The First Book of Samuel, otherwise called the First Book of the Kings
1 Samuel 10
Chapter X · Vol. II, pp. 642–644
1 Samuel anointeth Saul. 2 He confirmeth him by prediction of three signs. 9 Saul's heart is changed, and he prophesieth. 14 He concealeth the matter of the kingdom from his uncle. 17 Saul is chosen at Mizpeh by lot. 26 The different affections of his subjects.
1 Then Samuel took aa vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and bkissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be ccaptain over his dinheritance?
2 When thou art departed from me to-day, then thou shalt find two men by eRachel'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 care1 of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?2
A.M. 2999 B.C. 1065
e Ge.35.19,20. Je.31.15.
1 Heb. the business.
2 The first evidence of the divine call is a message from home, fulfilling the words of Samuel. This is a twofold evidence in Samuel's former and present revelation; while it presents a beautiful picture of a father's heart merging the care of property in anxiety for his son.—C.
3 Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor,3 and there shall meet thee three men going up fto God to Beth-el,4 oneg carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:
3 'The plain (or rather the oaks) of Tabor'—not the well-known mountain of that name, but some noted oak-grove between Rachel's sepulchre and Gibeah, and consequently not far from Jerusalem.—P.
f Ge.28.19,22; 35.6,7. Jos.8.9. Where was a high place.
4 Not to sacrifice at Bethel, for that, as contrary to law, could not, even by implication, have been sanctioned by Samuel; but there may have been there 'a place where prayer was wont to be made,' or where some prophet dwelt and taught, as appears highly probable from ver.5.—C.
4 And they hwill salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands.
h Heb. ask thee of peace, Ju.18.15.
5 After that thou shalt come to the ihill 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 kcompany of prophets coming down from the high place lwith a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy:
i ver.10; ch.13.2,3,5. Here was another high place.
k ch.19.20. 2 Ki.2.3,5,15; 4.38; 6.1.
l They used these musical instruments to raise and compose their spirits, 2 Ki.3.15.
6 And the mSpirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into nanother man.5
7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as ooccasion shall serve thee; for pGod is with thee.
8 And thou shalt qgo down before me6 to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt-offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings: seven days7 shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and show thee what thou shalt do.
q ch.12.15; 11.14,15, with 13.7-13.
6 Perhaps this relates to the event about two years after.
7 On every occasion.
9 And it was so, that when he had turned his back8 to go from Samuel, God gave9 him anotherr heart: and all sthose signs came to pass that day.
8 Heb. shoulder.
9 Heb. turned.
r ver.6, not a new one, Eze.36.26. Jn.3.3,5.
s ver.2-6. Ju.6.21,36-40; 7.11. Is.38.7,8.
10 And when they came thither to the hill,1 behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
1 The Hebrew word here, and in ver. 5, translated 'hill,' is a proper name, Gibeah, and it is clear from what is stated in ver. 11 that it is Saul's own native city. There appears to have been a sanctuary in or beside it; and being a place of great natural strength, it was held by a garrison of the Philistines.—P.
11 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,2 Whatt is this that is come unto the son of Kish?3 is Saul also among the prophets?
12 And one of the same place4 answered and said, But uwho is their father?5 Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?
4 Heb. from thence.
u Ps.8.2. Jn.3.8. Ac.10.34; 4.13. Ja.1.17. Is not God their inspiring instructor?
5 Some translate the words, 'Who is his father?' but this seems without meaning, as Kish has been already named. Is not this the meaning: If God send a father, an instructor to the prophets, why should we wonder if they instruct Saul likewise? C.——If the other prophets had not obtained the gift of prophecy by inheritance, as appears from the question, 'Who is their father?' but as a free gift of the Lord, it was equally possible for the Lord to communicate the same gift to Saul.—P.
13 And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.6
A.M. 2939 B.C. 1065
6 The 'high place' which was in Gibeah.—P.
14 And Saul's xuncle 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.
x Abner, ch.14.50,51.
15 And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you.
16 And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But yof the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.7
7 He was silent either from modesty, or fear of exciting envy, or a prudent waiting for such opportunity and instruction as Samuel had promised. Whether his silence was right or wrong, we cannot easily decide, as that depended altogether on the motive. It is to be feared, want of faith predominated.—C.
18 And said unto the children of Israel, aThus 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,9 and of them that oppressed you:
a Ju.2.1; 6.8; iii.iv.vii.xi. Ex.vii.-xiv. ch.vii.; 12.11. Ne.9.27,28. Eze.xx.
9 Not all the kingdoms of the world, but all the kingdoms that had oppressed the Israelites.—C.
19 And ye have this day brejected 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 cby your tribes, and by your thousands.
b ch.8.6,7,19; 12.17,19.
c Jos.7.14. Nu.17.2,3,6. Mi.5.2.
20 And when Samuel dhad caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
d Jos.7.16,17. Ac.1.26. ch.14.41,42.
21 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.
22 Therefore they einquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath fhid himself among the stuff.
e Ju.1.1; 20.18,23,28. Nu.27.21.
f ch.9.21; 15.17. Lu.14.11.
23 And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he gwas higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.
g ch.9.2.
24 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?1 And hall the people shouted, and said, iGod save the king.
1 Bodily advantages, such as stature, proportion, gracefulness, strength, activity, beauty, are all gifts of God, and capable of being turned to good account in his service. Alas! that ever they should be found associated with an evil heart, and ministering to Satan and not to the Lord who gave them—C.
h ver.17.
i Heb. Let the king live, 1 Ki.1.25.
25 Then Samuel told the people kthe 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.
k Either a prediction of what their kings would be, ch.8.10-18, or rather rules of government, De.17.14-17. Eze.45.9,10; 46.16. Ro.13.1-4. 1 Ti.2.2. Zec.11.5.
26 And Saul also went home to lGibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.2
l Jos.18.28. Ju.19.12-16; 20.13. Is.10.29.
2 With religious respect to the choice of Samuel, as God's prophet, and with a conviction that God who had selected Saul, was, by him, able to deliver his country.—Note, Happy the king whose counsellors and guards are men 'whose hearts the Lord has touched.' But the need of such counsellors and friends is not confined to kings. Every man who has anything to govern, were it but his own family, yea, were it but his own heart, has equal need of such blessings.—C.
Notes
[Ver. 2. When thou art departed from me to-day. Were the office of king, as in the times of the peace and prosperity of a nation, an office of honour and ease, we might wonder at the pains taken by Samuel to convince Saul that he was divinely appointed. But such were the times, that as Moses was reluctant to undertake the deliverance out of Egypt, so was Saul reluctant to attempt a contest with the Philistines. Hence the necessity of such evidence of a divine call as would quite remove his scruples and encourage him in his office. C.——Rachel's sepulchre is still well known, and a place of pilgrimage for Jews, Christians, and Mohammedans. It is covered by a small white cupola. It is on the side of the road leading from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, about a mile from the former. Westward of the sepulchre, about half a mile distant, is the village of Beit Jala, which may probably be identical with the Zelzah here mentioned. As Saul was on his way homeward to Gibeah, Ramah of Samuel, from which he set out, must have been somewhere to the south or south-west of Rachel's sepulchre. P.]
Ver. 5. [Hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines. The precise place is not known; but the state of things alluded to is still common in the East; viz. a garrison of foreign troops in a citadel, to keep the native inhabitants in order or subjection. C.]
Ver. 22. [Hid himself among the stuff. The baggage of the people who had come to the great politico-religious assembly of the tribes. C.]
Reflections.—God should be always viewed as the author of all our promotions; and the tokens for good, which he gives in his providence, carefully observed. He works many wonderful changes on the heart, as well as on the station. Sudden changes indeed are not always to be trusted. We may get a new tongue, new company, new stations, and new manners, and yet want the new heart. It is not prudent to be forward in proclaiming our own honours, or in rushing on great works; but to wait till the Lord, by his word and providence, clear up our way: thus will our path be secure and happy. It is not enough that we obtain the things which we desire; we should consider whether we get them in love or in wrath; whether in answer to the cravings of our lust, or in fulfilment of the gracious promises of God. In all elections to government, in church or state, God's direction should be earnestly consulted and attended to. If the Lord call to important work, no meanness of spirit or earthly consideration should ever make us to evade it. He who gives the call will give furniture for the work. Let the directions of God's word be our constant rule: and then neither weakness in ourselves, nor contempt in others, should dismay or provoke us in the way of duty. And let us always remember that patience and forbearance often heal those breaches which would otherwise have been irreparable.