I Samuel

Samuel took a flask of oil and poured some on Saul’saSaul’s Heb. “his.” head and kissed him, and said, “GOD herewith anoints you rulerbanoints you ruler Septuagint and Vulgate read “anoints you ruler over God’s people Israel, and you will govern the people of GOD and deliver them from the hands of their foes round about. And this is the sign for you that GOD anoints you.” over this people—God’s own.

When you leave me today, you will meet two men near the tomb of Rachel in the territory of Benjamin, at Zelzah,cat Zelzah Meaning of Heb. uncertain. and they will tell you that the donkeys you set out to look for have been found, and that your father has stopped being concerned about the donkeys and is worrying about you, saying: ‘What shall I do about my son?’

You shall pass on from there until you come to the terebinth of Tabor. There you will be met by three men making a pilgrimage to God at Bethel. One will be carrying three kids, another will be carrying three loaves of bread, and the third will be carrying a jar of wine.

They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept.

After that, you are to go on to the Hilldthe Hill Or “Gibeah.” of God, where the Philistine prefects reside. There, as you enter the town, you will encounter a band of prophets coming down from the shrine, preceded by lyres, hand-drums, flutes, and harps, and they will be speaking in ecstasy.espeaking in ecstasy In contrast to others “prophesying”.

The spirit of GOD will grip you, and you will speak in ecstasy along with them; you will become a different person.

And once these signs have happened to you, act when the occasion arises,fact when the occasion arises See 11.5–13. for God is with you.

After that, you are to go down to Gilgal ahead of me, and I will come down to you to present burnt offerings and offer sacrifices of well-being. Wait seven days until I come to you and instruct you what you are to do next.”

As [Saul] turned around to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all those signs were fulfilled that same day.

And when they came there, to the Hill,gthe Hill Or “Gibeah.” he saw a band of prophets coming toward him. Thereupon the spirit of God gripped him, and he spoke in ecstasy among them.

When all who knew him previously saw him speaking in ecstasy together with the prophets, the people said to one another, “What’s happened to the son of Kish?hthe son of Kish To refer to a person merely as “the son (ben) of…” is slighting; cf. 20.27, 30, 31; Isa. 7.4. Is Saul too among the prophets?”

But another fellow there spoke up and said, “And who are their fathers?” Thus the proverb arose: “Is Saul too among the prophets?”

And when he stopped speaking in ecstasy, he entered the shrine.

Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?” “To look for the donkeys,” he replied. “And when we saw that they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.”

“Tell me,” said Saul’s uncle, “what did Samuel say to you?”

Saul answered his uncle, “He just told us that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell him anything of what Samuel had said about the kingship.

Samuel summoned the people to GOD at Mizpah

and said to them,ithem Heb. “the Israelites.” “Thus said the ETERNAL, the God of Israel: ‘I brought Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hands of the Egyptians and of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’

But today you have rejected your God who delivered you from all your troubles and calamities. For you said, ‘No,jNo So many Heb. mss. and ancient versions. Other mss. and editions read “to Him.” set up a king over us!’ Now station yourselves before GOD, by your tribes and clans.”

Samuel brought forward each of the tribes of Israel, and the lot indicated the tribe of Benjamin.

Then Samuel brought forward the tribe of Benjamin by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was indicated; and thenkthen Septuagint reads “then he brought up the family of the Matrites by their men and…” Saul son of Kish was indicated. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found.

They inquired of GOD again, “Has anyone else come here?”lHas anyone else come here? Or “Has the man in question come here?”; cf. Septuagint. And GOD replied, “Yes; he is hiding among the baggage.”

So they ran over and brought him from there; and when he took his place among the people, he stood a head tallerma head taller See note at 9.2. than all the people.

And Samuel said to the people, “Do you see the one whom GOD has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” And all the people acclaimed him, shouting, “Long live the king!”

Samuel expounded to the people the rules of the monarchy, and recorded them in a document that he deposited before GOD. Samuel then sent the people back to their homes.

Saul also went home to Gibeah, accompanied by upstanding mennupstanding men In contrast to “scoundrels” (v. 27); understanding Heb. ḥayil as the equivalent of bene ḥayil, as read by Septuagint and 4QSamᵃ. whose hearts God had touched.

But some scoundrels said, “How can this fellow save us?” So they scorned him and brought him no gift. But he pretended not to mind.oBut he pretended not to mind Lit. “But he was as one who holds his peace.” Septuagint and 4QSamᵃ read “About a month later,” connecting with what follows.