1 Samuel 9:6 Kommentar

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, I. A short account of Saul's parentage and person (Sa1 9:1, Sa1 9:2). II. A large and particular account of the bringing of him to Samuel, to whom he had been before altogether a stranger. 1. God, by revelation, had told Samuel to expect him (Sa1 9:15, Sa1 9:16). 2. God, by providence, led him to Samuel. (1.) Being sent to seek his father's asses, he was at a loss (Sa1 9:3-5). (2.) By the advice of his servant, he determined to consult Samuel (Sa1 9:6-10). (3.) By the direction of the young maidens, he found him out (Sa1 9:11-14). (4.) Samuel, being informed of God concerning him (Sa1 9:17), treated him with respect in the gate (Sa1 9:18-21), in the dining-room (Sa1 9:22-24), and at length in private, where he prepared him to hear the surprising news that he must be king (Sa1 9:25-27). And these beginnings would have been very hopeful and promising if it had not been that the sin of the people was the spring of this great affair.

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 9 This chapter gives an account of Saul, the person the Lord had appointed to be king of Israel; it relates his descent, and describes his person, Sa1 9:1 and how seeking his father's asses, which were lost, he providentially came to the place where Samuel dwelt, Sa1 9:3 and being advised by his servant, and approving of his advice, he concluded to go to him, and inquire the way he should go, Sa1 9:6 and being directed by some young maidens, they found him presently in the street going to a feast, Sa1 9:11 and Samuel having some previous notice from the Lord of such a person's coming to him that day, when he met him invited him to dine with him, and obliged him to stay with him that day, Sa1 9:15 satisfied him about his asses, and gave him a hint of the grandeur he was to be raised to, to which Saul made a modest reply, Sa1 9:20 and Samuel treated him at the feast in a very respectable manner, Sa1 9:22 and privately communed with him of things preparatory to what he was about to make known unto him, Sa1 9:25.

And he said unto him,.... That is, the servant of Saul: behold, now, there is in this city a man of God; a prophet of the Lord, as the Targum; such were called men of God, because not only partakers of the grace of God, but of extraordinary gifts, which qualified them for the office of prophets. The city near to which they now were was Ramah, the place where Samuel lived, and he is the man of God here meant: and he is an honourable man; of great esteem among men for his wisdom and knowledge, integrity and faithfulness, and particularly for his gift of prophecy, being a true prophet of the Lord; so the Targum,"and he is a man that prophesies truth,''and that made him honourable, and gave him great credit: all that he saith cometh surely to pass; as his prophecies concerning Eli's family, and other things, which were well known to have had their accomplishment, and this had gained him universal esteem, see Sa1 3:19, now let us go thither; being very near it, within sight of it, insomuch that the servant could point at it, and say "this city", as in the preceding part of the verse: peradventure he can show us our way that we should go; to find the asses; he was not certain he could or would, but thought it possible and probable he might.

He calls Samuel a man of God, in whom we have already said that the preachers of Holy Church are designated. He is indeed called a man out of reverence for his holy manner of life, and everything he speaks is declared to come without ambiguity: because whatever he threatens concerning eternal punishments, whatever he promises to the just concerning eternal joy, comes to pass just as he announces it, and the impious shall go away to punishment and the elect to glory. He is also said to be in the city: because a chosen pastor is known to be always vigilant in the common guardianship of the people subject to him. The pastor is in the city, because while he guards others, he is fortified in himself. Whence also through the prophet, in the praises of all men of God, it is said under the description of one: "He shall dwell on high; the fortifications of rocks shall be his loftiness" (Isa. 33:16). For the higher he is raised up in the vision of the eternal citizens, the stronger he is found to be in himself, and the more useful to his neighbors. He is also called noble: because he is conspicuous for his heavenly manner of life, and has nothing of the rusticity of worldly life. For he is seen to be noble from the same source whence he is a citizen. For secular men, because there is no composure of morals in them, are rustic, as though nurtured in outlying places. For from their habitual dishonesty of mind, they produce unseemly movements of body; and like those who are very degenerate, they do not know the bearing of urbane custom, while through everything they do, they cover the appearance of their life with the vileness of earthly obscurity. On the contrary, the men of God are noble, who while they vigorously pursue the things that are divine, shine with heavenly light in all their work: and they have nothing of degeneracy, who in the great light of all their conduct display the rays of their celestial origin.

He said to him: Behold, there is a man of God in this city, etc. For this is the patience and faith of the saints, this is continuous love, this long expectation seeing from afar and greeting the joy of the Lord’s incarnation and the restoration of humanity; this, I say, is the frequent plea in the Scriptures of saving grace: Stir up your strength, and come to make us safe. Arise, why do you sleep, Lord? arise, and do not reject us to the end; why do you turn your face away (Psalm 79, 43)? and other such things. Behold, they say, there is in the city of worldly conversation, most noble by heavenly grace, and without any doubt the truest chorus of the prophets. Now therefore let us go there, and from contemplating the glory of your divinity, which is only apparent to pure hearts, let us also come to perceive the mysteries of humanity, once promised and now long desired. Blessed indeed are the eyes that have seen, and the ears that have deserved to hear these things (Matthew 12). Perhaps with these things resounding about you, and affirming the path of our devotion, with the help of the proclamations of the prophets, the world will begin to believe, and we ourselves, with those who were lost brought back to life, will rest from the long effort of so much time. The word of doubt is placed to show the severity of human error and the difficulty of healing, according to the Savior’s saying: Do you think he will find faith on earth? and: If you believed Moses, you would perhaps believe me too (Luke 18). Similar to this passage, the wise lover speaks to Christ in the song of her love: Who will give you to me, my brother, nursing at the breasts of my mother, that I might find you outside and kiss you (Cant. 8)? As if she openly said: Whom I believe, confess, and adore as invisible God within, him also I long to see and speak to outside in the form of my substance.

Saul said to his servant: Behold, we will go, etc. Saul, indeed, and his servant were wandering, in that they thought to seek the gifts of prophecy from the man of God, and therefore they were disturbed in vain, because they had not even taken a small offering with them, which could have been given to him as a travel provision. The small offering, beautifully woven from palm leaves, though the bread which was within it had run out, is usually given as a gift during a greeting, if the holy man had not been accustomed to say truthfully to everyone of his own accord. But the order of the allegorical sense does not err, because the Lord diligently urges His chosen servants with frequent chastening, so that they may not come empty in mind or deed to hear the word of God and to seek His way, which is Christ (for no one comes to the Father except through Him), but may carefully inquire what of appropriate obedience, what of other virtues they should show to their teacher, to whom the word should be rightly entrusted. And also in the Old Testament, whoever desired that Christ would come into the world to fulfill the prophecies of the prophets, who wished that Saul would enter the city of Samuel and do what he taught, were then taught by Christ Himself through secret inspiration to pursue good works, so that they might be found worthy to see and hear what many just men and kings had previously desired but did not hear or see. Behold, he says, we will go; what shall we bring to the man? The bread has run out in our supplies, and we do not have a small offering. Behold, the time is pressing for the prophecy to be fulfilled in Christ, what good works do we have, by which we may recommend ourselves to the preachers of that time, and deserve to learn from Him whom we need? Indeed, the observance of the law has been corrupted by the traditions of the Pharisees, or rather it has itself been worn out by its antiquity and as if by long use, it has run out in our deeds; and we have not been able to achieve the conversation of new grace, which awaits the kingdom of heaven, before He comes and teaches to whom it is reserved. For the plaited palms, which used to be given as a reward to the victors, signify actions worthy of heavenly reward; vessels woven from palm leaves demonstrate hearts expanded with the hope of eternal joys.

Saul's lineage and description; he is sent by his father to seek some lost asses, Sa1 9:1-5. Not finding them, he purposes to go and consult Samuel concerning the proper method of proceeding, Sa1 9:6-14. The Lord informs Samuel that he should anoint Saul king, Sa1 9:15, Sa1 9:16. Samuel invites Saul to dine with him, and informs him that the asses are found; and gives him an intimation that he is to be king, Sa1 9:17-21. Saul dines with Samuel, and afterwards he is taken to the house-top, where both commune together, Sa1 9:22-27.

SAUL, DESPAIRING TO FIND HIS FATHER'S ASSES, COMES TO SAMUEL. (Sa1 9:1-14) a mighty man of power--that is, of great wealth and substance. The family was of high consideration in the tribe of Benjamin, and therefore Saul's words must be set down among the common forms of affected humility, which Oriental people are wont to use.

there is in this city a man of God--Ramah was the usual residence of Samuel, but several circumstances, especially the mention of Rachel's sepulchre, which lay in Saul's way homeward [Sa1 10:2], lead to the conclusion that "this city" was not the Ramah where Samuel dwelt. peradventure he can show us our way that we should go--It seems strange that a dignified prophet should be consulted in such an affair. But it is probable that at the introduction of the prophetic office, the seers had discovered things lost or stolen, and thus their power for higher revelations was gradually established.