1 Samuel 9:25

25 When they came down from the shrine into the town, a bed was spread for Saul on the roof, and he lay down to sleep.

1 Samuel 9:25 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 9:25

And when they came down from the high place into the city,
&c.] After the feast was ended; and though Ramah itself was situated on an eminence, yet it seems this high place was higher than that, being without the city upon an hill, and therefore they are said to come down from the one to the other; or they came down from the high place, and then ascended the hill to the city:

Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house:
of Samuel's house; when they were come thither, Samuel took Saul up to the roof of his house, which was flat, as the roofs of houses in this country were; see ( Deuteronomy 22:8 ) on which they could walk to and fro, and converse together; hence you read of preaching and praying on housetops, ( Matthew 10:27 ) ( Acts 10:9 ) what they communed about is not said, but may be guessed at, that it was about Saul's being made king; of the certainty of it, by divine designation; of the manner of executing that office wisely and justly; about the objections Saul had made of the smallness of his tribe and family; and of Samuel's willingness to resign the government to him, with other things of the like kind.

1 Samuel 9:25 In-Context

23 And Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the portion I gave you, the one I asked you to put aside."

24 The cook took up the thigh and what went with it and set them before Saul. Samuel said, "See, what was kept is set before you. Eat; for it is set before you at the appointed time, so that you might eat with the guests." So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

25 When they came down from the shrine into the town, a bed was spread for Saul on the roof, and he lay down to sleep.

26 Then at the break of dawn Samuel called to Saul upon the roof, "Get up, so that I may send you on your way." Saul got up, and both he and Samuel went out into the street.

27 As they were going down to the outskirts of the town, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the boy to go on before us, and when he has passed on, stop here yourself for a while, that I may make known to you the word of God."

Footnotes

• [a]. Gk: Heb [and he spoke with Saul]
• [b]. Gk: Heb lacks [and he lay down to sleep]