1 Samuel 9:20

20 And be thou not busy of the female asses, which thou lostest the third day ago, for those be found; and whose shall be all the best things of Israel, whether not to thee, and to all the house of thy father? (And be thou not concerned about the female donkeys, which went missing three days ago, for they be found; and now I ask thee, who shall be regarded as the very best in Israel, whether not thee, and all of thy father's family?)

1 Samuel 9:20 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 9:20

And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago
Which, according to Kimchi, is to be understood not of the time from whence they were lost, but to be reckoned from the time that Saul had been seeking of them; so the Targum,

``as to the business of the asses, which are lost to thee, and thou art come to seek them today, these three days:''

though it is probable enough that the same day they were lost Saul set out to seek them, Now Samuel telling him of the asses that were lost, and of the time of their being lost, or of his seeking them, so exactly, before ever he said a word to him about them, must at once convince him that he was a true prophet, and which must prepare him to give credit to all that he should hereafter say to him:

set not thy mind on them, for they are found;
of the truth of which he could not doubt, after he had said the above words; and which he said to make his mind easy, that he might the more cheerfully attend the feast, and be the more willing to stay all night:

and on whom is all the desire of Israel?
which was to have a king; in this they were unanimous, and who so fit and proper as Saul, it is intimated, whom Samuel knew God had chosen and appointed to be king over them?

is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house?
not that the Israelites had their eye on Saul, and their desire after him to be their king, though he was such an one as they wished for; but that as this desire of theirs was granted, it would issue and terminate in him and his family; he should be advanced to the throne, which would be attended with the promotion of his father's house, as Abner particularly, who was his uncle's son, and was made the general of the army.

1 Samuel 9:20 In-Context

18 And Saul nighed to Samuel in the midst of the gate, and said, I pray thee, show thou to me, where is the house of the seer?

19 And Samuel answered to Saul, and said, I am the seer; go thou up before me into the high place, that thou eat with me today, and I shall deliver thee in the morrowtide, and I shall show to thee all things that be in thine heart. (And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer; go thou up before me, or ahead of me, to the hill shrine, and thou shalt eat with me today, and in the morning I shall let thee go, after that I show thee all the things that be in thy heart.)

20 And be thou not busy of the female asses, which thou lostest the third day ago, for those be found; and whose shall be all the best things of Israel, whether not to thee, and to all the house of thy father? (And be thou not concerned about the female donkeys, which went missing three days ago, for they be found; and now I ask thee, who shall be regarded as the very best in Israel, whether not thee, and all of thy father's family?)

21 And Saul answered, and said, Whether I am not a son of Benjamin, of the least lineage of Israel, and my kindred is the last among all the families of the lineage of Benjamin? Why therefore hast thou spoken to me this word? (And Saul answered, Am I not a Benjaminite, yea, of the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my kindred, or my family, the least among all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then hast thou spoken such a word to me?)

22 And so Samuel took Saul, and his servant, and led them into the chamber of three orders (of seats, or benches), and he gave to them a place in the beginning of them that were called, (or bidden to the meat); for they were as thirty men. (And then Samuel took Saul, and his servant, and led them into a chamber with three rows of seats, or benches, and he gave them a place at the head of those who were called, or were bidden to the meal; for there were about thirty men there.)