1 Samuel 9:13

13 As soon as you enter the town, you can catch him before he goes up to the shrine to eat. The people won't eat until he arrives, for he has to bless the sacrifice. Only then can everyone eat. So get going. You're sure to find him!"

1 Samuel 9:13 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 9:13

As soon as ye come into the city, ye shall straightway find
him
By which it seems that the house of Samuel was at that end of it at which they entered; and with which agrees what is observed in the preceding verse, that "he was before them", his house was in sight of them:

before he go up to the high place to eat;
intimating they would, if they made haste, come up to him before he got thither to sit down and eat with the people; for if they did not, they would not be able to see him and speak with him for some time, if on that day:

for the people will not eat until he come;
partly out of affection and veneration for him, being their chief magistrate, as well as seer or prophet, and partly for the reason following:

because he doth bless the sacrifice;
ask a blessing upon it, upon the meat of the peace offerings before it was eaten; for as this was usually done at every common meal, then much more at such a solemn festival as this. Jarchi gives us the form of blessing used on such an occasion,

``blessed art thou, O Lord our God, the King of the world, who hath sanctified us by his commandments, and hath commanded us to eat the sacrifice:''

and "afterwards they eat that be bidden"; for when a man offered his peace offerings, he not only had his family with him, but invited his friends, and the poor, and the fatherless, the strangers, and the Levites, to partake with him, see ( Deuteronomy 12:18 ) ( 14:29 ) ( 16:11 ) , the number of the guests at this time, see in ( 1 Samuel 9:22 ) .

Now therefore get ye up;
ascend the hill as fast as ye can:

for about this time ye shall find him;
that is, by the time they could get up the hill into the city they would find him coming out of his house to go to the sacrifice: or "as this day" F8; so sure as the day is, so sure shall ye find him.


FOOTNOTES:

F8 (Mwyhk) "invenietis cum tam certo quam certum est hunc diem esse", Drusius; so Jarchi.

1 Samuel 9:13 In-Context

11 As they were climbing up the hill into the town, they met some girls who were coming out to draw water. They said to them, "Is this where the Seer lives?"
12 They answered, "It sure is - just ahead. Hurry up. He's come today because the people have prepared a sacrifice at the shrine.
13 As soon as you enter the town, you can catch him before he goes up to the shrine to eat. The people won't eat until he arrives, for he has to bless the sacrifice. Only then can everyone eat. So get going. You're sure to find him!"
14 They continued their climb and entered the city. And then there he was - Samuel! - coming straight toward them on his way to the shrine!
15 The very day before, God had confided in Samuel,
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.