1 Samuel 9:17

17 And when Samuel had beheld Saul, the Lord said to Samuel, Lo! the man, (of) whom I said to thee; this man shall be lord of 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

1 Samuel 9:17 In-Context

15 And the day before that Saul came, the Lord (had) made (a) revelation in the ear of Samuel, and said,

16 In this same hour which is now, tomorrow, I shall send to thee a man of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him duke upon my people Israel (and thou shalt anoint him the ruler over my people Israel), and he shall save my people from the hand(s) of (the) Philistines; for I have beheld my people, forsooth their cry hath come to me.

17 And when Samuel had beheld Saul, the Lord said to Samuel, Lo! the man, (of) whom I said to thee; this man shall be lord of my people.

18 And Saul nighed to Samuel in the midst of the gate, and said, I pray thee, show thou to me, where is the house of the seer?

19 And Samuel answered to Saul, and said, I am the seer; go thou up before me into the high place, that thou eat with me today, and I shall deliver thee in the morrowtide, and I shall show to thee all things that be in thine heart. (And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer; go thou up before me, or ahead of me, to the hill shrine, and thou shalt eat with me today, and in the morning I shall let thee go, after that I show thee all the things that be in thy heart.)