1 Samuel 9

Saul Chosen to Be King

1 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was a Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of 1 power. 2 And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. b From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.

3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. And Kish said to his son Saul, "Please take one of the servants with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys." 4 So he passed through the mountains of Ephraim and through the land of c Shalisha, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.

5 When they had come to the land of d Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, "Come, let e us return, lest my father cease caring about the donkeys and become worried about us." 6 And he said to him, "Look now, there is in this city f a man of God, and he is an honorable man; g all that he says surely comes to pass. So let us go there; perhaps he can show us the way that we should go." 7 Then Saul said to his servant, "But look, if we go, h what shall we bring the man? For the bread in our vessels is all gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?" 8 And the servant answered Saul again and said, "Look, I have here at hand one-fourth of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the man of God, to tell us our way." 9 (Formerly in Israel, when a man i went 2 to inquire of God, he spoke thus: "Come, let us go to the seer"; for he who is now called a prophet was formerly called j a seer.) 10 Then Saul said to his servant, 3 "Well said; come, let us go." So they went to the city where the man of God was.

11 As they went up the hill to the city, k they met some young women going out to draw water, and said to them, "Is the seer here?" 12 And they answered them and said, "Yes, there he is, just ahead of you. Hurry now; for today he came to this city, because l there is a sacrifice of the people today m on the high place. 13 "As soon as you come into the city, you will surely find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now therefore, go up, for about this time you will find him." 14 So they went up to the city. As they were coming into the city, there was Samuel, coming out toward them on his way up to the high place.

15 n Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, saying, 16 "Tomorrow about this time o I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, p and you shall anoint him 4 commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have q looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me." 17 So when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said to him, r "There he is, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall reign over My people." 18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, "Please tell me, where is the seer's house?" 19 Samuel answered Saul and said, "I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and tomorrow I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. 20 "But as for s your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be anxious about them, for they have been found. And 5 on whom t is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father's house?" 21 And Saul answered and said, u "Am I not a Benjamite, of the v smallest of the tribes of Israel, and w my family the least of all the families of the 6 tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?"

22 Now Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall, and had them sit in the place of honor among those who were invited; there were about thirty persons. 23 And Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, 'Set it apart.' "

24 So the cook took up x the thigh with its upper part and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, "Here it is, what was kept back. It was set apart for you. Eat; for until this time it has been kept for you, since I said I invited the people." So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25 When they had come down from the high place into the city, 7 Samuel spoke with Saul on y the top of the house. 26 They arose early; and it was about the dawning of the day that Samuel called to Saul on the top of the house, saying, "Get up, that I may send you on your way." And Saul arose, and both of them went outside, he and Samuel.

27 As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us." And he went on. "But you stand here 8 awhile, that I may announce to you the word of God."

  1. Cross References
    1 Samuel 8:7
    And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.
    Hosea 13:11
    I gave you a king in My anger, And took him away in My wrath.
  2. Cross References
    1 Samuel 14:51
    Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.
    1 Chronicles 8:33
    Ner begot Kish, Kish begot Saul, and Saul begot Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and EshBaal.
    1 Chronicles 9:36 - 39
    His firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab.
  3. Cross References
    1 Samuel 10:23
    So they ran and brought him from there; and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.
  4. Cross References
    2 Kings 4:42
    Then a man came from Baal Shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he said, "Give it to the people, that they may eat.
  5. Cross References
    1 Samuel 1:1
    Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
  6. Cross References
    1 Samuel 10:2
    "When you have departed from me today, you will find two men by Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, 'The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. And now your father has ceased caring about the donkeys and is worrying about you, saying, "What shall I do about my son?"'
  7. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 33:1
    Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
    1 Kings 13:1
    And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
    2 Kings 5:8
    So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.
  8. Cross References
    1 Samuel 3:19
    So Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
  9. Cross References
    Judges 6:18
    "Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You." And He said, "I will wait until you come back."
    Judges 13:17
    Then Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, "What is Your name, that when Your words come to pass we may honor You?
    1 Kings 14:3
    "Also take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him; he will tell you what will become of the child."
    2 Kings 4:42
    Then a man came from Baal Shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he said, "Give it to the people, that they may eat.
    2 Kings 8:8
    And the king said to Hazael, "Take a present in your hand, and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, 'Shall I recover from this disease?'
  10. Cross References
    Genesis 25:22
    But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If all is well, why am I like this?" So she went to inquire of the LORD.
  11. Cross References
    2 Samuel 24:11
    Now when David arose in the morning, the word o...
    2 Kings 17:13
    Yet the LORD testified against Israel and again...
    1 Chronicles 26:28
    And all that Samuel the seer, Saul the son of K...
    1 Chronicles 29:29
    Now the acts of King David, first and last, ind...
    2 Chronicles 16:7
    And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa ki...
    2 Chronicles 16:10
    Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him i...
    Isaiah 30:10
    Who say to the seers, "Do not see," And to the ...
    Amos 7:12
    Then Amaziah said to Amos: "Go, you seer! Flee ...
  12. Cross References
    Genesis 24:11
    And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water.
    Genesis 24:15
    And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder.
    Genesis 29:8
    But they said, "We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep.
    Genesis 29:9
    Now while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
    Exodus 2:16
    Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
  13. Cross References
    Genesis 31:54
    Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain.
    1 Samuel 16:2
    And Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me." But the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.
  14. Cross References
    1 Samuel 7:17
    But he always returned to Ramah, for his home was there. There he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the LORD.
    1 Samuel 10:5
    After that you shall come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is. And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying.
    1 Kings 3:2
    Meanwhile the people sacrificed at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days.
  15. Cross References
    1 Samuel 15:1
    Samuel also said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the LORD.
  16. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 17:15
    You shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.
  17. Cross References
    1 Samuel 10:1
    Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: " Is it not because the LORD has anointed you commander over His inheritance?
  18. Cross References
    Exodus 2:23 - 25
    Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.
    Exodus 3:7
    And the LORD said: "I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
    Exodus 3:9
    Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
  19. Cross References
    1 Samuel 16:12
    So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!
    Hosea 13:11
    I gave you a king in My anger, And took him away in My wrath.
  20. Cross References
    1 Samuel 9:3
    Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. And Kish said to his son Saul, "Please take one of the servants with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.
  21. Cross References
    1 Samuel 8:5
    And said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
    1 Samuel 8:19
    Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, "No, but we will have a king over us.
    1 Samuel 12:13
    Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen and whom you have desired. And take note, the LORD has set a king over you.
  22. Cross References
    1 Samuel 15:17
    So Samuel said, "When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the LORD anoint you king over Israel?
  23. Cross References
    Judges 20:46 - 48
    So all who fell of Benjamin that day were twenty-five thousand men who drew the sword; all these were men of valor.
    Psalms 68:27
    There is little Benjamin, their leader, The princes of Judah and their company, The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.
  24. Cross References
    Judges 6:15
    So he said to Him, "O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
  25. Cross References
    Exodus 29:22
    Also you shall take the fat of the ram, the fat...
    Exodus 29:27
    And from the ram of the consecration you shall ...
    Leviticus 7:32
    Also the right thigh you shall give to the prie...
    Leviticus 7:33
    He among the sons of Aaron, who offers the bloo...
    Numbers 18:18
    And their flesh shall be yours, just as the wav...
    Ezekiel 24:4
    Gather pieces of meat in it, Every good piece, ...
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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