1 Samuel 10 Study Notes: Saul Anointed and Chosen King
Samuel privately anoints Saul as ruler and gives him signs that all come true, including God’s Spirit coming on him so that he prophesies. At Mizpah Samuel rebukes Israel for rejecting God; Saul is chosen, found hiding among the baggage, and acclaimed king, though some scoffers despise him.
General
True or False: The text says that as Saul turned away from Samuel, God gave him a changed heart.
Answer: True
This is true. The narrator says that as Saul was leaving, God changed his heart, and every sign Samuel had foretold happened that day (10:9). Samuel had already said that when the Spirit came on him Saul would become a different person (10:6). The change is credited to God, not to Saul’s own effort. Scripture elsewhere teaches that the LORD directs even a king’s heart as He pleases (Proverbs 21:1) and that He stirs people’s spirits to do His work (Ezra 1:5). Here God was equipping Saul for the role he had been given.
- 1 Samuel 10:9 (BSB)“As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all the signs came to pass that day.”As Saul leaves Samuel, God changes his heart and the signs are fulfilled.
- 1 Samuel 10:6 (BSB)“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.”Samuel had foretold that Saul would become a different person.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”The LORD directs a king’s heart wherever He pleases.
- Ezra 1:5 (BSB)“So the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone whose spirit God had stirred—prepared to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.”God stirs people’s spirits to carry out His work.
Theological
True or False: The narrator attributes the change in Saul’s heart directly to God (1 Samuel 10:9).
Answer: True
This is true. The narrator credits the change to God: as Saul turned from Samuel, God changed his heart, and the signs were fulfilled that day (10:9), in keeping with Samuel’s word that Saul would become a different person (10:6). God is the active agent in equipping His chosen king, consistent with His sovereign direction of the king’s heart (Proverbs 21:1) and His stirring of human spirits for His purposes (Ezra 1:5).
- 1 Samuel 10:9 (BSB)“As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all the signs came to pass that day.”As Saul leaves Samuel, God changes his heart and the signs are fulfilled.
- 1 Samuel 10:6 (BSB)“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.”Samuel had foretold that Saul would become a different person.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”The LORD directs a king’s heart wherever He pleases.
- Ezra 1:5 (BSB)“So the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone whose spirit God had stirred—prepared to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.”God stirs people’s spirits to carry out His work.
General
When Saul was selected at Mizpah but could not be found, where did the LORD say he was (1 Samuel 10:22)?
Answer: Hiding among the supplies
Samuel brought the tribes forward one by one, and Benjamin was chosen; then Benjamin’s clans came forward, and Matri’s clan was chosen; and at last Saul, Kish’s son, was chosen (10:20-21). This was the same tribe-by-tribe process Joshua had once used (Joshua 7:16). But Saul was nowhere to be found, so the people asked the LORD again, and the LORD answered that Saul was hiding among the baggage (10:22). The text does not give Saul’s reason for hiding. Earlier he had called his tribe the smallest in Israel and his clan the least in Benjamin (9:21), and Samuel later reminded him that he had once been small in his own sight (15:17). God both chose Saul and showed where he was.
- 1 Samuel 10:20-21 (BSB)“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. Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they looked for him, they could not find him.”The tribes and clans come forward, and Saul son of Kish is selected.
- 1 Samuel 10:22 (BSB)“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.””The LORD tells the people that Saul has hidden himself among the baggage.
- Joshua 7:16 (BSB)“So Joshua arose early the next morning and had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected.”Joshua had Israel come forward tribe by tribe in the same kind of selection.
- 1 Samuel 9:21 (BSB)“Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of Benjamin? So why would you say such a thing to me?””Saul had earlier called Benjamin the smallest tribe and his clan the least of its clans.
- 1 Samuel 15:17 (BSB)“And Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, have you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel”Samuel later recalled that Saul had once been small in his own eyes.
Theological
After the selection narrowed to Kish’s son Saul, where did the LORD reveal that Saul was (1 Samuel 10:21-22)?
Answer: Hiding among the supplies
The selection proceeds tribe, clan, and man: Benjamin, Matri’s clan, then Kish’s son Saul (10:20-21), the same procedure used in Joshua 7:16. When Saul cannot be found, the people inquire of the LORD again, who discloses that Saul has hidden among the baggage (10:22). The narrator does not state Saul’s motive; Saul had earlier called his tribe the smallest and his clan the least (9:21), and Samuel would later recall that Saul was once small in his own sight (15:17). The LORD governs the selection and the discovery alike.
- 1 Samuel 10:20-21 (BSB)“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. Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they looked for him, they could not find him.”The tribes and clans come forward, and Saul son of Kish is selected.
- 1 Samuel 10:22 (BSB)“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.””The LORD tells the people that Saul has hidden himself among the baggage.
- Joshua 7:16 (BSB)“So Joshua arose early the next morning and had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected.”Joshua had Israel come forward tribe by tribe in the same kind of selection.
- 1 Samuel 9:21 (BSB)“Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of Benjamin? So why would you say such a thing to me?””Saul had earlier called Benjamin the smallest tribe and his clan the least of its clans.
- 1 Samuel 15:17 (BSB)“And Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, have you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel”Samuel later recalled that Saul had once been small in his own eyes.
General
After Samuel told the people how the kingship was to work, what did he do with those terms (1 Samuel 10:25)?
Answer: Put them in writing and set them before the LORD
Samuel set out the rights belonging to the kingship, wrote them down in a scroll, and placed it before the LORD (10:25). Israel’s king was not to rule as he pleased but under God. Moses had commanded that a king write out a copy of God’s law and read it throughout his life, so he would revere the LORD, keep His commands, and not think himself above his fellow Israelites (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). Then Samuel sent everyone home.
- 1 Samuel 10:25 (BSB)“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.”Samuel explains the rights of kingship, writes them on a scroll, and lays it before the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 17:18 (BSB)“When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.”The king was to write a copy of God’s law on a scroll.
- Deuteronomy 17:19 (BSB)“It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes.”The king was to read the law all his life and learn to fear the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 17:20 (BSB)“Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel.”Keeping the law would guard the king from pride and from turning aside.
Theological
How did Samuel formalize the terms of the kingship he set before the people (1 Samuel 10:25)?
Answer: Put them in writing and set them before the LORD
Samuel sets out the rights of the kingship, records them in a scroll, and deposits it before the LORD (10:25), placing the monarchy under God’s authority from its inception. This fits the Mosaic law of the king, who was to write and read a copy of the law all his days so that he would fear the LORD, keep His commands, and not exalt himself over his brothers (Deuteronomy 17:18-20).
- 1 Samuel 10:25 (BSB)“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.”Samuel explains the rights of kingship, writes them on a scroll, and lays it before the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 17:18 (BSB)“When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.”The king was to write a copy of God’s law on a scroll.
- Deuteronomy 17:19 (BSB)“It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes.”The king was to read the law all his life and learn to fear the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 17:20 (BSB)“Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel.”Keeping the law would guard the king from pride and from turning aside.
General
When Samuel gathered the people at Mizpah, how did he describe their demand for a king (1 Samuel 10:19)?
Answer: As a rejection of the God who saved them
Samuel called the people together at Mizpah and spoke the LORD’s word to them. God reminded them that He had brought Israel out of Egypt, rescuing them from every nation that oppressed them (10:18). Yet by insisting on a king, they had rejected their God, the One who had saved them from all their troubles (10:19). This repeats what the LORD told Samuel when the people first asked: they had rejected Him as their king (8:7). Long before, Gideon had refused to rule, saying the LORD would rule over Israel (Judges 8:23). Moses had foreseen a day when Israel would ask for a king, and had said the king must be one the LORD chose (Deuteronomy 17:14-15). Samuel’s charge here is that the people’s demand turned away from the LORD Himself, their true King and Savior. Even so, God went on to give them the king He had chosen.
- 1 Samuel 10:18 (BSB)“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.’”The LORD recalls bringing Israel out of Egypt and rescuing them from oppressors.
- 1 Samuel 10:19 (BSB)“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.””The LORD charges that by demanding a king Israel has rejected Him.
- 1 Samuel 8:7 (BSB)“And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king.”The LORD had told Samuel that the people were rejecting Him as their king.
- Judges 8:23 (BSB)“But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you.””Gideon had refused to rule, saying the LORD would rule over Israel.
- Deuteronomy 17:14-15 (BSB)“When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” you are to appoint over yourselves the king whom the LORD your God shall choose. Appoint a king from among your brothers; you are not to set over yourselves a foreigner who is not one of your brothers.”Moses foresaw Israel asking for a king and required a king of the LORD’s choosing.
Theological
In the LORD’s message delivered at Mizpah, how is Israel’s request for a king characterized (1 Samuel 10:18-19)?
Answer: As a rejection of the God who saved them
At Mizpah the LORD rehearses His saving acts, the exodus and deliverance from every oppressor (10:18), and then indicts Israel: in demanding a king they have rejected their God, who saves them from all their calamities (10:19). The charge echoes 8:7, where the LORD said the people had rejected Him as King, and Gideon’s earlier declaration that the LORD would rule over Israel (Judges 8:23). Deuteronomy 17:14-15 had anticipated Israel’s request for a king and required one of the LORD’s choosing; the sin lay in the people turning from the LORD as their King and Deliverer. God nonetheless proceeds to give them the king of His choosing.
- 1 Samuel 10:18 (BSB)“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.’”The LORD recalls bringing Israel out of Egypt and rescuing them from oppressors.
- 1 Samuel 10:19 (BSB)“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.””The LORD charges that by demanding a king Israel has rejected Him.
- 1 Samuel 8:7 (BSB)“And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king.”The LORD had told Samuel that the people were rejecting Him as their king.
- Judges 8:23 (BSB)“But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you.””Gideon had refused to rule, saying the LORD would rule over Israel.
- Deuteronomy 17:14-15 (BSB)“When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” you are to appoint over yourselves the king whom the LORD your God shall choose. Appoint a king from among your brothers; you are not to set over yourselves a foreigner who is not one of your brothers.”Moses foresaw Israel asking for a king and required a king of the LORD’s choosing.
General
What did the people who had known Saul before ask one another when they saw him prophesying (1 Samuel 10:11)?
Answer: Whether Saul too was now one of the prophets
People who had known Saul before were surprised to see Kish’s son prophesying among the prophets, and they asked each other whether Saul was also one of the prophets (10:11). A local man replied with a question of his own about who the prophets’ father was, and the people’s question became a proverb in Israel (10:12). The same saying is connected with a later occasion, when God’s Spirit again came on Saul and he prophesied on his way to Naioth (19:23-24).
- 1 Samuel 10:11-12 (BSB)“When all those who had formerly known Saul saw him prophesying with the prophets, they 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?””Saul’s former acquaintances ask about him, and their question becomes a proverb.
- 1 Samuel 19:23 (BSB)“So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. But the Spirit of God came upon even Saul, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah.”Later the Spirit of God came on Saul again and he prophesied on the way to Naioth.
- 1 Samuel 19:24 (BSB)“Then Saul stripped off his robes and also prophesied before Samuel. And he collapsed and lay naked all that day and night. That is why it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?””The proverb is tied to this later occasion as well.
Theological
What question did Saul’s former acquaintances raise on seeing him prophesy, a question that became a proverb (1 Samuel 10:11-12)?
Answer: Whether Saul too was now one of the prophets
Those who had known Saul were astonished to find Kish’s son prophesying among the prophets and asked whether he too belonged among them (10:11). A local man answered with a further question about the prophets’ father, and the saying passed into a proverb (10:12). The same proverb is attached to a later episode at Naioth, when God’s Spirit again came on Saul (19:23-24).
- 1 Samuel 10:11-12 (BSB)“When all those who had formerly known Saul saw him prophesying with the prophets, they 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?””Saul’s former acquaintances ask about him, and their question becomes a proverb.
- 1 Samuel 19:23 (BSB)“So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. But the Spirit of God came upon even Saul, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah.”Later the Spirit of God came on Saul again and he prophesied on the way to Naioth.
- 1 Samuel 19:24 (BSB)“Then Saul stripped off his robes and also prophesied before Samuel. And he collapsed and lay naked all that day and night. That is why it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?””The proverb is tied to this later occasion as well.
General
When Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head, what did he say the LORD had anointed Saul to be (1 Samuel 10:1)?
Answer: Ruler over the LORD’s inheritance
To anoint someone was to pour oil on his head as a sign that God had set him apart for a task. Samuel anointed Saul privately, kissed him, and told him that the LORD had anointed him to rule over His inheritance, that is, over God’s own people Israel (10:1). This carried out exactly what the LORD had told Samuel the day before: a man from Benjamin would come, and Samuel was to anoint him as ruler over God’s people (9:16-17). The law of Moses had required that Israel’s king be the man the LORD Himself selected (Deuteronomy 17:15). Saul did not seize this role; God gave it to him.
- 1 Samuel 10:1 (BSB)“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?”Samuel anoints Saul with oil and tells him the LORD has anointed him ruler.
- 1 Samuel 9:16 (BSB)““At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you are to anoint him ruler over My people Israel; he will save them from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me.””The day before, the LORD had told Samuel to anoint a man from Benjamin as ruler over His people.
- 1 Samuel 9:17 (BSB)“When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke; he shall rule over My people.””When Saul arrived, the LORD identified him to Samuel as the man who would rule.
- Deuteronomy 17:15 (BSB)“you are to appoint over yourselves the king whom the LORD your God shall choose. Appoint a king from among your brothers; you are not to set over yourselves a foreigner who is not one of your brothers.”The law required that Israel’s king be the one the LORD chose.
Theological
At Saul’s private anointing, to what office does Samuel say the LORD has appointed him (1 Samuel 10:1)?
Answer: Ruler over the LORD’s inheritance
Samuel’s anointing of Saul (10:1) marks him as the LORD’s designated ruler over Israel, which the verse calls the LORD’s inheritance. It executes the LORD’s instruction of 9:16-17 and accords with Deuteronomy 17:15, which required that Israel’s king be a man of the LORD’s choosing. The kingship originates in God’s appointment, not in Saul’s ambition or in popular acclaim.
- 1 Samuel 10:1 (BSB)“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?”Samuel anoints Saul with oil and tells him the LORD has anointed him ruler.
- 1 Samuel 9:16 (BSB)““At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you are to anoint him ruler over My people Israel; he will save them from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me.””The day before, the LORD had told Samuel to anoint a man from Benjamin as ruler over His people.
- 1 Samuel 9:17 (BSB)“When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke; he shall rule over My people.””When Saul arrived, the LORD identified him to Samuel as the man who would rule.
- Deuteronomy 17:15 (BSB)“you are to appoint over yourselves the king whom the LORD your God shall choose. Appoint a king from among your brothers; you are not to set over yourselves a foreigner who is not one of your brothers.”The law required that Israel’s king be the one the LORD chose.
General
Some worthless men scorned Saul and refused to honor him with gifts. How did Saul respond (1 Samuel 10:27)?
Answer: He said nothing about it
When Saul went home to Gibeah, valiant men whom God had moved went with him (10:26). But certain worthless men asked how this man could possibly save them, looked down on him, and offered him no gifts, and Saul kept silent (10:27). The next chapter shows what happened to this doubt: after the LORD gave Israel victory through Saul, the people wanted to put those men to death, but Saul refused and gave the credit to the LORD (11:12-13). Proverbs counts it a person’s virtue to pass over an offense (Proverbs 19:11).
- 1 Samuel 10:26 (BSB)“Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, and the men of valor whose hearts God had touched went with him.”Valiant men moved by God go home with Saul to Gibeah.
- 1 Samuel 10:27 (BSB)“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.”Some worthless men despise Saul, but he keeps silent.
- 1 Samuel 11:12 (BSB)“Then the people said to Samuel, “Who said that Saul should not reign over us? Bring those men here so we can kill them!””After the victory, the people want to kill those who opposed Saul’s reign.
- 1 Samuel 11:13 (BSB)“But Saul ordered, “No one shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.””Saul refuses to put anyone to death, crediting the LORD with the victory.
- Proverbs 19:11 (BSB)“A man’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense.”Overlooking an offense is a mark of wisdom and virtue.
Theological
How did Saul respond to the troublemakers who despised him and withheld their gifts (1 Samuel 10:27)?
Answer: He said nothing about it
Saul returns to Gibeah accompanied by valiant men moved by God (10:26), while certain worthless men question his ability to save, despise him, and bring no gift; Saul holds his peace (10:27). The episode is resolved in 11:12-13, where Saul refuses to execute his detractors after the LORD’s victory. His restraint here reflects the wisdom of passing over an offense (Proverbs 19:11).
- 1 Samuel 10:26 (BSB)“Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, and the men of valor whose hearts God had touched went with him.”Valiant men moved by God go home with Saul to Gibeah.
- 1 Samuel 10:27 (BSB)“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.”Some worthless men despise Saul, but he keeps silent.
- 1 Samuel 11:12 (BSB)“Then the people said to Samuel, “Who said that Saul should not reign over us? Bring those men here so we can kill them!””After the victory, the people want to kill those who opposed Saul’s reign.
- 1 Samuel 11:13 (BSB)“But Saul ordered, “No one shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.””Saul refuses to put anyone to death, crediting the LORD with the victory.
- Proverbs 19:11 (BSB)“A man’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense.”Overlooking an offense is a mark of wisdom and virtue.
General
After the promised signs came about, Samuel told Saul to do whatever the moment required. What reason did Samuel give (1 Samuel 10:7)?
Answer: God would be with him
Samuel told Saul of three signs he would meet on the way home: two men near Rachel’s tomb with news that the lost donkeys had turned up, three travelers on their way to worship at Bethel who would give him bread, and a band of prophets near Gibeah (10:2-6). These signs would confirm that Samuel’s words came from God. Once they happened, Saul was to act as the moment called for, because God was with him (10:7). The narrator then reports that every one of the signs took place that same day (10:9). Moses had taught that a true prophet’s word from the LORD comes to pass (Deuteronomy 18:22), and the LORD had made every word Samuel spoke prove true (3:19). God had given Gideon the same promise of His presence (Judges 6:16).
- 1 Samuel 10:7 (BSB)“When these signs have come, do as the occasion demands, for God is with you.”Samuel tells Saul to act once the signs come, for God is with him.
- 1 Samuel 10:9 (BSB)“As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all the signs came to pass that day.”The narrator reports that all the signs happened that day.
- Deuteronomy 18:22 (BSB)“When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”Moses taught that a word truly from the LORD will come to pass.
- 1 Samuel 3:19 (BSB)“And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.”The LORD let none of Samuel’s words fail, so his signs could be trusted.
- Judges 6:16 (BSB)““Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.””The LORD gave Gideon the same assurance of His presence for the task ahead.
Theological
What ground does Samuel give for Saul acting as the occasion requires once the signs are fulfilled (1 Samuel 10:7)?
Answer: God would be with him
Samuel gives Saul three confirming signs: the men near Rachel’s tomb, the travelers bound for Bethel, and the band of prophets near Gibeah (10:2-6). Their fulfillment authenticates Samuel’s word as the LORD’s, the test Moses gave for a true prophet (Deuteronomy 18:22; compare 3:19). Saul is then to act as the occasion requires, the warrant being God’s presence with him (10:7), the same assurance given to earlier deliverers such as Gideon (Judges 6:16). The narrator records that every sign was fulfilled that very day (10:9).
- 1 Samuel 10:7 (BSB)“When these signs have come, do as the occasion demands, for God is with you.”Samuel tells Saul to act once the signs come, for God is with him.
- 1 Samuel 10:9 (BSB)“As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all the signs came to pass that day.”The narrator reports that all the signs happened that day.
- Deuteronomy 18:22 (BSB)“When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”Moses taught that a word truly from the LORD will come to pass.
- 1 Samuel 3:19 (BSB)“And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.”The LORD let none of Samuel’s words fail, so his signs could be trusted.
- Judges 6:16 (BSB)““Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.””The LORD gave Gideon the same assurance of His presence for the task ahead.
General
What happened when Saul met the group of prophets at Gibeah (1 Samuel 10:10)?
Answer: God’s Spirit came on him, and he too prophesied
God’s Spirit is God Himself at work. Samuel had foretold that the LORD’s Spirit would come powerfully on Saul and that he would prophesy along with a band of prophets (10:5-6). At Gibeah it happened just as Samuel said: the prophets met him, the Spirit came powerfully on Saul, and he prophesied among them (10:10). In the book of Judges the LORD’s Spirit came on leaders such as Othniel and Gideon to equip them for the work God gave them (Judges 3:10; 6:34), and in Moses’ day the Spirit came on seventy of Israel’s elders and they prophesied (Numbers 11:25). In the same way, God’s Spirit came on Saul to empower him and mark him out as the ruler God had chosen.
- 1 Samuel 10:6 (BSB)“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.”Samuel foretells that the Spirit of the LORD will come on Saul and that he will prophesy.
- 1 Samuel 10:10 (BSB)“When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied along with them.”At Gibeah the Spirit of God comes on Saul and he prophesies with the prophets.
- Judges 3:10 (BSB)“The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against him.”The Spirit of the LORD came on Othniel to equip him to judge Israel and go to war.
- Judges 6:34 (BSB)“So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, who blew the ram’s horn and rallied the Abiezrites behind him.”The Spirit of the LORD came on Gideon as he rallied men for battle.
- Numbers 11:25 (BSB)“Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and He took some of the Spirit that was on Moses and placed that Spirit on the seventy elders. As the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied—but they never did so again.”When the Spirit rested on the seventy elders, they prophesied.
Theological
What took place when the band of prophets met Saul at Gibeah, fulfilling Samuel’s word in 10:6 (1 Samuel 10:10)?
Answer: God’s Spirit came on him, and he too prophesied
Samuel’s prediction (10:6) is fulfilled at Gibeah: the prophets meet Saul, God’s Spirit comes powerfully on him, and he prophesies among them (10:10). This is the Spirit’s empowering for office, the same pattern seen with the judges, whom the Spirit equipped for deliverance (Judges 3:10; 6:34), and with the seventy elders who prophesied when the Spirit came to rest on them (Numbers 11:25). The event publicly marks Saul as the LORD’s chosen ruler.
- 1 Samuel 10:6 (BSB)“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.”Samuel foretells that the Spirit of the LORD will come on Saul and that he will prophesy.
- 1 Samuel 10:10 (BSB)“When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied along with them.”At Gibeah the Spirit of God comes on Saul and he prophesies with the prophets.
- Judges 3:10 (BSB)“The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against him.”The Spirit of the LORD came on Othniel to equip him to judge Israel and go to war.
- Judges 6:34 (BSB)“So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, who blew the ram’s horn and rallied the Abiezrites behind him.”The Spirit of the LORD came on Gideon as he rallied men for battle.
- Numbers 11:25 (BSB)“Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and He took some of the Spirit that was on Moses and placed that Spirit on the seventy elders. As the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied—but they never did so again.”When the Spirit rested on the seventy elders, they prophesied.
General
When Saul was brought out before the assembly, how did Samuel describe him (1 Samuel 10:24)?
Answer: The LORD had chosen him; none was his equal
When Saul was brought out, he stood taller by a head than everyone else (10:23), as the narrator had noted when first introducing him (9:2). Samuel pointed him out as the man the LORD had chosen and said no one among the people was like him, and the people shouted for the king to live long (10:24). Saul’s height was what people could see, but the choice was the LORD’s, made known when Saul first came to Samuel (9:17). Later, when the LORD chose David, He would tell Samuel not to judge by appearance or height, since He sees the heart (16:7).
- 1 Samuel 10:23 (BSB)“So they ran and brought Saul, and when he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of the others.”Saul is brought out and stands taller than all the people.
- 1 Samuel 10:24 (BSB)“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!””Samuel presents Saul as the LORD’s chosen, and the people acclaim him.
- 1 Samuel 9:2 (BSB)“And he had a son named Saul, choice and handsome, without equal among the Israelites—a head taller than any of the people.”The narrator had introduced Saul as handsome and a head taller than anyone.
- 1 Samuel 9:17 (BSB)“When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke; he shall rule over My people.””The LORD had already identified Saul to Samuel as the man who would rule.
- 1 Samuel 16:7 (BSB)“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.””When David was chosen, the LORD told Samuel not to judge by appearance or height.
Theological
How did Samuel present Saul to the assembly at Mizpah (1 Samuel 10:24)?
Answer: The LORD had chosen him; none was his equal
Saul’s stature, a head above all the people (10:23; compare 9:2), is what the crowd sees, but Samuel grounds Saul’s kingship in divine election: he is the man of the LORD’s choosing, with no equal in all Israel, and the assembly acclaims him king (10:24). The LORD had already identified him to Samuel (9:17). At David’s anointing the LORD would warn Samuel against judging by appearance or height, since He sees the heart (16:7).
- 1 Samuel 10:23 (BSB)“So they ran and brought Saul, and when he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of the others.”Saul is brought out and stands taller than all the people.
- 1 Samuel 10:24 (BSB)“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!””Samuel presents Saul as the LORD’s chosen, and the people acclaim him.
- 1 Samuel 9:2 (BSB)“And he had a son named Saul, choice and handsome, without equal among the Israelites—a head taller than any of the people.”The narrator had introduced Saul as handsome and a head taller than anyone.
- 1 Samuel 9:17 (BSB)“When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke; he shall rule over My people.””The LORD had already identified Saul to Samuel as the man who would rule.
- 1 Samuel 16:7 (BSB)“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.””When David was chosen, the LORD told Samuel not to judge by appearance or height.
General
What instruction did Samuel give Saul about going down to Gilgal (1 Samuel 10:8)?
Answer: Wait there seven days for Samuel
Samuel told Saul to go down to Gilgal ahead of him and to wait seven days. Samuel himself would come to present the burnt and peace offerings, which were sacrifices of worship, and would then show Saul what to do (10:8). This instruction sets up an important test. In chapter 13 Saul stayed the seven days at Gilgal but, with Samuel not yet there and his army slipping away, he offered the sacrifice himself (13:8-9). Samuel then told him he had failed to obey what the LORD commanded (13:13).
- 1 Samuel 10:8 (BSB)“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 tells Saul to go to Gilgal and wait seven days until he comes.
- 1 Samuel 13:8 (BSB)“And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul.”Later Saul waited the seven days, but Samuel had not yet come and the troops began to scatter.
- 1 Samuel 13:13 (BSB)““You have acted foolishly,” Samuel declared. “You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.”Samuel judged Saul’s action at Gilgal as a failure to keep the LORD’s command.
Theological
What did Samuel instruct Saul to do at Gilgal, an instruction that becomes decisive later in Saul’s reign (1 Samuel 10:8)?
Answer: Wait there seven days for Samuel
Samuel directs Saul to precede him to Gilgal and remain there seven days, until Samuel comes to present the burnt and peace offerings and give him direction (10:8). The instruction establishes the test of 13:8-14: Saul remained the seven days but, before Samuel arrived, offered the sacrifice himself (13:8-9), and Samuel judged it a failure to keep the LORD’s command (13:13). Saul’s kingship was to operate under the word of the LORD given through His prophet.
- 1 Samuel 10:8 (BSB)“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 tells Saul to go to Gilgal and wait seven days until he comes.
- 1 Samuel 13:8 (BSB)“And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul.”Later Saul waited the seven days, but Samuel had not yet come and the troops began to scatter.
- 1 Samuel 13:13 (BSB)““You have acted foolishly,” Samuel declared. “You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.”Samuel judged Saul’s action at Gilgal as a failure to keep the LORD’s command.