1 Samuel Chapter 9
Showing all 27 verses for 1 Samuel Chapter 9.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. "
"There was a man from the tribe of Benjamin called Kish. He was the son of Abiel, grandson of Zeror, great-grandson of Bechorath, from the family line of Aphiah - a Benjamite, and a man of wealth and standing."
Notice how much space this verse gives to Kish's ancestors before Saul ever appears — four generations of ordinary men whose names history barely remembers. Jesus would say: your worth isn't measured by how notable your family line looks to others, but by your willingness to be used when your moment comes. Every 'unremarkable' household God ever worked through was, in its own day, just going about its business, the way yours may be right now.
"And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. "
"Kish had a son named Saul, a strikingly handsome young man. No one in Israel was better-looking than him - he stood a head taller than everyone else."
Scripture lingers on Saul's height and good looks, and it's tempting to read that as the reason he mattered. But love your neighbour for who they are inside, not for their stature or appearance — this very story will go on to show that impressive looks are no guarantee of an honest or humble heart. Don't let anyone's outward polish, including your own, decide your sense of their (or your) worth before God.
"And the asses of Kish Saul’s father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses. "
"Kish's donkeys had wandered off and gone missing. So Kish said to his son Saul, 'Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.'"
A lost-donkey errand doesn't sound like the start of a calling, but Jesus would tell you He often hides the next chapter of your life inside the chore you're tempted to consider beneath you. Don't despise small, ordinary duties — faithfulness in caring for your father's animals is the same faithfulness that prepares you for whatever comes next. Nothing done out of love and duty is ever wasted.
"And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not. "
"Saul travelled through the hill country of Ephraim, then through the district of Shalisha, but didn't find the donkeys there. He went on through the district of Shaalim - still nothing. Then he went through the territory of Benjamin itself, and still they weren't found."
Saul and his servant cover a lot of ground and find nothing — persistence without a payoff. Jesus would say don't measure your faithfulness by how quickly you get results; showing up and searching honestly, even through repeated disappointment, is itself a kind of obedience. Weariness in the search is not failure, and it's often the doorway to a redirection you couldn't have planned yourself.
"And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us. "
"When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, 'Come on, let's turn back - otherwise my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us instead.'"
Saul's first thought isn't about giving up on the donkeys for his own comfort — it's concern that his father will start worrying about him instead. That's the shape of real love: considering how your absence or silence affects someone else's heart, not just your own agenda. Small acts of thoughtfulness like this are exactly what Jesus calls us towards in our closest relationships.
"And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go. "
"But the servant replied, 'Wait - there's a man of God in this town. People respect him highly, and everything he says comes true. Let's go and see him - maybe he can tell us which way to go.'"
It's the servant, not Saul, who has the wisdom to suggest seeking the man of God — and Saul listens. Jesus would want you to notice how easily good guidance can come from someone with less status than you, and how much depends on your willingness to actually hear it. Humility means staying teachable towards anyone who might be carrying wisdom you lack, regardless of their position.
"Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we? "
"Saul said to his servant, 'All right, but if we go, what can we give the man? Our food is gone, and we don't have anything to offer this man of God. What do we have?'"
Saul's anxiety isn't really about the seer — it's the fear of showing up with nothing to offer. Jesus would gently remind you that seeking God was never about the impressiveness of your gift; what you have, however small, is enough if it's given honestly. Don't let feelings of inadequacy keep you from approaching God when you have a real need.
"And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way. "
"The servant answered, 'Look, I happen to have a quarter of a shekel of silver on me. I'll give that to the man of God so he'll tell us which way to go.'"
The servant doesn't hesitate to hand over what little silver he has for his master's sake. That's generosity in miniature — giving freely from what's actually in your pocket rather than waiting until you have more to spare. Jesus praises exactly this kind of unforced, practical willingness to share.
"(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.) "
"(In earlier times in Israel, if someone wanted to ask God something, they would say, 'Come, let's go to the seer' - because the man now called a prophet used to be called a seer.)"
This aside about 'seer' becoming 'prophet' is a small reminder that even the words people use for God's messengers change over time — but God Himself does not. Jesus would have you hold your traditions and terminology loosely while holding fast to the God behind them; don't let a change in language or custom make you think the truth itself has shifted.
"Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of God was. "
"Saul said, 'Good idea - let's go.' So they set off for the town where the man of God was."
Saul doesn't argue or stall — he simply says 'well said' and goes. Jesus would commend that kind of quick, humble responsiveness to good counsel; a life open to correction and suggestion moves more freely with God's leading than one that resists every new direction out of pride or habit.
"And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here? "
"As they were climbing the hill up to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water, and asked them, 'Is the seer here?'"
It's a group of young women drawing water — people with no status in that world — who hold the exact information Saul needs. Jesus would point out that God routinely places what you need in the hands of people the world overlooks, so treat everyone you meet with real attention and respect; you don't know who's carrying your answer.
"And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, he is before you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place: "
"'Yes, he's here,' the women answered. 'In fact he's just ahead of you. Hurry - he arrived in town today, because the people are holding a sacrifice at the high place today.'"
'Make haste, for he came to day' — the window to meet Samuel is narrow, and the women urge Saul not to waste it. Jesus would say the same about seeking God: when the door is open, walk through it rather than assuming it will stay open indefinitely. Readiness to respond promptly to an opportunity for grace is itself an act of faith.
"As soon as ye be come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that be bidden. Now therefore get you up; for about this time ye shall find him. "
"'As soon as you enter the town, you'll find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people won't start eating until he arrives, because he has to bless the sacrifice first - only after that do the invited guests eat. Go now - you'll catch him about this time.'"
The custom described here — no one eats until the seer arrives and blesses the sacrifice — pictures a community that puts honouring God before satisfying its own appetite. Jesus would ask you to notice that same order in your own life: let reverence and gratitude towards God come before you reach for your own comfort or table.
"And they went up into the city: and when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place. "
"So they went up into the town. And just as they entered, there was Samuel, coming out to meet them on his way up to the high place."
Saul walks into the city at the precise moment Samuel is walking out — nothing about this meeting is accidental. Jesus would want you to trust that the 'coincidences' and crossings in your own life are often God quietly arranging what you can't yet see, so pay attention to who and what crosses your path.
"Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying, "
"Now the LORD had spoken privately to Samuel the day before Saul arrived, telling him:"
God had already spoken to Samuel a full day before Saul even set out looking for donkeys. Jesus would have you take comfort in this: long before you ever notice your own need or take your first step, God has already been preparing the people and circumstances that will meet you there. You are never walking into a situation God hasn't already been working in.
"To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. "
"'About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the territory of Benjamin. Anoint him as leader over my people Israel - he will rescue my people from the power of the Philistines. I have seen my people's suffering, because their cry has reached me.'"
God's stated reason for raising up Saul is compassion — 'their cry is come unto me.' Jesus would say this is who God is at His core: He hears the cry of the oppressed and moves to answer it, even before the sufferers know help is coming. When you cry out in real distress, believe that you are heard, and that God is already setting something in motion.
"And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people. "
"When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said to him, 'That's the man I told you about - he is the one who will govern my people.'"
God singles Saul out to Samuel in an instant: 'Behold the man.' Jesus would remind you that God often has specific plans for people well before those people, or anyone around them, ever suspect it. Don't underestimate the ordinary stranger in front of you — or yourself — because you can't yet see what God already sees.
"Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer’s house is. "
"Saul walked up to Samuel at the town gate and said, 'Can you tell me, please, where the seer's house is?'"
Saul approaches Samuel with nothing but his real, present concern — 'where is the seer's house' — completely unaware he's speaking to the man who will change his life. Jesus would say this is exactly how to come to God: honestly, with your actual need, not with a performance. God meets us in our small present worries long before revealing the larger purpose behind them.
"And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart. "
"Samuel answered, 'I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place - you'll eat with me today, and tomorrow morning I'll send you on your way and tell you everything that's on your mind.'"
Samuel's first move isn't to announce Saul's destiny — it's to invite him to eat and rest, promising to 'tell thee all that is in thine heart.' Jesus would want you to see that being truly known, worries and all, is itself a form of love and welcome. God's care for you isn't reserved for your big moments; it reaches into the ordinary contents of your heart.
"And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father’s house? "
"'And as for the donkeys you lost three days ago, don't worry about them - they've been found. Besides, who is it that all Israel is longing for? Isn't it you, and your whole family?'"
Samuel first resolves Saul's smallest anxiety — the donkeys are found — before ever mentioning the far bigger news awaiting him. Jesus would have you trust that nothing is too small to bring to God; He tends to your immediate worries even while quietly preparing you for something much larger than you asked for.
"And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me? "
"Saul replied, 'But I'm from Benjamin, the smallest of Israel's tribes - and my own family is the least important family in that tribe. Why are you saying this to me?'"
Saul's honest reply — smallest tribe, least family — isn't false modesty, it's true humility, and God chooses him anyway. Jesus would tell you that God is not looking for people who already feel qualified; He delights in lifting up those who know their own smallness, because that honesty leaves room for grace to do the work.
"And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons. "
"Samuel took Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them in the place of honour among the roughly thirty guests who had been invited."
Samuel seats Saul, an unannounced traveller, in the place of highest honour among thirty guests. Jesus would point out that this is grace, not merit — an honour given, not earned. When you receive unexpected favour or welcome, let it teach you humility rather than entitlement, the way Saul's confused humility in the verse before should stay with him.
"And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee. "
"Samuel said to the cook, 'Bring the portion I gave you - the one I told you to set aside.'"
Samuel has already told the cook, ahead of time, to set aside a special portion for a guest who hasn't even arrived yet. Jesus would say this pictures how God prepares blessings for you in advance, often before you've even shown up to receive them — provision that was never random but planned out of care.
"And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day. "
"The cook brought out the leg of meat and what was on it, and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, 'Here - this piece was kept especially for you. Eat, because it's been set aside for you since the moment I said I would invite guests.' So Saul ate with Samuel that day."
The reserved shoulder placed before Saul says: you were expected, you were planned for, you are wanted at this table. Jesus would want you to receive that same truth for yourself — that being welcomed and provided for by God is not an afterthought but something set aside for you specifically, out of love.
"And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house. "
"When they came down from the high place into the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of his house."
Samuel takes Saul up to the rooftop for a private, unhurried conversation — no crowd, no distraction. Jesus would remind you that the deepest things God has to say to you often come in quiet, set-apart moments, not in public spectacle. Make room in your life for that kind of unhurried, private communion.
"And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad. "
"They got up early. Around daybreak, Samuel called up to Saul on the roof, 'Get up, so I can send you on your way.' Saul got up, and the two of them, Saul and Samuel, went outside together."
Samuel and Saul rise early to continue their business together — there's diligence here, not laziness or delay. Jesus would say that seeking God's purposes is worth losing a little sleep for; the disciplined, early attentiveness Saul shows is itself a small act of devotion.
"And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on), but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God. "
"As they were walking down towards the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, 'Tell the servant to go on ahead of us' - and he did - 'but you stay here a moment, so I can give you God's message.'"
Samuel deliberately sends the servant ahead so Saul can receive God's word alone. Jesus would tell you that some things God wants to say to you are meant for you specifically, and receiving them well may require stepping away from even good company for a while. Don't be afraid of solitude when it's in service of hearing God clearly.