1 Samuel 9:17

17 When Shemu'el saw Sha'ul, the LORD said to him, Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! this same shall have authority over my people.

1 Samuel 9:17 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 9:17

And when Samuel saw Saul
Who could not but take notice of him for his height, and which might give him a suspicion he was the man the Lord had spoken of to him; and the rather, because this was the exact time in which he was to be sent to him, and therefore he fixed his eyes upon him: and that he might be assured it was he, and be left at no uncertainty about it,

the Lord said unto him;
by a still small voice, or by an impulse upon his mind:

behold the man whom I spake to thee of;
yesterday, this is he:

this same shall reign over my people;
be their king, as they have desired: or "shall restrain" F11 them, keep them in due bounds, in the discharge of their duty to God and man; and keep them from doing that which is evil, or walking in evil ways, which is the business of a good king; or who shall restrain them from having their own will, but shall rule over them in an absolute manner, according to his own arbitrary will and pleasure.


FOOTNOTES:

F11 (ruey) "cohibebit", Montanus; "continebit", Tigurine version; "retinebit", Drusius; i.e. "coercebit", Piscator.

1 Samuel 9:17 In-Context

15 Now the LORD had revealed to Shemu'el a day before Sha'ul came, saying,
16 Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Binyamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Yisra'el; and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Pelishtim: for I have looked on my people, because their cry is come to me.
17 When Shemu'el saw Sha'ul, the LORD said to him, Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! this same shall have authority over my people.
18 Then Sha'ul drew near to Shemu'el in the gate, and said, Tell me, Please, where the seer's house is.
19 Shemu'el answered Sha'ul, and said, I am the seer; go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today: and in the morning I will let you go, and will tell you all that is in your heart.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.