, "Where did you go?" Saul said, "To look for the donkeys. When we could not find them, we went to Samuel."
KJV And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that they were no where, we came to Samuel.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
Saul's uncle said, "Tell me — what did Samuel say to you?"
KJV And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said to you.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
Saul told his uncle, "He assured us that the donkeys had been found." But about the matter of the kingship — what Samuel had said — he told him nothing.
KJV And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
KJV And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpah;
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
He said to the Israelites, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I brought Israel up from Egypt. I rescued you from the power of Egypt and from the power of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.'"
KJV And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you:
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
"But today you have rejected your God — the one who saves you from all your disasters and distresses — and you have said to him, 'No — set a king over us.' Now then, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your clans."
KJV And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected by lot.
KJV And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
He brought the tribe of Benjamin forward by its clans, and the clan of Matri was selected. Then Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they searched for him, he could not be found.
KJV When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
They inquired of the LORD again, "Has the man come here?" And the LORD said, "He is there, hiding among the baggage."
KJV Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
They ran and brought him out from there. When he stood among the people, he was taller than everyone else from his shoulders up.
KJV And they ran and fetched him thence; and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people!" All the people shouted, "Long live the king!"
KJV And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
Samuel explained to the people the rights and duties of kingship, wrote them in a document, and deposited it before the LORD. Then Samuel dismissed all the people, each to his own home.
KJV Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
Saul also went home to Gibeah, and with him went valiant men whose hearts God had touched.
KJV And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
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.
But certain worthless men said, "How can this one save us?" They despised him and brought him no tribute. But Saul kept silent.
KJV But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.
Notes & Key Terms
1 term
Key Terms
בְּנֵי בְלִיַּעַלbenei veliyya'al
"worthless men"—sons of worthlessness, scoundrels, base fellows, wicked men, troublemakers
Beliyya'al is one of the Hebrew Bible's strongest terms of moral condemnation. It describes people who are without profit or value to the community — those who tear at social fabric rather than strengthen it. The same term described the sons of Eli (1 Samuel 2:12) and the men of Gibeah in Judges 19:22. By the intertestamental period, Belial became a proper name for a demonic figure. Here these 'worthless ones' function as a narrative counterbalance to the God-touched loyalists — the new kingdom is born already divided.
Translator Notes
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.