1 Samuel 9:8

8 The servant replied again to Sha'ul: "See, I have here in my hand a silver quarter-shekel [one-tenth of an ounce]. I will give it to the man of God to tell us which way to go."

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 His servant replied, "Here now, there's a man of God in this city, a man who is highly respected, and everything he says proves true. Let's go to him; maybe he can tell us something about where we should go."

7 "But look," Sha'ul said to his servant, "if we go to the man, what can we bring him? We've used up all the bread in our packs, and there's nothing for us to give the man of God - what do we have left?"

8 The servant replied again to Sha'ul: "See, I have here in my hand a silver quarter-shekel [one-tenth of an ounce]. I will give it to the man of God to tell us which way to go."

9 (In Isra'el, back in the old days, when someone went to consult God, he would say, "Come, let's go to the seer"; because a person now called a prophet used to be called a seer.)

10 "Well said," Sha'ul answered his servant. "Come on, let's go." So they went to the city where the man of God was.