1 Samuel 10:13-23

13 When the prophetic frenzy was over, Saul went home.
14 Saul's uncle said to him and to his young servant, "Where did you go?" "To look for the donkeys," Saul replied, "but when we couldn't find anything, we went to Samuel."
15 "Please tell me what Samuel told you," Saul's uncle said.
16 "He reassured us that the donkeys had been found," Saul answered. But Saul didn't tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.

Saul selected as king

17 Samuel summoned the people to the LORD at Mizpah.
18 Then he told the Israelites: "This is what the LORD God of Israel says: I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the Egyptians' power and from the power of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.
19 But today you've rejected your God who saved you from all your troubles and difficulties by saying, ‘No! Appoint a king over us!' So now assemble yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans."
20 Then Samuel brought all the Israelite tribes forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected.
21 Next Samuel brought the tribe of Benjamin forward by its families, and the family of Matri was selected. Samuel then brought the family of Matri forward, person by person, and Saul, Kish's son, was selected. But when they looked for him, he wasn't to be found.
22 So they asked another question of the LORD: "Has the man come here yet?" The LORD said, "Yes, he's hiding among the supplies."
23 They ran and retrieved Saul from there, and when he stood up in the middle of the people, he was head and shoulders taller than anyone else.

1 Samuel 10:13-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 10

In this chapter we read of Saul's being anointed king by Samuel, 1Sa 10:1, and of certain signs given as confirming the same, which should come to pass, and did, before Saul got to his father's house, 1Sa 10:2-13, of his arrival at his father's house, and of what passed between him and his uncle there, 1Sa 10:14-16, of Samuel's calling all Israel together at Mizpeh, and of the election of Saul by lot to be king, and of his being declared such, 1Sa 10:17-25, and of his return to his city, being respected by some, and despised by others, 1Sa 10:26,27.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Correction; MT Saul entered the shrine.
  • [b]. LXX; MT lacks Samuel then brought the family of Matri forward, person by person.
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