1 Samuel 10 · WEB
Saul Anointed and Publicly Chosen as King
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Then Samuel took the vial of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said, "Has Yahweh not anointed you to be prince over his inheritance?
2When you have departed from me today, then you will find two men by Rachel's tomb, in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah. They will tell you, 'The donkeys which you went to seek have been found; and behold, your father has stopped caring about the donkeys and is worried about you, saying, "What shall I do for my son?"'
3Then you will go on forward from there, and you will come to the oak of Tabor, and three men will meet you there going up to God at Bethel, one carrying three young goats, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a flask of wine.
4They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall receive from their hand.
5After that you shall come to the hill of God where the garrison of the Philistines is. When you have come there to the city, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them; and they will be prophesying.
6Then Yahweh's Spirit will come mightily on you, and you will prophesy with them and will be turned into another man.
7When these signs have come to you, do what your hand finds to do; for God is with you.
8You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you shall do."
9So it was, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart. All these signs happened that day.
10When they came there to the hill, behold, a band of prophets met him; and God's Spirit came mightily on him, and he prophesied among them.
11When all who knew him before saw that, behold, he prophesied with the prophets, then the people said to one another, "What has come to Saul the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?"
12One of the same place answered, "Who is their father?" Therefore it became a proverb: "Is Saul also among the prophets?"
13When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.
14Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, "Where did you go?" He said, "To seek the donkeys. When we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel."
15Saul's uncle said, "Please tell me what Samuel said to you."
16Saul said to his uncle, "He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found." But concerning the matter of the kingdom, he didn't tell him what Samuel had said.
17Samuel called the people together to Yahweh at Mizpah;
18and he said to the children of Israel, "Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, 'I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.'
19But you have today rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your calamities and your distresses; and you have said, 'No! Set a king over us.' Now therefore present yourselves before Yahweh by your tribes and by your thousands."
20So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot.
21He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families, and the family of the Matrites was taken by lot. Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot; but when they sought him, he couldn't be found.
22Therefore they asked of Yahweh further, "Is there yet a man to come here?" Yahweh answered, "Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage."
23They ran and got him from there. When he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.
24Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him whom Yahweh has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?" All the people shouted and said, "Long live the king!"
25Then Samuel told the people the regulations of the kingdom and wrote them in a book, and laid it up before Yahweh. Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
26Saul also went to his house at Gibeah; and with him went the army, whose hearts God had touched.
27But certain worthless fellows said, "How can this man save us?" They despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace.
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Summary
Samuel privately anoints Saul with oil as prince over Israel and gives him three confirming signs, all of which come to pass. The Spirit of God comes upon Saul and he prophesies — astonishing those who knew him. At the public assembly at Mizpah, Saul is chosen by lot from all the tribes but is found hiding among the baggage. The people acclaim him king, though some worthless men despise him from the start. Saul returns home quietly, the kingdom not yet fully established.
Themes
- Divine confirmation through signs
- The Spirit's transforming work on a leader
- Human choice ratified through sacred lot
- Humility in the face of both honor and contempt
Key verses
- 1 Sam 10:24 — “Do you see him whom Yahweh has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?”
- 1 Sam 10:27 — “But certain worthless fellows said, 'How can this man save us?' They despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace.”
- 1 Sam 10:6 — “Then Yahweh's Spirit will come mightily on you, and you will prophesy with them and will be turned into another man.”
Context & background
Rachel's tomb is near Bethlehem (modern Bethlehem area, West Bank). Gibeah (modern Tel el-Ful, West Bank), just north of Jerusalem, became Saul's capital. The public ceremony at Mizpah (modern Tell en-Nasbeh, West Bank) used the sacred lot (Urim and Thummim) to identify God's choice. The proverb "Is Saul also among the prophets?" became a well-known saying in Israel, referenced again in 1 Samuel 19. Saul's hiding among the baggage has been interpreted as genuine humility, fear, or both — but it foreshadows an insecurity that will characterize his reign.
Cross-references
- 1 Sam 11:6 — The Spirit will come on Saul again when he hears of Jabesh Gilead's need.
- 1 Sam 13:8-14 — Saul's later failure to wait for Samuel at Gilgal, violating the instruction given in 10:8.
- 1 Sam 9:17 — God had already told Samuel privately that Saul was His choice.
- Acts 1:26 — The early church used lot to determine Matthias, similar to the lot here.
- Isa 11:2 — The Spirit resting on the anointed leader — a pattern pointing to Christ.