1 Samuel 9:8

8 Again the servant answered to Saul, and said, Lo! the fourth part of a stater, that is, a shekel, of silver is found (here) in mine hand; give we it to the man of God, that he show to us our way (so that he will show us the way that we should 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 And the servant said to him, Lo! a man of God is in this city, a noble man; all thing that he speaketh, cometh without (a) doubt. Now therefore go we thither, if peradventure he show to us of our way, for which we came (And so now let us go there, perhaps he can show us the way that we should go).

7 And Saul said to his servant, Lo! we shall go (there); (but) what shall we bear to the man of God? Bread hath failed in our scrips, and we have no present, that we (can) give to the man of God, neither any other thing.

8 Again the servant answered to Saul, and said, Lo! the fourth part of a stater, that is, a shekel, of silver is found (here) in mine hand; give we it to the man of God, that he show to us our way (so that he will show us the way that we should go).

9 Sometime in Israel each man going to counsel with God spake thus, Come ye, and go we to the seer; for he, that is said now a prophet, was called sometime a seer (for he, who now is called a prophet, before was called a seer).

10 And Saul said to his servant, Thy word is the best; come thou, go we. And they went into the city, in which the man of God was (And they went to the city, where the man of God was).