1 Samuel 9 Study Notes: Saul Meets Samuel
Saul, a tall Benjamite, goes looking for his father's lost donkeys and, at his servant's suggestion, seeks out the seer Samuel. The LORD has already told Samuel to anoint this man as ruler, so Samuel honors Saul at a sacrificial meal and prepares to give him God's message.
General
What did Samuel tell Saul about the lost donkeys, and what larger matter did he raise (1 Samuel 9:20)?
Answer: They were found; Israel’s hopes were on him
Saul asked the very man he was looking for where the seer lived, and Samuel answered that he was the seer. He invited Saul to eat with him and promised to tell him in the morning everything that was on his mind (9:18-19). Samuel then told him not to worry about the donkeys lost three days earlier, because they had been found. Then he raised a much bigger matter, asking on whom all Israel’s longing rested if not on Saul and his father’s family (9:20). Samuel knew these things because the LORD revealed them to him (3:21), as He reveals His plans to His prophets (Amos 3:7).
- 1 Samuel 9:19 (BSB)““I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today. And when I send you off in the morning, I will tell you all that is in your heart.”Samuel tells Saul he is the seer, invites him to eat, and promises to tell him what is on his heart.
- 1 Samuel 9:20 (BSB)“As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them, for they have been found. And upon whom is all the desire of Israel, if not upon you and all your father’s house?””Samuel tells Saul the donkeys are found and hints that Israel’s longing is focused on him and his family.
- Amos 3:7 (BSB)“Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.”The LORD reveals His plans to His servants the prophets.
- 1 Samuel 3:21 (BSB)“And the LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, because there He revealed Himself to Samuel by His word.”The LORD revealed Himself to Samuel through His word.
Theological
What news and what larger intimation did Samuel give Saul (1 Samuel 9:20)?
Answer: They were found; Israel’s hopes were on him
Saul inquires of Samuel himself where the seer lives; Samuel identifies himself, invites Saul to the meal and promises to disclose everything on his mind (9:18-19). He settles the matter of the donkeys, lost three days and now found, and then hints at Saul’s destiny: Israel’s desire is fixed on him and his father’s house (9:20). Samuel’s knowledge is revelatory, not natural, since the LORD made Himself known to Samuel through His word (3:21) and discloses His plans to His prophets (Amos 3:7).
- 1 Samuel 9:19 (BSB)““I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today. And when I send you off in the morning, I will tell you all that is in your heart.”Samuel tells Saul he is the seer, invites him to eat, and promises to tell him what is on his heart.
- 1 Samuel 9:20 (BSB)“As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them, for they have been found. And upon whom is all the desire of Israel, if not upon you and all your father’s house?””Samuel tells Saul the donkeys are found and hints that Israel’s longing is focused on him and his family.
- Amos 3:7 (BSB)“Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.”The LORD reveals His plans to His servants the prophets.
- 1 Samuel 3:21 (BSB)“And the LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, because there He revealed Himself to Samuel by His word.”The LORD revealed Himself to Samuel through His word.
General
True or False: Saul and the servant found Kish’s donkeys in Benjamin’s territory before they ever reached Zuph.
Answer: False
This is false. Kish’s donkeys had wandered off, and he sent Saul with a servant to find them. They searched Ephraim’s hills, then Shalishah, Shaalim and Benjamin’s territory, and found nothing (9:3-4). By the time they reached the district of Zuph, Saul was ready to give up and go home, worried that his father would stop thinking about the animals and begin to worry about the two of them (9:5). The donkeys were never found by Saul’s search. Samuel later told him they had already been found (9:20; 10:2), and Saul repeated this to his uncle (10:16). The failed search is what brought Saul to Samuel.
- 1 Samuel 9:3-4 (BSB)“One day the donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants and go look for the donkeys.” So Saul passed through the hill country of Ephraim and then through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find the donkeys. He and the servant went through the region of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they went through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not find them.”Kish sends Saul and a servant to find the lost donkeys, but they search several regions without finding them.
- 1 Samuel 9:5 (BSB)“When they reached the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, “Come, let us go back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us.””Reaching Zuph, Saul suggests turning back so that his father will not start worrying about them instead.
- 1 Samuel 10:2 (BSB)“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?”’”Samuel later tells Saul that men will meet him with news that the donkeys have been found.
- 1 Samuel 10:16 (BSB)“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 tells his uncle that Samuel assured them the donkeys were found.
Theological
True or False: Saul and the servant recovered Kish’s donkeys in Benjamin before they arrived in Zuph.
Answer: False
This is false. Sent by Kish to recover the strayed donkeys, Saul and a servant cross Ephraim’s hill country, Shalishah, Shaalim and Benjamin without success (9:3-4). At Zuph Saul proposes returning before his father’s concern shifts from the animals to them (9:5). The donkeys are recovered without Saul’s effort, as Samuel reports (9:20; 10:2) and Saul later relates (10:16). The fruitless search is the very means that leads him to Samuel.
- 1 Samuel 9:3-4 (BSB)“One day the donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants and go look for the donkeys.” So Saul passed through the hill country of Ephraim and then through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find the donkeys. He and the servant went through the region of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they went through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not find them.”Kish sends Saul and a servant to find the lost donkeys, but they search several regions without finding them.
- 1 Samuel 9:5 (BSB)“When they reached the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, “Come, let us go back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us.””Reaching Zuph, Saul suggests turning back so that his father will not start worrying about them instead.
- 1 Samuel 10:2 (BSB)“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?”’”Samuel later tells Saul that men will meet him with news that the donkeys have been found.
- 1 Samuel 10:16 (BSB)“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 tells his uncle that Samuel assured them the donkeys were found.
General
The day before Saul arrived, the LORD told Samuel to anoint a man from Benjamin. What reason did the LORD give (1 Samuel 9:16)?
Answer: He had seen His people and heard them
A day before Saul arrived, the LORD had told Samuel that at the same time tomorrow He would send him a man from Benjamin. Samuel was to anoint him, setting him apart by pouring oil on his head, as ruler over God’s people Israel, and he would rescue them from the Philistines. The reason the LORD gave was His own compassion: He had looked upon His people, and their cry had reached Him (9:15-16). The same God who had just said the request for a king was a rejection of Him still called Israel My people and cared for them. He had spoken the same way at the burning bush (Exodus 3:7), when He heard His people’s groaning in Egypt (Exodus 2:24-25), and in the days of the judges (Judges 2:18).
- 1 Samuel 9:15-16 (BSB)“Now on the day before Saul’s arrival, the LORD had revealed to Samuel, “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.””A day before Saul arrives, the LORD tells Samuel to anoint a man from Benjamin, because He has seen His people and heard their cry.
- Exodus 3:7 (BSB)“The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.”At the burning bush the LORD said He had seen His people’s affliction and heard their crying.
- Exodus 2:24-25 (BSB)“So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God saw the Israelites and took notice.”God heard Israel’s groaning in Egypt, remembered His covenant and took notice of them.
- Judges 2:18 (BSB)“Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning under those who oppressed them and afflicted them.”In the time of the judges the LORD was moved by His people’s groaning and saved them through the judges.
Theological
What reason did the LORD give Samuel for sending him a man from Benjamin to anoint (1 Samuel 9:16)?
Answer: He had seen His people and heard them
The LORD reveals to Samuel a day in advance that He will send a Benjamite whom Samuel is to anoint as ruler over His people, to rescue them from Philistine power; the stated ground is the LORD’s compassion, for He has seen His people and heard their cry (9:15-16). Though the demand for a king rejected Him (8:7), He still calls Israel My people, and His covenant mercy persists. The language recalls the exodus, where the LORD saw the affliction of His people and heard their cry (Exodus 3:7; 2:24-25), and the pattern of the judges (Judges 2:18).
- 1 Samuel 9:15-16 (BSB)“Now on the day before Saul’s arrival, the LORD had revealed to Samuel, “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.””A day before Saul arrives, the LORD tells Samuel to anoint a man from Benjamin, because He has seen His people and heard their cry.
- Exodus 3:7 (BSB)“The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.”At the burning bush the LORD said He had seen His people’s affliction and heard their crying.
- Exodus 2:24-25 (BSB)“So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God saw the Israelites and took notice.”God heard Israel’s groaning in Egypt, remembered His covenant and took notice of them.
- Judges 2:18 (BSB)“Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning under those who oppressed them and afflicted them.”In the time of the judges the LORD was moved by His people’s groaning and saved them through the judges.
General
What did the special portion served to Saul at the feast show (1 Samuel 9:23-24)?
Answer: Samuel had set it aside before Saul came
Samuel led Saul and the servant inside and gave them seats at the head of about thirty invited guests. He had the cook serve the share he had told him to keep aside, and the cook set the leg before Saul. Samuel explained that it had been saved for Saul for this very occasion, ever since Samuel invited the guests (9:22-24). Before Saul knew he would be there, a place had been prepared for him. The next morning, at the edge of town, Samuel sent the servant ahead so that he could give Saul God’s message (9:25-27), and he then anointed him ruler (10:1). God is the one who raises one person up and brings another down (Psalm 75:6-7; Daniel 2:21).
- 1 Samuel 9:22-24 (BSB)“Then Samuel took Saul and his servant, brought them into the hall, and seated them in the place of honor among those who were invited—about thirty in all. And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you and told you to set aside.” So the cook picked up the leg and what was attached to it and set it before Saul. Then Samuel said, “Here is what was kept back. It was set apart for you. Eat, for it has been kept for you for this occasion, from the time I said, ‘I have invited the people.’” So Saul dined with Samuel that day.”Samuel seats Saul in the place of honor and has the cook serve him the portion reserved for him.
- 1 Samuel 9:27 (BSB)“As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us, but you stay for a while, and I will reveal to you the word of God.” So the servant went on.”At the edge of town Samuel sends the servant ahead so he can give Saul the word of God.
- 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?”The next morning Samuel anoints Saul as ruler over the LORD’s inheritance.
- Psalm 75:6-7 (BSB)“For exaltation comes neither from east nor west, nor out of the desert, but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.”Promotion does not come from any human direction; God puts down one and exalts another.
- Daniel 2:21 (BSB)“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”God removes kings and sets them up.
Theological
What did the reserved portion set before Saul at the feast indicate (1 Samuel 9:23-24)?
Answer: Samuel had set it aside before Saul came
Samuel seats Saul and the servant at the head of some thirty guests and has the cook serve the portion he had ordered reserved, the leg with its attached portion, explaining that it had been kept for Saul for this appointed time since the guests were invited (9:22-24). Saul’s honor is prepared before his arrival. At daybreak Samuel dismisses the servant so that he may deliver God’s word to Saul privately (9:25-27), leading to the anointing (10:1). Promotion comes from God, who humbles one and lifts up another and who removes and establishes kings (Psalm 75:6-7; Daniel 2:21).
- 1 Samuel 9:22-24 (BSB)“Then Samuel took Saul and his servant, brought them into the hall, and seated them in the place of honor among those who were invited—about thirty in all. And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you and told you to set aside.” So the cook picked up the leg and what was attached to it and set it before Saul. Then Samuel said, “Here is what was kept back. It was set apart for you. Eat, for it has been kept for you for this occasion, from the time I said, ‘I have invited the people.’” So Saul dined with Samuel that day.”Samuel seats Saul in the place of honor and has the cook serve him the portion reserved for him.
- 1 Samuel 9:27 (BSB)“As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us, but you stay for a while, and I will reveal to you the word of God.” So the servant went on.”At the edge of town Samuel sends the servant ahead so he can give Saul the word of God.
- 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?”The next morning Samuel anoints Saul as ruler over the LORD’s inheritance.
- Psalm 75:6-7 (BSB)“For exaltation comes neither from east nor west, nor out of the desert, but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.”Promotion does not come from any human direction; God puts down one and exalts another.
- Daniel 2:21 (BSB)“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”God removes kings and sets them up.
General
According to the young women at the town, why would the people not eat at the high place until the seer arrived (1 Samuel 9:13)?
Answer: He needed first to bless the sacrifice
As Saul and the servant climbed toward the town, they met young women going out for water and asked about the seer. The women said he had just arrived because the people were holding a sacrifice at the high place, a hilltop place of worship. If Saul hurried, he would catch the seer before he went up to eat, because the people would wait to eat until he came to bless the sacrifice; only then would the invited guests eat (9:11-13). Samuel led Israel in worship as well as judging, offering sacrifices and presiding over them (7:9; 16:5). The meal at the high place becomes the setting for Saul’s meeting with Samuel.
- 1 Samuel 9:12-13 (BSB)““Yes, he is ahead of you,” they answered. “Hurry now, for today he has come to the city because the people have a sacrifice on the high place. As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests will eat. Go up at once; you will find him.””The young women tell Saul that the seer has come for a sacrifice at the high place and that no one will eat until he blesses it.
- 1 Samuel 7:9 (BSB)“Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on behalf of Israel, and the LORD answered him.”Samuel had earlier offered a burnt offering for Israel at Mizpah.
- 1 Samuel 16:5 (BSB)““In peace,” he replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.”Samuel later invites Jesse and his sons to a sacrifice, presiding over it as here.
Theological
What reason did the young women give for the people waiting to eat until the seer came (1 Samuel 9:13)?
Answer: He needed first to bless the sacrifice
The young women direct Saul to the seer, who has come for the people’s sacrifice at the high place; the guests will wait to eat until he arrives to bless the sacrifice (9:11-13). Samuel functions here in a priestly-prophetic role, presiding over sacrificial worship as he did at Mizpah (7:9) and later in Bethlehem (16:5). The sacrificial meal becomes the occasion for Saul’s reception.
- 1 Samuel 9:12-13 (BSB)““Yes, he is ahead of you,” they answered. “Hurry now, for today he has come to the city because the people have a sacrifice on the high place. As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests will eat. Go up at once; you will find him.””The young women tell Saul that the seer has come for a sacrifice at the high place and that no one will eat until he blesses it.
- 1 Samuel 7:9 (BSB)“Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on behalf of Israel, and the LORD answered him.”Samuel had earlier offered a burnt offering for Israel at Mizpah.
- 1 Samuel 16:5 (BSB)““In peace,” he replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.”Samuel later invites Jesse and his sons to a sacrifice, presiding over it as here.
General
How did Saul respond when Samuel spoke of Israel’s hopes resting on him (1 Samuel 9:21)?
Answer: He named his tribe and clan as the least
Saul protested that he came from Benjamin, the smallest of Israel’s tribes, and that his clan was the least important in Benjamin. Why then would Samuel say this to him (9:21)? Benjamin had nearly been wiped out in the civil war at the end of Judges, when Israel mourned that a whole tribe had been severed from the nation (Judges 21:6). Samuel later reminds Saul that he had once been small in his own eyes (15:17). The scene shows the LORD raising a man from a weak tribe, as Hannah had sung that the LORD humbles and lifts up, seating the needy among princes (2:7-8).
- 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 answers that he is from Benjamin, the smallest tribe, and from its least clan.
- Judges 21:6 (BSB)“And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel.”After the civil war in Judges, Israel grieved over Benjamin, saying a tribe had been cut off from Israel.
- 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 reminds Saul that he was once small in his own eyes.
- 1 Samuel 2:7-8 (BSB)“The LORD sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. He seats them among princes and bestows on them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s, and upon them He has set the world.”Hannah sang that the LORD humbles and exalts, lifting the needy to sit with princes.
Theological
What objection did Saul raise to Samuel’s words about him (1 Samuel 9:21)?
Answer: He named his tribe and clan as the least
Saul demurs on the ground of lowliness: he belongs to Benjamin, the smallest tribe, and his clan is the least in Benjamin (9:21). Benjamin had been brought close to extinction at the close of Judges, when Israel mourned that a tribe had been cut off (Judges 21:6), and Samuel later recalls that Saul was once small in his own eyes (15:17). The scene illustrates the theme of Hannah’s song, that the LORD brings low and exalts, setting the poor among princes (2:7-8).
- 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 answers that he is from Benjamin, the smallest tribe, and from its least clan.
- Judges 21:6 (BSB)“And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel.”After the civil war in Judges, Israel grieved over Benjamin, saying a tribe had been cut off from Israel.
- 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 reminds Saul that he was once small in his own eyes.
- 1 Samuel 2:7-8 (BSB)“The LORD sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. He seats them among princes and bestows on them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s, and upon them He has set the world.”Hannah sang that the LORD humbles and exalts, lifting the needy to sit with princes.
General
How does the narrator first describe Saul (1 Samuel 9:2)?
Answer: A handsome man, taller than everyone else
Saul is introduced through his father, Kish, a man of standing from the tribe of Benjamin. Saul himself is described as an outstanding and handsome man, with no one in Israel to match him, taller by a head than anyone else (9:1-2). His height is mentioned again when he is presented to the people (10:23). The narrator lets the reader see what impressed people about Saul. Later, when Samuel goes to anoint David, the LORD will tell him not to look at appearance or height, because the LORD looks at the heart (16:7). The youngest shepherd brother is David, not Saul.
- 1 Samuel 9:1-2 (BSB)“Now there was a Benjamite, a powerful man, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. 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 introduces Kish, a Benjamite of standing, and his son Saul, impressive in looks and height.
- 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.”When Saul is presented to the people, his height again stands out.
- 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.””Later the LORD tells Samuel that He does not judge by appearance or height but looks at the heart.
Theological
What qualities does the narrator highlight in introducing Saul (1 Samuel 9:2)?
Answer: A handsome man, taller than everyone else
Saul enters the narrative as the son of Kish, a Benjamite of substance, and is himself choice and handsome, unmatched in Israel and taller than all the people by a head (9:1-2); his stature is noted again at his public presentation (10:23). The introduction foregrounds outward qualities, and the narrative will later set them against the LORD’s own criterion when He tells Samuel that He does not look at appearance or height but at the heart (16:7).
- 1 Samuel 9:1-2 (BSB)“Now there was a Benjamite, a powerful man, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. 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 introduces Kish, a Benjamite of standing, and his son Saul, impressive in looks and height.
- 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.”When Saul is presented to the people, his height again stands out.
- 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.””Later the LORD tells Samuel that He does not judge by appearance or height but looks at the heart.
General
True or False: The narrator explains that the person Israel now calls a prophet used to be called a seer.
Answer: True
This is true. In the middle of the story the narrator stops to explain an older term for the reader. In earlier times, someone going to ask God for guidance would speak of going to the seer, because the one now called a prophet used to be called a seer (9:9). The aside explains the word seer that Saul, and then Samuel himself, use in the verses that follow (9:11, 18-19). Elsewhere Samuel is called the Seer (1 Chronicles 29:29), and Gad is called both a prophet and David’s seer (2 Samuel 24:11). A prophet was a person through whom God made His word known.
- 1 Samuel 9:9 (BSB)“(Formerly in Israel, a man on his way to inquire of God would say, “Come, let us go to the seer.” For the prophet of today was formerly called the seer.)”The narrator pauses to explain that a prophet used to be called a seer.
- 1 Chronicles 29:29 (BSB)“Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are indeed written in the Chronicles of Samuel the Seer, the Chronicles of Nathan the Prophet, and the Chronicles of Gad the Seer,”Chronicles refers to Samuel as the Seer and to Gad as the Seer.
- 2 Samuel 24:11 (BSB)“When David got up in the morning, the word of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:”Gad is called both a prophet and David’s seer, showing the two titles describe the same office.
Theological
True or False: The narrator notes that the one now called a prophet was formerly known as a seer.
Answer: True
This is true. The narrator inserts an explanatory note: in earlier Israel, one going to seek God’s guidance spoke of going to the seer, since the prophet of the narrator’s day was formerly called a seer (9:9). The note explains the terminology of the following dialogue. The two titles describe the same office, as the Chronicler’s reference to Samuel the Seer (1 Chronicles 29:29) and the designation of Gad as prophet and seer (2 Samuel 24:11) confirm.
- 1 Samuel 9:9 (BSB)“(Formerly in Israel, a man on his way to inquire of God would say, “Come, let us go to the seer.” For the prophet of today was formerly called the seer.)”The narrator pauses to explain that a prophet used to be called a seer.
- 1 Chronicles 29:29 (BSB)“Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are indeed written in the Chronicles of Samuel the Seer, the Chronicles of Nathan the Prophet, and the Chronicles of Gad the Seer,”Chronicles refers to Samuel as the Seer and to Gad as the Seer.
- 2 Samuel 24:11 (BSB)“When David got up in the morning, the word of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:”Gad is called both a prophet and David’s seer, showing the two titles describe the same office.
General
Who suggested consulting this man of God, and on what grounds (1 Samuel 9:6)?
Answer: Saul’s servant, since the man’s words came true
It was Saul’s servant, not Saul, who had the idea. He said that a highly respected man of God lived in this town and that whatever he said always happened; perhaps he could point them in the right direction (9:6). Saul worried that they had nothing to bring the man, since their bread was gone, but the servant had a small piece of silver, a quarter of a shekel, to give (9:7-8). The servant’s description fits what the narrator said earlier: the LORD made sure every word Samuel spoke proved true, and all Israel knew he was a true prophet (3:19-20). God’s law said a true prophet is known because his word comes to pass (Deuteronomy 18:22).
- 1 Samuel 9:6 (BSB)““Look,” said the servant, “in this city there is a man of God who is highly respected; everything he says surely comes to pass. Let us go there now. Perhaps he will tell us which way to go.””Saul’s servant proposes visiting the respected man of God in the town, whose words always come true.
- 1 Samuel 9:7-8 (BSB)““If we do go,” Saul replied, “what can we give the man? For the bread in our packs is gone, and there is no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?” The servant answered him again. “Look,” he said, “I have here in my hand a quarter shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God, and he will tell us our way.””Saul worries that they have no gift, and the servant offers a quarter shekel of silver.
- 1 Samuel 3:19-20 (BSB)“And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. So all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD.”The LORD let none of Samuel’s words fail, and all Israel recognized him as a prophet.
- 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.”A true prophet’s word comes to pass; a word that fails was not from the LORD.
Theological
Whose idea was it to consult this prophet, and on what basis (1 Samuel 9:6)?
Answer: Saul’s servant, since the man’s words came true
The initiative belongs to Saul’s servant, who points to an honored man of God in the town whose every word comes to pass and suggests he may direct them (9:6). Saul’s concern about having no gift is resolved by the servant’s quarter shekel (9:7-8). The servant’s testimony matches the narrator’s earlier verdict that the LORD allowed no word of Samuel’s to fail, so that all Israel knew him as a confirmed prophet (3:19-20), the very test the law gives for a true prophet (Deuteronomy 18:22).
- 1 Samuel 9:6 (BSB)““Look,” said the servant, “in this city there is a man of God who is highly respected; everything he says surely comes to pass. Let us go there now. Perhaps he will tell us which way to go.””Saul’s servant proposes visiting the respected man of God in the town, whose words always come true.
- 1 Samuel 9:7-8 (BSB)““If we do go,” Saul replied, “what can we give the man? For the bread in our packs is gone, and there is no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?” The servant answered him again. “Look,” he said, “I have here in my hand a quarter shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God, and he will tell us our way.””Saul worries that they have no gift, and the servant offers a quarter shekel of silver.
- 1 Samuel 3:19-20 (BSB)“And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. So all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD.”The LORD let none of Samuel’s words fail, and all Israel recognized him as a prophet.
- 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.”A true prophet’s word comes to pass; a word that fails was not from the LORD.
General
Saul set out only to find lost donkeys. Read with 1 Samuel 9:15-17, what does the chain of events that brought him to Samuel show?
Answer: The LORD had arranged it all in advance
From Saul’s side, nothing was planned: some donkeys strayed, the search failed, a servant had an idea, and they happened to arrive just as Samuel was coming out (9:3-14). From God’s side, everything was planned. The day before, the LORD had told Samuel that He would send this man, and as soon as Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said that this was the one who would rule His people (9:15-17). People make their plans, but the LORD directs their steps (Proverbs 16:9), and His purpose is what stands (Proverbs 19:21). God works out everything according to His own will (Ephesians 1:11), including stray donkeys and a servant’s suggestion.
- 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 Samuel sees Saul, the LORD tells him this is the man He spoke of.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”People plan their way, but the LORD determines their steps.
- Proverbs 19:21 (BSB)“Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.”Many plans are in a person’s heart, but the LORD’s purpose prevails.
- Ephesians 1:11 (BSB)“In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,”God works out everything according to the counsel of His will.
Theological
Read with 1 Samuel 9:15-17, what does the sequence of events bringing Saul to Samuel demonstrate?
Answer: The LORD had arranged it all in advance
On the human level the meeting is a chain of contingencies: strayed donkeys, a failed search, a servant’s suggestion and well-timed arrival (9:3-14). On the divine level it is foreordained: the LORD announced the man the day before and identified him when Samuel saw him (9:15-17). Human plans and choices are real, yet the LORD determines the steps (Proverbs 16:9) and His counsel prevails (Proverbs 19:21). Scripture extends this providence to everything, since God works all things according to the purpose of His will (Ephesians 1:11).
- 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 Samuel sees Saul, the LORD tells him this is the man He spoke of.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”People plan their way, but the LORD determines their steps.
- Proverbs 19:21 (BSB)“Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.”Many plans are in a person’s heart, but the LORD’s purpose prevails.
- Ephesians 1:11 (BSB)“In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,”God works out everything according to the counsel of His will.