The First Book of Samuel

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 10 -

Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?(a)

When you leave me today, you will find two men at Rachel’s tomb in Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you seek have been found, and now your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and started worrying about you, asking, “What should I do about my son?”’

Then you will go on from there until you come to the Oak (b) 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.

They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from their hands.

After that you will come to Gibeah of God,(c) where the Philistines have an outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.

Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be transformed into a different person.

When these signs have come, do as the occasion demands, for God is with you.

And you shall go before me to Gilgal, and surely I will come to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you are to do.”

Samuel’s Signs Fulfilled

As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all the signs came to pass that day.

When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah,(d) a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied along with them.

All those who had formerly known Saul and saw him prophesying with the prophets asked one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

Then a man who lived there replied, “And who is their father?” So the saying became a proverb: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

And when Saul had finished prophesying, he went up to the high place.

Now Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?” “To look for the donkeys,” Saul replied. “When we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.”

“Tell me,” Saul’s uncle asked, “what did Samuel say to you?”

And Saul replied, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But Saul did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.

Saul Proclaimed King

After this, Samuel summoned the people to the LORD at Mizpah

and said to the Israelites, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the hands of the Egyptians and of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’

But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions, and you have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans.”

Thus Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected.

Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the clan of Matri was selected.(e) Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they looked for him, they could not find him.

So again they inquired of the LORD, “Has the man come here yet?” And the LORD replied, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”

So they ran and brought Saul, and when he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of the others.

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.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

Then Samuel explained to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his own home.

Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, and the men of valor whose hearts God had touched went with him.

But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.(f)

Footnotes

(a)10:1 Hebrew; LXX “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over Israel? And you will rule over the LORD’s people and save them from their enemies around them. This will be the sign to you that the LORD has appointed you to be leader over His inheritance.

(b)10:3 Or Terebinth or Great Tree

(d)10:10 Gibeah means the hill.

(e)10:21 LXX includes And he brought the family of the Matrites near, man by man.

(f)10:27 MT and LXX; One DSS manuscript includes Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had viciously oppressed the people of Gad and Reuben, gouging out the right eye of each Israelite dwelling there. He would not allow anyone to rescue them, and there was no Israelite east of the Jordan whose right eye had not been gouged out. But 7,000 men had escaped from the Ammonites and settled in Jabesh-gilead.

Then Samuel took the vial of oil and poured it on his head, then kissed him and said, “Hasn’t the LORD anointed you to be prince over his inheritance?

When you have departed from me today, then you will find two men by Rachel’s tomb, on the border of Benjamin at Zelzah. They will tell you, ‘The donkeys which you went to look for have been found; and behold, your father has stopped caring about the donkeys and is anxious for you, saying, “What shall I do for my son?”’

“Then you will go on forward from there, and you will come to the oak of Tabor. Three men will meet you there going up to God to Bethel: one carrying three young goats, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a container of wine.

They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall receive from their hand.

“After that you will come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is; and it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a lute, a tambourine, a pipe, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying.

Then the LORD’s Spirit will come mightily on you, then you will prophesy with them and will be turned into another man.

Let it be, when these signs have come to you, that you do what is appropriate for the occasion; for God is with you.

“Go down ahead of me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings. Wait seven days, until I come to you and show you what you are to do.”

Samuel’s Signs Fulfilled

It was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all those signs happened that day.

When they came there to the hill, behold, a band of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came mightily on him, and he prophesied among them.

When all who knew him before saw that, behold, he prophesied with the prophets, then the people said to one another, “What is this that has come to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

One from the same place answered, “Who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.

Saul’s uncle said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” He said, “To seek the donkeys. When we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel.”

Saul’s uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.”

Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys were found.” But concerning the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel spoke, he didn’t tell him.

Saul Proclaimed King

Samuel called the people together to the LORD to Mizpah;

and he said to the children of Israel, “The LORD, the God of Israel, says ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’

But you have today rejected your God, who himself saves you out of all your calamities and your distresses; and you have said to him, ‘No! Set a king over us!’ Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your thousands.”

So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.

He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families and the family of the Matrites was chosen. Then Saul the son of Kish was chosen; but when they looked for him, he could not be found.

Therefore they asked of the LORD further, “Is there yet a man to come here?” The LORD answered, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”

They ran and got him there. When he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.

Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?” All the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!”

Then Samuel told the people the regulations of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the LORD. Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.

Saul also went to his house in Gibeah; and the army went with him, whose hearts God had touched.

But certain worthless fellows said, “How could this man save us?” They despised him, and brought him no tribute. But he held his peace.