1 Samuel 9:21

21 respondens autem Saul ait numquid non filius Iemini ego sum de minima tribu Israhel et cognatio mea novissima inter omnes familias de tribu Beniamin quare ergo locutus es mihi sermonem istum

1 Samuel 9:21 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 9:21

And Saul answered and said, am not I a Benjamite
Or the son of Jemini, the name of one of his ancestors, see ( 1 Samuel 9:1 ) or rather, as the Targum, a son of the tribe of Benjamin:

of the smallest of the tribes of Israel?
having been greatly reduced, even to the number of six hundred men, by the fatal war between that tribe and the rest, on account of the Levite's concubine, and is called little Benjamin, ( Psalms 68:27 ) .

and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?
the smallest in number, had the least share of authority in the tribe, and of land and cattle, wealth and substance:

wherefore then speakest thou so to me?
Saul presently understood Samuel's meaning, that he should be chosen king of Israel, the affair of a king being at this time in everyone's mind and mouth; but could not believe that one of so small a tribe, and which sprung from the youngest son of Jacob, and of so mean a family, would be raised to such dignity, but that a person of great figure and character would be settled upon; and, therefore he took Samuel to be in joke, as Josephus

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 says, and not in earnest.

F13 Antiqu. l. 6. c. 4. sect. 1.

1 Samuel 9:21 In-Context

19 et respondit Samuhel Sauli dicens ego sum videns ascende ante me in excelsum ut comedatis mecum hodie et dimittam te mane et omnia quae sunt in corde tuo indicabo tibi

20 et de asinis quas perdidisti nudius tertius ne sollicitus sis quia inventae sunt et cuius erunt optima quaeque Israhel nonne tibi et omni domui patris tui

21 respondens autem Saul ait numquid non filius Iemini ego sum de minima tribu Israhel et cognatio mea novissima inter omnes familias de tribu Beniamin quare ergo locutus es mihi sermonem istum

22 adsumens itaque Samuhel Saulem et puerum eius introduxit eos in triclinium et dedit eis locum in capite eorum qui fuerant invitati erant enim quasi triginta viri

23 dixitque Samuhel coco da partem quam dedi tibi et praecepi ut reponeres seorsum apud te