1 Samuel 10:2-12

2 As you go from with me {today}, you will find two men near the burial site of Rachel in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah. They will say to you, 'The female donkeys that you went to search for have been found.' Now look, your father {is no longer concerned about} the female donkeys and has begun worrying about you, saying, 'What should I do about my son?'
3 Then you will go on from there and further you will come to the oak of Tabor. There three men will meet you, who [are] going up to God at Bethel. One will be carrying three male kid goats, one will be carrying three loaves of bread, and one will be carrying a skin of wine.
4 {They will ask how you are doing} and will give you two loaves, which you will take from their hand.
5 After this, you will come to the Gibeah of God, where there are sentries of [the] Philistines. {Just as you enter} the town there, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place, with harp, tambourine, flute, and zither before them, and they will be prophesying.
6 Then the Spirit of Yahweh will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will turn into {a different person}.
7 When these signs come to you, do for yourself what your hand finds [to do], for God [will be] with you.
8 Then you will go down before me to Gilgal. Look, I am coming down to you to offer burnt offerings {and to make} fellowship offerings. You must wait seven days until I come to you. Then I will let you know what you should do."
9 {Just as he turned} his shoulder to depart from Samuel, God {changed his} heart. And all these signs were fulfilled on that day.
10 When they went from there to Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them.
11 {And when} all who knew him {formerly} saw that he prophesied with prophets, the people said to one another, "What [is] this [that] has happened to the son of Kish? [Is] Saul also among the prophets?"
12 And a man from there responded and said, "And who [is] their father?" Therefore it became a proverb: "[Is] Saul also among the prophets?"

1 Samuel 10:2-12 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 15

  • [a]. Literally "the day"
  • [b]. Literally "has given up the matter of"
  • [c]. Here the pronoun is plural, referring to Saul and his servant
  • [d]. Literally "they will ask peace for you"
  • [e]. Or "to Gibeath Elohim," which means "the hill of God"
  • [f]. Or "garrisons" or "overseers"
  • [g]. Literally "and will it happen that as you enter"
  • [h]. Or "will come upon you in power"
  • [i]. Literally "another man"
  • [j]. Literally "to sacrifice sacrifices of"
  • [k]. Literally "And it happened as he turned"
  • [l]. Literally "gave for him another"
  • [m]. Or "came upon him in power"
  • [n]. Literally "and it happened"
  • [o]. Literally "three days from yesterday"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.