1 Samuel 9

1 Now there was a Benjamite [a descendant of the right hand, from the tribe of Benjamin], a powerful [mighty, strong] man, whose name was Kish [meaning ‘bow’ or ‘power’] son of Abiel [my father is God], the son of Zeror [bundle], the son of Becorath [firstborn], the son of Aphiah [I will make to breathe, a breath from God] of Benjamin [son of the right hand]. word study 2 And he had a son [a chosen young man, a youth] named Saul [Shaul, meaning desired], choice [select, a goodly person] and handsome [pleasant, good-looking], without equal [none like him, unparalleled] among the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people]—a head [from his shoulders and upward] taller than any of the people [the nation, the crowd]. word study 3 One day the donkeys [she-asses, female donkeys] of Saul’s father Kish [the father of king Saul] wandered off [were lost, perished], and Kish said to his son [child, descendant] Saul, “Take [get, acquire] one of the servants [young men, attendants] and go [walk, move] look [search, seek] for the donkeys [she-asses, lost animals].” word study 4 So Saul passed through the hill country [mountainous region, highlands] of Ephraim [doubly fruitful, a tribe of Israel] and then through the land [territory, region] of Shalishah [a place in Palestine], but did not find [discover, locate] the donkeys. He and the servant went through the region [district, area] of Shaalim [foxes, a place in Palestine], but they were not [nothing, absent] there. Then they went through the land [country, territory] of Benjamin [a tribe of Israel, the right-hand tribe], and still they did not find [attain, come across] them. word study 5 When they reached [came to, arrived in] the land [territory, region] of Zuph, Saul [Shaul, the desired one] said to his servant [young man, attendant], “Come, let us go back [return, turn back], or my father [parent, ancestor] will stop worrying [cease to care, leave off] about the donkeys [she-asses, female donkeys] and start worrying [be anxious, take thought] about us [concerning us, for our sake].” word study 6 “Look [behold, see],” said the servant, “in this city [town, settlement] there is a man of God [a prophet, one who speaks for Elohim] who is highly respected [honored, esteemed]; everything he says [speaks, declares] surely comes to pass [is fulfilled, happens]. Let us go [walk, journey] there now [at this time, presently]. Perhaps [maybe, it may be] he will tell [inform, reveal] us which way [path, direction] to go [proceed, travel].” word study 7 “If we do go [proceed, walk],” Saul [Shaul, the desired one] replied, “what can we give [offer, present] the man [male person, individual]? For the bread [food, grain] in our packs [vessels, utensils] is gone [exhausted, used up], and there is no [nothing, absence of] gift [present, voluntary offering] to take to the man of God [the prophet, the one speaking for Elohim]. What do we have [possess, contain]?” word study 8 The servant answered him again. “Look [behold, see],” he said, “I have here in my hand [as a means of payment, to give] a quarter [fourth part, one-fourth] shekel [a unit of weight or money, silver coin] of silver [valuable metal, used for trade]. I will give [offer, present] it to the man [individual, person] of God [Elohim, the supreme Being], and he will tell [declare, reveal] us our way [path, journey, direction].” word study 9 (Formerly [in the past, before this time] in Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants], a man [an individual, a male person] on his way to inquire [to seek, to ask] of God [Elohim, the one supreme God] would say, “Come, let us go to the seer [a prophetic visionary, one who receives visions from God].” For the prophet [a spokesperson for God, one who speaks on God’s behalf] of today [this present time] was formerly [in the past, previously] called the seer [a person who sees visions, a prophetic seer].) word study 10 “Good [pleasant, beneficial],” said Saul [the desired one, a Benjamite] to his servant [young man, youth]. “Come, let us go [walk, move forward].” So they set out [walked, proceeded] for the city [town, settlement] where the man [male person, individual] of God [Elohim, the supreme One] was. word study 11 And as they [the group of men] were climbing the hill [the ascent] to the city [the excitement], they met some young women [maidens] coming out [to come out] to draw water [a source of refreshment] and asked, “Is the seer [a prophetic visionary] here [in this place]?” word study 12 “Yes, he is ahead of you,” they answered [in response to your inquiry]. “Hurry now [make haste, be quick], for today [at this present time] he has come to the city [the town, the urban center] because the people [the nation, the community] have a sacrifice [an offering, a gift to God] on the high place [the elevated altar, the sacred site]. word study 13 As soon as you enter [come into, arrive at] the city [town, settlement], you will find him [discover, encounter] before he goes up [ascends, rises] to the high place [elevated area, cultic platform] to eat [partake, devour]. The people [nation, community] will not eat [consume, devour] until he comes [arrives, appears], because he must bless [praise, honor] the sacrifice [offering, gift]; after that [subsequently, afterwards], the guests [invited ones, those called] will eat [partake, feast]. Go up [ascend, rise] at once [immediately, without delay]; you will find him [discover, encounter].” word study 14 So Saul and his servant went up [to ascend, rising higher] toward the city [a place with a wall or a watchman], and as they were entering [coming into, approaching] it, there was Samuel [Shemuel, a judge and prophet] coming toward them [to encounter, meet] on his way up [to ascend, going higher] to the high place [an elevated area, a cultic platform]. word study 15 Now on the day [before all time, a 24-hour period] before Saul’s [Shaul, meaning desired] arrival, the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had revealed [uncovered, made known] to Samuel [Shemuel, a judge and prophet], word study 16 “At this [specific, appointed] time [season, occasion] tomorrow [the next day, a future time] I will send [dispatch, commission] you a man [an individual, a person] from the land [territory, region] of Benjamin [son of the right hand, a tribe of Israel], and you are to anoint [set apart, consecrate] him leader [prince, ruler] over My people [nation, community] Israel [God’s chosen]; he will save [rescue, deliver] them from the hand [power, control] of the Philistines [a non-Israelite people, enemies of Israel]. For I have looked [seen, observed] upon My people [with care, compassion], because their cry [outcry, lamentation] has come to Me [reached My attention, moved My heart].” word study 17 When Samuel [Shemuel, a judge and prophet] saw Saul [Shaul, a man desired by God], the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] told him, “Here is the man [the individual, a male person] of whom I spoke [to say, to command or promise]; he shall rule [have authority, restrain or hold back] over My people [a nation, a group of individuals].” word study 18 Saul [the desired one, a Benjamite] approached [drew near to, came to] Samuel [Shemuel, a judge and prophet of Israel] in the gateway [midst of the gate, city entrance] and asked, “Would you please [I pray thee, kindly] tell me [declare, inform] where [in what location, how] the seer’s [one who receives visions, a prophet] house [dwelling place, abode] is?” word study 19 “I am the seer [a prophet, one who receives visions from God],” Samuel replied. “Go up before me to the high place [a cultic platform, a mountain], for you shall eat with me today [in fellowship, as a guest]. And when I send you off [release, let go] in the morning [at the break of day], I will tell you all that is in your heart [your deepest thoughts, desires, and intentions]. word study 20 As for the donkeys [female donkeys, she-asses] you lost [to perish, were destroyed] three [a quantity of three, thrice] days ago, do not worry [set not your mind] about them, for they have been found [discovered, attained]. And upon whom [who, whose] is all [everything, the whole] the desire [cherished object, precious gift] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people], if not upon you and all [every member of] your father’s [paternal] house [family, dwelling place]?” word study 21 Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite [a descendant of Benjamin, son of the right hand] from the smallest [least significant, most humble] tribe of Israel, and is not my clan [family, household] the least [most insignificant, smallest in number] of all the clans [families, tribes] of Benjamin? So why would you say such a thing [speak to me in this manner, address me like this] to me [toward me, in my direction]?” word study 22 Then Samuel [Shemuel, a judge and prophet of Israel] took Saul [Shaul, a Benjamite leader] and his servant [a young person, either a boy or a girl], brought them into the hall [chamber, a room or chamber in a building], and seated them in the place [a location or position] of honor [at the head, in a position of prominence] among those who were invited [called, summoned to a gathering]—about thirty [thirty men, a specific number of individuals] in all. word study 23 And Samuel [Shemuel, a judge and prophet of Israel] said to the cook [guard, lifeguardsman, or one who prepares food], “Bring the portion [share, division, or part] I gave [to give, put, or set] you and told [to say, command, or speak] you to set [to put, place, or appoint] aside [by you, with you, or near you].” word study 24 So the cook [guard, one who prepares food] picked up the leg [thigh, upper portion of the animal] and what was attached to it [the fat tail, the best part] and set it before Saul [Shaul, the desired one]. Then Samuel [Shemuel, heard by God] said, “Here is what was kept back [reserved, set apart]. It was set apart [reserved, kept for a special purpose] for you. Eat, for it has been kept [preserved, protected] for you for this occasion [appointed time, special meeting], from the time I said, ‘I have invited [called, gathered] the people [nation, community].’” So Saul [Shaul, the desired one] dined [ate, shared a meal] with Samuel [Shemuel, heard by God] that day [period of time, appointed season]. word study 25 And after they had come down [a cultic platform] from the high place [a mountain or elevation] into the city [a town with a wall], Samuel spoke [communed, talked] with Saul [Shaul, the desired one] on the roof [the top of the house, a flat area] of his house. word study 26 They got up early [at the break of day] in the morning, and just before dawn [the spring of the day] Samuel called to Saul on the roof [housetop], “Get ready [arise, stand up], and I will send you on your way [let you go, depart]!” So Saul arose [stood up, rose], and both he and Samuel went outside [abroad, into the open air] together. word study 27 As they [a group of men] were going down [to descend or fall] to the edge [the end or border] of the city [a place with a wall or a watchman], Samuel [a judge and prophet] said to Saul [a Benjamite king], “Tell the servant [a young person] to go on ahead of us [in our presence], but you [as an individual] stay [to stand firmly] for a while [a short period of time], and I will reveal [to hear and obey] to you the word [a matter or affair] of God [the supreme Creator].” So the servant [the young person] went on [to pass or cross over]. word study