1 Samuel 10:17-27

Saul Proclaimed King

17 After this, Samuel summoned the people to the LORD at Mizpah

18 and said to the Israelites, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the hands of the Egyptians and of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’

19 But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions, and you have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans.”

20 Thus Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected.

21 Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the clan of Matri was selected. ^[a] Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they looked for him, they could not find him.

22 So again they inquired of the LORD, “Has the man come here yet?” And the LORD replied, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”

23 So they ran and brought Saul, and when he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of the others.

24 Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

25 Then Samuel explained to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his own home.

26 Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, and the men of valor whose hearts God had touched went with him.

27 But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it. ^[b]

1 Samuel 10:17-27 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 10

In this chapter we read of Saul's being anointed king by Samuel, 1Sa 10:1, and of certain signs given as confirming the same, which should come to pass, and did, before Saul got to his father's house, 1Sa 10:2-13, of his arrival at his father's house, and of what passed between him and his uncle there, 1Sa 10:14-16, of Samuel's calling all Israel together at Mizpeh, and of the election of Saul by lot to be king, and of his being declared such, 1Sa 10:17-25, and of his return to his city, being respected by some, and despised by others, 1Sa 10:26,27.

Footnotes

• [a]. LXX includes And he brought the family of the Matrites near, man by man.
• [b]. MT and LXX; one DSS manuscript includes Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had viciously oppressed the people of Gad and Reuben, gouging out the right eye of each Israelite dwelling there. He would not allow anyone to rescue them, and there was no Israelite east of the Jordan whose right eye had not been gouged out. But 7,000 men had escaped from the Ammonites and settled in Jabesh-gilead.