1 Samuel 9:3

3 And the she-asses of Kish, the father of Saul, were lost (And one day the female donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, went missing). And Kish said to Saul his son, Take with thee one of the servants, and rise thou, and go seek the she-asses.

1 Samuel 9:3 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 9:3

And the asses of Kish, Saul's father, were lost
Had got out of the stables or fields, in which they were kept, and strayed from thence:

and Kish said to Saul his son, take now one of the servants with thee,
and arise, go seek the asses;
he chose not to send his servants only, who might not be so careful and diligent in searching for them, but his son, and not him alone, but a servant with him to wait upon him, and assist him. And it was quite agreeable to the simplicity of those times for persons of equal or greater substance to be employed in such an affair; asses made a considerable part of the wealth and riches of men, were rode upon by persons of quality, and were fed and taken care of by the sons of dukes and princes; see ( Job 1:3 ) ( Judges 5:10 ) ( Genesis 36:24 ) . The Jews

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 have a tradition, that this servant was Doeg the Edomite.

F23 Hieron. Trad. Heb. in Paralip, fol. 83. A.

1 Samuel 9:3 In-Context

1 And there was a man of Benjamin, that was called Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a man that was called Benjamin (a Benjamite), a strong man in bodily might.

2 And to him was a son, Saul by name, chosen and good(ly); and no man of the sons of Israel was better than he; (and) from the shoulder(s) and above, he appeared over all the people.

3 And the she-asses of Kish, the father of Saul, were lost (And one day the female donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, went missing). And Kish said to Saul his son, Take with thee one of the servants, and rise thou, and go seek the she-asses.

4 And when they had gone forth by the hill (country) of Ephraim, and by the land of Shalisha, and they had not found them, they passed forth also by the land of Shalim, and they were not there; but also they passed by the land of Benjamin, and yet they found (them) not.

5 And when they had come into the land of Zuph, and had not found (them), Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come thou, and turn we again; lest peradventure my father hath left (off caring about) the female asses, and is busy for us (and is now concerned about us).