9 (Beforetime H6440 in Israel, H3478 when a man H376 went H3212 to enquire H1875 of God, H430 thus he spake, H559 Come, H3212 and let us go H3212 to the seer: H7200 for he that is now H3117 called a Prophet H5030 was beforetime H6440 called H7121 a Seer.) H7200
For when David H1732 was up H6965 in the morning, H1242 the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came unto the prophet H5030 Gad, H1410 David's H1732 seer, H2374 saying, H559
Yet the LORD H3068 testified H5749 against Israel, H3478 and against Judah, H3063 by H3027 all the prophets, H5030 and by all the seers, H2374 saying, H559 Turn H7725 ye from your evil H7451 ways, H1870 and keep H8104 my commandments H4687 and my statutes, H2708 according to all the law H8451 which I commanded H6680 your fathers, H1 and which I sent H7971 to you by H3027 my servants H5650 the prophets. H5030
And all that Samuel H8050 the seer, H7200 and Saul H7586 the son H1121 of Kish, H7027 and Abner H74 the son H1121 of Ner, H5369 and Joab H3097 the son H1121 of Zeruiah, H6870 had dedicated; H6942 and whosoever had dedicated H6942 any thing, it was under the hand H3027 of Shelomith, H8019 and of his brethren. H251
Now the acts H1697 of David H1732 the king, H4428 first H7223 and last, H314 behold, they are written H3789 in the book H1697 of Samuel H8050 the seer, H7200 and in the book H1697 of Nathan H5416 the prophet, H5030 and in the book H1697 of Gad H1410 the seer, H2374
And the children H1121 struggled together H7533 within her; H7130 and she said, H559 If it be so, why am I thus? H2088 And she went H3212 to enquire H1875 of the LORD. H3068
Now after H310 the death H4194 of Joshua H3091 it came to pass, that the children H1121 of Israel H3478 asked H7592 the LORD, H3068 saying, H559 Who shall go up H5927 for us against the Canaanites H3669 first, H8462 to fight H3898 against them?
All these which were chosen H1305 to be porters H7778 in the gates H5592 were two hundred H3967 and twelve. H8147 H6240 These were reckoned by their genealogy H3187 in their villages, H2691 whom H1992 David H1732 and Samuel H8050 the seer H7200 did ordain H3245 in their set office. H530
And at that time H6256 Hanani H2607 the seer H7200 came H935 to Asa H609 king H4428 of Judah, H3063 and said H559 unto him, Because thou hast relied H8172 on the king H4428 of Syria, H758 and not relied H8172 on the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 therefore is the host H2428 of the king H4428 of Syria H758 escaped H4422 out of thine hand. H3027
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Samuel 9
Commentary on 1 Samuel 9 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 9
Samuel had promised Israel, from God, that they should have a king; it is strange that the next news is not of candidates setting up for the government, making an interest in the people, or recommending themselves to Samuel, and, by him, to God, to be put in nomination. Why does not the prince of the tribe of Judah, whoever he is, look about him now, remembering Jacob's entail of the sceptre on that tribe? Is there never a bold aspiring man in Israel, to say, "I will be king, if God will choose me?' No, none appears, whether it is owing to a culpable mean-spiritedness or a laudable humility I know not; but surely it is what can scarcely be paralleled in the history of any kingdom; a crown, such a crown, set up, and nobody bids for it. Most governments began in the ambition of the prince to rule, but Israel's in the ambition of the people to be ruled. Had any of those elders who petitioned for a king afterwards petitioned to be king, I should have suspected that person's ambition to have been at the bottom of the motion; but now (let them have the praise of what was good in them) it was not so. God having, in the law, undertaken to choose their king (Deu. 17:15), they all sit still, till they hear from heaven, and that they do in this chapter, which begins the story of Saul, their first king, and, by strange steps of Providence, brings him to Samuel to be anointed privately, and so to be prepared for an election by lot, and a public commendation to the people, which follows in the next chapter. Here is,
1Sa 9:1-2
We are here told,
1Sa 9:3-10
Here is,
1Sa 9:11-17
Here,
1Sa 9:18-27
Providence having at length brought Samuel and Saul together, we have here an account of what passed between them in the gate, at the feast, and in private.