1 Samuel 9:8

8 rursum puer respondit Sauli et ait ecce inventa est in manu mea quarta pars stateris argenti demus homini Dei ut indicet nobis viam nostram

1 Samuel 9:8 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 9:8

And the servant answered Saul again, and said
As he had answered him before, when Saul proposed to return home, by telling him there was an honourable man of God in the city near at hand, that might possibly be able to direct them which way they should go to find the asses: so he answers him again with respect to the present it was proper to carry with them, and what he had in his hands to make:

behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver:
a "zuze" of silver, as the Targum, four of which made a shekel, about seven pence halfpenny of our money, and scarce so much:

that will I give to the man of God to tell us our way;
that they should go to find the asses: which he would give him very freely for that purpose: both Saul and his servant must entertain a mean opinion of prophets, and men of God, and especially of so great a man as Samuel, that he should be employed at any time in directing persons in such cases, and take money for so doing, and so small a gratuity as this before mentioned; though it seems as if, at some times, something of this kind was done by prophets, and men of God, which might be permitted to keep the people from going to diviners and soothsayers.

1 Samuel 9:8 In-Context

6 qui ait ei ecce est vir Dei in civitate hac vir nobilis omne quod loquitur absque ambiguitate venit nunc ergo eamus illuc si forte indicet nobis de via nostra propter quam venimus

7 dixitque Saul ad puerum suum ecce ibimus quid feremus ad virum panis defecit in sitarciis nostris et sportulam non habemus ut demus homini Dei nec quicquam aliud

8 rursum puer respondit Sauli et ait ecce inventa est in manu mea quarta pars stateris argenti demus homini Dei ut indicet nobis viam nostram

9 olim in Israhel sic loquebatur unusquisque vadens consulere Deum venite et eamus ad videntem qui enim propheta dicitur hodie vocabatur olim videns

10 et dixit Saul ad puerum suum optimus sermo tuus veni eamus et ierunt in civitatem in qua erat vir Dei