1. Samuel 9:13 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.

As soon as ye come into the city, ye shall straightway find him,.... By which it seems that the house of Samuel was at that end of it at which they entered; and with which agrees what is observed in the preceding verse, that "he was before them", his house was in sight of them: before he go up to the high place to eat; intimating they would, if they made haste, come up to him before he got thither to sit down and eat with the people; for if they did not, they would not be able to see him and speak with him for some time, if on that day: for the people will not eat until he come; partly out of affection and veneration for him, being their chief magistrate, as well as seer or prophet, and partly for the reason following: because he doth bless the sacrifice; ask a blessing upon it, upon the meat of the peace offerings before it was eaten; for as this was usually done at every common meal, then much more at such a solemn festival as this. Jarchi gives us the form of blessing used on such an occasion,"blessed art thou, O Lord our God, the King of the world, who hath sanctified us by his commandments, and hath commanded us to eat the sacrifice:''and "afterwards they eat that be bidden"; for when a man offered his peace offerings, he not only had his family with him, but invited his friends, and the poor, and the fatherless, the strangers, and the Levites, to partake with him, see Deu 12:18, the number of the guests at this time, see in Sa1 9:22. Now therefore get ye up; ascend the hill as fast as ye can: for about this time ye shall find him; that is, by the time they could get up the hill into the city they would find him coming out of his house to go to the sacrifice: or "as this day" (h); so sure as the day is, so sure shall ye find him. (h) "invenietis cum tam certo quam certum est hunc diem esse", Drusius; so Jarchi.

But since we have begun to explain these things spiritually, this can fittingly be understood as spoken concerning the simple. For in the city, one who appears a stranger is thought to be able to address Samuel, but on the high place he is not thought so: because those whom we believe to be simple, we consider to need plain, not lofty instruction. Therefore they ought to hear the holy preachers when they speak plain things to the simple, which they understand: not when they say lofty things, which they can in no way understand. They say therefore: "Hurry now, today he has come to the city, because there is a sacrifice of the people on the high place." Which is as if one were to say: Because there are many who desire to hear the highest things, now you ought to hurry, when he appears to be instructing the simple like yourself. The sacrifice of the people is indeed the devotion of the chosen people. Which devotion, assuredly, because it is aroused in the hearts of the elect by the word of preaching, is as it were accomplished by Samuel. But the sacrifice of the people is on the high place when the hearts of faithful subjects eagerly desire to hear devoutly the lofty words of holy preaching. Whence it is also aptly said: "Because the people do not eat unless Samuel first blesses the sacrifice": because the more perfect hearers, while they desire to attain the summit of the perfection of virtues, await with great longing the word of knowledge, through which they may arrive at what they desire. In this passage it should be noted that the sacrifice had not yet been offered, and yet it says: "There is a sacrifice of the people on the high place." For if a sacrifice does not exist before it begins to be offered, how was there a sacrifice that did not exist? But because we are pursuing spiritual meanings, the sacrifice did not yet exist, and yet it did: because when the faithful elect desire to be instructed in loftier things, they already indeed have a great devotion for hearing, which, after the preaching has been heard, they have much greater. The sacrifice has therefore not yet been offered: because that greatness of devotion which is born in the heart of the elect from the word of preaching does not exist in the heart before the preacher's word. And yet the sacrifice is indeed on the high place: because from the expectation of the word, there is already a great force of devotion in the heart of one who wishes to hear. Wherefore it is also well said: "Because the people do not eat until he blesses the sacrifice." For because they eagerly love the highest things, they do not rest until they receive those same highest things. For if the sacrifice of the mind is its devotion, the sacrifice is blessed when it is sanctified by the voice of preaching, so that the purer it becomes, the more acceptable it may be held for divine reception. For what is blessed in God's sacrifice is indeed clean when it is offered, and material: but once offered it is so much cleaner, inasmuch as it is not only material but spiritual, inasmuch as it is not only clean but also cleansing. For who would doubt that sins are cleansed by the offerings of sacrifices? For so, so it is with the devotion of the mind: for when it longs to hear good things, it is clean; but when it has been received and blessed by the hands of holy preaching, it is rendered so much more ardent and sacred, the more clearly it has learned whom it can love more sweetly once known. It was indeed clean before, like a preparation of the sacrifice, which desired to know the good, and yet it was a material arrangement: because it did not yet know what it desired to learn. But it is very clean and spiritual when, now sanctified by the words of doctrine, it no longer desires to hear what it may know, but delights to experience through what it has heard the things it loves. Then also the sacrifice is not only clean but cleansing: because the more fervent the love of heavenly things by which it is kindled, the more powerfully the darkness of carnal negligence is driven away from it. For it is written: "Because charity covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8): because assuredly we destroy our carnal things when we are lifted up to heavenly things by ardent devotion. And because it is added: "And then those who have been called will eat." What else does this signify, except that the affection of devotion is food for the mind? For we will eat then, when the sacrifice is blessed: because when our devotion is raised up to the love of the Creator at the voice of the preachers, the soul that has arrived at the sweetness of the Creator already has its food. Therefore those eat then who were unwilling to eat before the blessing of the sacrifice. For those who prepare themselves with the highest expectation of intention for the perception of divine sweetness, while they receive no evil desires through appetite, are, as though fasting, filled more eagerly with the refreshment of devotion. For they wait, as it were, for the blessing of the sacrifice for their refreshment, who flee all unlawful desires, so that they may be satisfied by the vision of interior glory through devotion. For indeed it is written: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matt. 5:8). For he who does not admit foolish things into his heart, while he desires heavenly things, is pure in heart: and while he is led through the good of preaching to the sweetness of divine contemplation, he has, as it were, the blessing of the sacrifice in the satisfaction of his soul. Therefore he says: "Then those who have been called will eat." For those who are fasting are called to the meal, while the preacher speaks outwardly, who guard their mind from wicked desires, and are drawn through the grace of the Holy Spirit to the experience of interior sweetness. For those who had been called were the invited ones who had come. Therefore the called who are fasting then eat, when those are fed with the devotion of spiritual grace who have prepared themselves to receive it by great watchfulness of their mind. But what does it mean that they say: "Go up, for today you will find him"? But while the elect praise the good deeds of preachers, they illuminate the hearts of their hearers with great light. For that heavenly manner of life of the good teacher, which they proclaim, is a day. Let them say therefore: "Today you will find him." For the preacher is found on that day when his life is not less than his reputation: when he is praised by the voice of the elect, but those who hear the praises find and recognize in his praiseworthy manner of life everything that they hear. Against this, the Lord rebuking the Pharisees says: "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, who are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful to men, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones" (Matt. 23:27). Hence again He compares the vainglorious to unbelievers, saying: "How can you believe, you who receive glory from men?" (John 5:44). Those who are of this kind are indeed praised in the day, but they are not found on that day: because those who hear their praises gaze, as it were, at the whiteness of the tomb from the outside; but when they seek the virtues that were praised, they find within the night of sins, like the grim and rotting bones of the dead. Let them say therefore, to signify the true glory of the righteous: "Today you will find him": because when the righteous are praised, they possess in the truth of their manner of life whatever shines forth brightly about them through the voice of praise.

For the people will not eat until he comes, etc. For the unlearned masses, they say, cannot taste the sweetness of heavenly life, from which they have been exiles for so long, with hope, until he comes who testifies that the kingdom of heaven is near to those who repent. For he himself first washes by baptizing those who desire to become the living sacrifices of God, with their former errors chastised, and subsequently persuades them to rejoice in the hope of eternal inheritance.

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.

He doth bless the sacrifice - He alone can perform the religious rites which are used on this occasion. Afterwards they eat that be bidden - Among the Arabs, often a large feast is made of sacrificed camels, etc., and then the people of the vicinity are invited to come and partake of the sacrifice. This is the custom to which allusion is made here.

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.

"When ye come into the city, ye will find him directly before he goes up to the high place to eat." כּן not only introduces the apodosis, but corresponds to כּ, as, so: here, however, it is used with reference to time, in the sense of our "immediately." "For the people are not accustomed to eat till he comes, for he blesses the sacrifice," etc. בּרך, like εὐλογεῖν, refers to the thanksgiving prayer offered before the sacrificial meal. "Go now for him; yet will meet him even to-day." The first אתו is placed at the beginning for the sake of emphasis, and then repeated at the close. כּהיּום, "Even to-day."