Sāmǔĕrjìshàng 9

1 Yǒu yī gè Biànyǎmǐn rén , míng jiào jī shì , shì Biànyǎmǐn rén yà fĕi yà de xuán sūn , bǐ gē là de céng sūn , xǐ luó de sūnzi , yà biéde érzi , shì gè dà néng de yǒng shì ( huò zuò dà cáizhǔ ) .

2 Tā yǒu yī gè érzi , míng jiào Sǎoluó , yòu jiànzhuàng , yòu jùnmĕi , zaì Yǐsèliè rén zhōng méiyǒu yī gè néng bǐ tāde . shēntǐ bǐ zhòng mín gāo guō yī tóu .

3 Sǎoluó de fùqin jī shì diū le jǐ tóu lü , tā jiù fēnfu érzi Sǎoluó shuō , nǐ daì yī gè púrén qù xúnzhǎo lü .

4 Sǎoluó jiù zǒu guō Yǐfǎlián shān dì , yòu guō shā lì s Hādì , dōu méiyǒu zhǎo zhe . yòu guō sHālín dì , lü yĕ bú zaì nàli . yòu guō Biànyǎmǐn dì , hái méiyǒu zhǎo zhe .

5 Dào le sū Fú dì , Sǎoluó duì gēnsuí tāde púrén shuō , wǒmen bù rú huí qù , kǒngpà wǒ fùqin bù wèi lü guà xīn , fǎn wèi wǒmen dān yōu .

6 Púrén shuō , zhè chéng lǐ yǒu yī wèi shén rén , shì zhòngrén suǒ zūnzhòng de , fán tā suǒ shuō de quándōu yìngyàn . wǒmen bù rú wǎng Tānàli qù , huòzhĕ tā néng jiāng wǒmen dāng zǒu de lù zhǐshì wǒmen .

7 Sǎoluó duì púrén shuō , wǒmen ruò qù , yǒu shénme kĕyǐ sòng nà rén ne . wǒmen náng zhōng de shíwù dōu chī jǐn le , yĕ méiyǒu lǐwù kĕyǐ sòng nà shén rén , wǒmen hái yǒu shénme méiyǒu .

8 Púrén huídá Sǎoluó shuō , wǒ shǒu lǐ yǒu yínzi yī Shĕkèlè de sì fēn zhīyī , kĕyǐ sòng nà shén rén , qǐng tā zhǐshì wǒmen dāng zǒu de lù .

9 ( cóng qián Yǐsèliè zhōng , ruò yǒu rén qù wèn shén , jiù shuō , wǒmen wèn xiān jiàn qù ba . xiànzaì chēngwèi xiānzhī de , cóng qián chēngwèi xiān jiàn . )

10 Sǎoluó duì púrén shuō , nǐ shuō de shì , wǒmen kĕyǐ qù . yúshì tāmen wǎng shén rén suǒ zhù de chéng lǐ qù le .

11 Tāmen shàng pō yào jìn chéng , jiù yùjiàn jǐ gè shàonián nǚzi chūlai dá shuǐ , wèn tāmen shuō , xiān jiàn zaì zhèlǐ méiyǒu .

12 Nǚzi huídá shuō , zaì zhèlǐ , tā zaì nǐmen qiánmian . kuaì qù ba . tā jīnrì zhēng dào chéng lǐ , yīnwei jīnrì bǎixìng yào zaì qiū tán xiànjì .

13 Zaì tā hái méiyǒu shàng qiū tán chī jìwù zhī xiān , nǐmen yī jìn chéng bì yùjiàn tā . yīn tā wèi dào , bǎixìng bùnéng chī , bì dĕng tā xiān zhù jì , ránhòu qǐng de kè cái chī . xiànzaì nǐmen shàng qù , zhè shíhou bì yùjiàn tā .

14 Èr rén jiù shàng qù . jiāng jìn chéng de shíhou , Sǎmǔĕr zhēng yíng zhe tāmen lái , yào shàng qiū tán qù .

15 Sǎoluó wèi dào de qián yī rì , Yēhéhuá yǐjing zhǐshì Sǎmǔĕr shuō ,

16 Míngrì zhè shíhou , wǒ bì shǐ yī gèrén cóng Biànyǎmǐn dì dào nǐ zhèlǐ lái , nǐ yào gāo tā zuò wǒ mín Yǐsèliè de jūn . tā bì jiù wǒ mín tuōlí Fēilìshì rén de shǒu . yīn wǒ mín de āi shēng shàngdá yú wǒ , wǒ jiù juàngù tāmen .

17 Sǎmǔĕr kànjian Sǎoluó de shíhou , Yēhéhuá duì tā shuō , kàn nǎ , zhè rén jiù shì wǒ duì nǐ suǒ shuō de , tā bì zhìlǐ wǒde mín .

18 Sǎoluó zaì chéng mén lǐ zǒu dào Sǎmǔĕr gēnqián , shuō , qǐng gàosu wǒ , xiān jiàn de yù suǒ zaì nǎli .

19 Sǎmǔĕr huídá shuō , wǒ jiù shì xiān jiàn . nǐ zaì wǒ qiánmian shàng qiū tán qù , yīnwei nǐmen jīnrì bì yǔ wǒ tóng xí . míngrì zǎochen wǒ sòng nǐ qù , jiāng nǐ xīnli de shì dōu gàosu nǐ .

20 Zhìyú nǐ qián sān rì suǒ diū de nà jǐ tóu lü , nǐ xīnli bù bì guàniàn , yǐjing zhǎo zhe le . Yǐsèliè zhòngrén suǒ yǎng mù de shì shuí ne . bú shì yǎng mù nǐ hé nǐ fù de quán jiā ma .

21 Sǎoluó shuō , wǒ bú shì Yǐsèliè zhīpaì zhōng zhì xiǎo de Biànyǎmǐn rén ma . wǒ jiā bú shì Biànyǎmǐn zhīpaì zhōng zhì xiǎo de jiā ma . nǐ wèihé duì wǒ shuō zhèyàng de huà ne .

22 Sǎmǔĕr lǐng Sǎoluó hé tā púrén jìn le kè táng , shǐ tāmen zaì qǐng lái de kè zhōng zuò shǒuwèi . kè yuē yǒu sān shí gèrén .

23 Sǎmǔĕr duì chú yì shuō , wǒ jiāo gĕi nǐ shōu cún de nà yī fēn jì ròu xiànzaì kĕyǐ ná lái .

24 Chú yì jiù bǎ shōu cún de tuǐ ná lái , bǎi zaì Sǎoluó miànqián , Sǎmǔĕr shuō , zhè shì suǒ liú xià de , fàng zaì nǐ miànqián . chī ba . yīn wǒ qǐng bǎixìng de shíhou , tèyì wèi nǐ cún liú zhè ròu dào cǐ shí . dāng rì , Sǎoluó jiù yǔ Sǎmǔĕr tóng xí .

25 Zhòngrén cóng qiū tán xià lái jìn chéng , Sǎmǔĕr hé Sǎoluó zaì fáng dǐng shàng shuōhuà .

26 Cì rì qīngzǎo qǐlai , límíng de shíhou , Sǎoluó zaì fáng dǐng shàng . Sǎmǔĕr hūjiào tā shuō , qǐlai ba , wǒ hǎo sòng nǐ huí qù . Sǎoluó jiù qǐlai , hé Sǎmǔĕr yītóng chū qù .

27 Èr rén xià dào chéng jiǎo , Sǎmǔĕr duì Sǎoluó shuō , yào fēnfu púrén xiān zǒu ( púrén jiù xiān zǒu le ) . nǐ qiĕ zhàn zaì zhèlǐ , dĕng wǒ jiāng shén de huà chuán yǔ nǐ tīng .

Sāmǔĕrjìshàng 9 Commentary

Chapter 9

Saul is brought to Samuel. (1-10) Samuel told concerning Saul. (11-17) Samuel's treatment of Saul. (18-27)

Verses 1-10 Saul readily went to seek his father's asses. His obedience to his father was praise-worthy. His servant proposed, that since they were now at Ramah, they should call on Samuel, and take his advice. Wherever we are, we should use our opportunities of acquainting ourselves with those who are wise and good. Many will consult a man of God, if he comes in their way, that would not go a step out of their way to get wisdom. We sensibly feel worldly losses, and bestow much pains to make them up; but how little do we attempt, and how soon are we weary, in seeking the salvation of our souls! If ministers could tell men how to secure their property, or to get wealth, they would be more consulted and honoured than they now are, though employed in teaching them how to escape eternal misery, and to obtain eternal life. Most people would rather be told their fortune than their duty. Samuel needed not their money, nor would he have denied his advice, if they had not brought it; but they gave it to him as a token of respect, and of the value they put upon his office, and according to the general usage of those times, always to bring a present to those in authority.

Verses 11-17 The very maid-servants of the city could direct to the prophet. They had heard of the sacrifice, and could tell of the necessity for Samuel's presence. It is no small benefit to live in religious and holy places. And we should always be ready to help those who are seeking after God's prophets. Though God had, in displeasure, granted Israel's request for a king, yet he sends them a man to be captain over them, to save them out of the hand of the Philistines. He does it, listening graciously to their cry.

Verses 18-27 Samuel, that good prophet, was so far from envying Saul, or bearing him any ill-will, that he was the first and most forward to do him honour. Both that evening and early the next morning, Samuel communed with Saul upon the flat roof of the house. We may suppose Samuel now convinced Saul that he was the person God had fixed upon for the government, and of his own willingness to resign. How different are the purposes of the Lord for us, from our intentions for ourselves! Perhaps Saul was the only one who ever went out to seek asses, and literally found a kingdom; but many have set out and moved their dwellings to seek riches and pleasures, who have been guided to places where they found salvation for their souls. Thus they have met with those who addressed them as if aware of the secrets of their lives and hearts, and have been led seriously to regard the word of the Lord. If this has been our case, though our worldly plans have not prospered, let us not care for that; the Lord has given us, or has prepared us for, what is far better.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 9

This chapter gives an account of Saul, the person the Lord had appointed to be king of Israel; it relates his descent, and describes his person, 1Sa 9:1,2 and how seeking his father's asses, which were lost, he providentially came to the place where Samuel dwelt, 1Sa 9:3-5 and being advised by his servant, and approving of his advice, he concluded to go to him, and inquire the way he should go, 1Sa 9:6-10 and being directed by some young maidens, they found him presently in the street going to a feast, 1Sa 9:11-14 and Samuel having some previous notice from the Lord of such a person's coming to him that day, when he met him invited him to dine with him, and obliged him to stay with him that day, 1Sa 9:15-19 satisfied him about his asses, and gave him a hint of the grandeur he was to be raised to, to which Saul made a modest reply, 1Sa 9:20,21 and Samuel treated him at the feast in a very respectable manner, 1Sa 9:22-24 and privately communed with him of things preparatory to what he was about to make known unto him, 1Sa 9:25-27.