1 Samuel 10
DOYLY—whose hearts God had touched.] Whom God inclined to follow him as his guard: or who were moved perhaps by the authority of Samuel (the man of God) to go and attend him.
Chap. XI. ver. 2. — thrust out all your right eyes.] The reason why Nahash thrust out their right eyes was, not only to bring a reproach on Israel, as himself declares, but also to disable them from serving in war; for, as the manner of fighting in those days was chiefly with bow and arrow, sword and shield, the loss of the right eye made them incapable of either. Yet this barbarous king thought it not proper to put out both their eyes, for then he would have made them less serviceable to himself as slaves, and less able to pay him the tribute which he expected. Stackhouse. The loss of eyes is a punishment regularly inflicted in the East on rebels, &c. to this day. Mr. Hanway, in his journey in Persia, gives very striking instances of this practice. Fragments to Calmet. See Jer. xxxix. 7, and the note there.
The king of the Ammonites attacked the Israelites most unjustly, and wished to impose on them the most barbarous and shameful conditions; but God punished, ver. 11, the hangfulness and cruelty of that prince, and proved that His providence humbles the proud and the oppressor. Ostervald.
1 Samuel 10:2
- When thou art departed &c.] To confirm the truth and authority of what he said and did, Samuel tells him what was to happen to him in the way home to his father, in several instances. Pyle.
— by Rachel’s sepulchre] It is related at Gen. xxxv. 20, that Jacob raised a pillar over the grave of Rachel. We need not infer that this same pillar was actually
Saul’s heart is changed, and he prophesieth. Before CHRIST about 1085. business. of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left † the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?
1 Samuel 10:3
- — the plain of Tabor,] Not near the famous mountain of that name, but a place called Elon-tabor, south-east of Ramah. Dr. Wells. — Beth-el,] This had been a religious place ever since the days of Jacob, as if, by God’s appearance to him there, it had been consecrated to prayer and sacrifice. As the ark was now without any determined place, they sacrificed here, as well as in other high places. Bp. Patrick.
1 Samuel 10:5
- — the hill of God,] So called, because they were wont to sacrifice there; or because a school of the Prophets, called the men of God, was there. — a company of prophets coming down] By prophets are meant, persons settled for the instruction of youth in the laws of God, and the duties of religion. They were probably returning from sacrifice, praising God for His benefits with variety of instrumental musick, as the word prophecy sometimes signifies. Bp. Patrick. It hence appears, that the great estimation in which the ministers of their religion were held among the Jews, was derived from them to their enemies the Philistines, who dwelt upon their skirts; insomuch that, in a garrison of the Philistines, there was a college of Prophets, newly instituted by Samuel, unharmed and undisturbed, though they were enemies to the nation: also, when David fled from Saul, 1 Sam. xix. 18, he came to Naioth, where the Prophets dwelt, and thought to take sanctuary there, knowing it was a privileged place. Bp. Jer. Taylor.
1 Samuel 10:6
- — thou shalt prophesy with them,] Thou shalt be suddenly inspired with such thoughts and affections, as to become like one of them; able in an instant to compose hymns in honour of God, and to adapt them to melodies, which thou hast never learnt. Bp. Patrick.
1 Samuel 10:9
- — gave him another heart:] Wrought a sensible change in him by these new abilities which He infused into his heart. Bp. Hall.
1 Samuel 10:10
- — the Spirit of God came upon him,] It is worthy of observation, that “the Spirit of the Lord, which came upon Saul, and turned him into another man,” as foretold by Samuel, ver. 6, by no means interfered with his freewill or free agency; he was still free “to act as occasion should serve,” or require, chap. x. 7; and accordingly, when his uncle wanted him to tell what the Prophet had said unto him, he mentioned the finding of the asses, but “of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not,” chap. x. 16. He followed the dictates of his own prudence on this occasion, as afterwards, in “holding his peace,” when insulted by the seditious. But he was still at liberty to “grieve the Spirit,” and even to “quench the Spirit,” and to be possessed, on the contrary, with an evil spirit from the Lord, when he lost that modesty and humility which first recommended him, and became envious, jealous, cruel, and tyrannical. Dr. Hales.
1 Samuel 10:12
- — But who is their father?] Their wonder was presently satisfied by a prudent person among them, who bade them consider who it was that made the Pro- Saul is chosen at Mizpeh by lot. Before CHRIST 1003. of prophesying, he came to the high place.
1 Samuel 10:20
20.—the tribe of Benjamin was taken.] A similar phrase was used at Josh. vii. 16, respecting the discovery of the person who had offended in the accursed thing; and it is generally supposed to have been done by the casting of lots. Bp. Patrick.
1 Samuel 10:25
25.—and wrote it in a book.] Josephus says, that Samuel here wrote down the evils which were to befall the Israelites in consequence of their choosing a king, and laid up the writing in the tabernacle, to be a memorial of the truth of his predictions to future ages. Some think that he merely recorded the solemn election of Saul; and others, (with more probability perhaps,) that he recorded the rules and principles, according to which the king was constitutionally to govern. Calmet.
1 Samuel 10:26
26.—went home to Gibeah:] Called Gibeah of Vol. I.
1 Samuel 10:27
27.—children of Belial] Some lewd wicked men, who had no regard to the Divine appointment, and either hated all government, or, being men of quality themselves, and proud, were vexed to see one of so mean a family set up for king. Dr. Wells.
—brought him no presents.] It was a constant custom among the Eastern nations, and is even to this day, whenever they approach the prince, to make him some present; and especially this was the proper method of recognizing Saul on his first accession to the throne. Stackhouse.