^8:1In his old age Samuel appointed his sons as judges over Israel. ^8:2The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second son was Abijah. They were judges in Beer Sheba. ^8:3But his sons did not follow¹ his ways. Instead, they made money dishonestly, accepted bribes, and perverted justice.²

^8:4So all the elders of Israel gathered together and approached Samuel at Ramah. ^8:5They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons don’t follow your ways. So now appoint over us a king to lead³ us, just like all the other nations have.”

^8:6But this request displeased Samuel, for⁴ they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. ^8:7The Lord said to Samuel, “Do everything the people request of you.⁵ For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king. ^8:8Just as they have done⁶ from the day that I brought them up from Egypt until this very day, they have rejected me and have served other gods. This is what they are also doing to you. ^8:9So now do as they say.⁷ But seriously warn⁸ them and make them aware of the policies of the king who will rule over them.”⁹

^8:10So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. ^8:11He said, “Here are the policies of the king who will rule over you: He will conscript your sons and put them in his chariot forces and in his cavalry; they will run in front of his chariot. ^8:12He will appoint for himself leaders of thousands and leaders of fifties,¹⁰ as well as those who plow his ground, reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war and his chariot equipment. ^8:13He will take your daughters to be ointment makers, cooks, and bakers. ^8:14He will take your best fields and vineyards and give them to his own servants. ^8:15He will demand a tenth of your seed and of the produce of your vineyards and give it to his administrators¹¹ and his servants. ^8:16He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best cattle and your donkeys, and assign them for his own use. ^8:17He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will be his servants. ^8:18In that day you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord won’t answer you in that day.”¹²

^8:19But the people refused to heed Samuel’s warning.¹³ Instead they said, “No! There will be a king over us! ^8:20We will be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us and lead us¹⁴ and fight our battles.”

^8:21So Samuel listened to everything the people said and then reported it to the Lord.¹⁵^8:22The Lord said to Samuel, “Do as they say¹⁶ and install a king over them.” Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Each of you go back to his own city.”

Samuel Meets with Saul

^9:1There was a Benjaminite man named Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. He was a prominent person. ^9:2He had a son named Saul, a handsome young man. There was no one among the Israelites more handsome than he was; he stood head and shoulders above all the people.

^9:3The donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off,¹ so Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go² look for the donkeys.”³^9:4So Saul⁴ crossed through the hill country of Ephraim, passing through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. So they crossed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he crossed through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not find them.

^9:5When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come on, let’s head back before my father quits worrying about the donkeys and becomes anxious about us!” ^9:6But the servant said to him, “Look, there is a man of God in this town. He is highly respected. Everything that he says really happens.⁵ Now let’s go there. Perhaps he will tell us where we should go from here.”⁶^9:7So Saul said to his servant, “All right,⁷ we can go. But what can we bring the man, since the food in our bags is used up? We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?” ^9:8The servant went on to answer Saul, “Look, I happen to have in my hand a quarter shekel⁸ of silver. I will give it to the man of God and he will tell us where we should go.”⁹^9:9(Now it used to be in Israel that whenever someone went to inquire of God he would say, “Come on, let’s go to the seer.” For today’s prophet used to be called a seer.) ^9:10So Saul said to his servant, “That’s a good idea!¹⁰ Come on. Let’s go.” So they went to the town where the man of God was.

^9:11As they were going up the ascent to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water. They said to them, “Is this where the seer is?” ^9:12They replied, “Yes, straight ahead! But hurry now, for he came to the town today, and the people are making a sacrifice at the high place. ^9:13When you enter the town, you can find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people won’t eat until he arrives, for he must bless the sacrifice. Once that happens, those who have been invited will eat. Now go on up, for¹¹ this is the time when you can find him!”

^9:14So they went up to the town. As they were heading for the middle of the town, Samuel was coming in their direction¹² to go up to the high place. ^9:15Now the day before Saul arrived, the Lord had told¹³ Samuel: ^9:16“At this time tomorrow I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin. You must consecrate¹⁴ him as a leader over my people Israel. He will save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked with favor on my people. Their cry has reached me!”

^9:17When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said,¹⁵ “Here is the man that I told you about! He will rule over my people.” ^9:18As Saul approached Samuel in the middle of the gate, he said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.”

^9:19Samuel replied to Saul, “I am the seer! Go up in front of me to the high place! Today you will eat with me and in the morning I will send you away. I will tell you everything that you are thinking.¹⁶^9:20Don’t be concerned¹⁷ about the donkeys that you lost three days ago, for they have been found. Whom does all Israel desire? Is it not you, and all your father’s family?”¹⁸

^9:21Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel’s tribes, and is not my family clan the smallest of all the tribes of Benjamin? Why do you speak to me in this way?”

^9:22Then Samuel brought¹⁹ Saul and his servant into the room and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited. There were about thirty people present. ^9:23Samuel said to the cook, “Give me the portion of meat that I gave to you—the one I asked you to keep with you.”

^9:24So the cook picked up the leg and brought it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel²⁰ said, “What was kept is now set before you! Eat, for it has been kept for you for this meeting time, from the time I said, ‘I have invited the people.’ ” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

^9:25When they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof. ^9:26They got up at dawn and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up, so I can send you on your way.” So Saul got up and the two of them—he and Samuel—went outside. ^9:27While they were going down to the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.” So he did.²¹ Samuel then said,²² “You remain here awhile, so I can inform you of God’s message.”

Samuel Anoints Saul

^10:1Then Samuel took a small container of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s¹ head. Samuel² kissed him and said, “The Lord has chosen you³ to lead his people Israel! You will rule over the Lord’s people and you will deliver them from the power of the enemies who surround them. This will be your sign that the Lord has chosen⁴ you as leader over his inheritance.⁵^10:2When you leave me today, you will find two men near Rachel’s tomb at Zelzah on Benjamin’s border. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you have gone looking for have been found. Your father is no longer concerned about the donkeys but has become anxious about you two!⁶ He is asking, “What should I do about my son?” ’

^10:3“As you continue on from there, you will come to the tall tree of Tabor. At that point three men who are going up to God at Bethel⁷ will meet you. One of them will be carrying three young goats, one of them will be carrying three round loaves of bread, and one of them will be carrying a container of wine. ^10:4They will ask you how you’re doing and will give you two loaves of bread. You will accept them. ^10:5Afterward you will go to Gibeah of God, where there are Philistine officials.⁸ When you enter the town, you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place. They will have harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying. ^10:6Then the spirit of the Lord will rush upon you and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person.

^10:7“When these signs have taken place, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God will be with you.⁹^10:8You will go down to Gilgal before me. I am going to join you there to offer burnt offerings and to make peace offerings. You should wait for seven days, until I arrive and tell you what to do.”

Saul Becomes King

^10:9As Saul¹⁰ turned¹¹ to leave Samuel, God changed his inmost person.¹² All these signs happened on that very day. ^10:10When Saul and his servant¹³ arrived at Gibeah, a company of prophets was coming out to meet him. Then the spirit of God rushed upon Saul¹⁴ and he prophesied among them. ^10:11When everyone who had known him previously saw him prophesying with the prophets, the people all asked one another, “What on earth has happened to the son of Kish? Does even Saul belong with the prophets?”

^10:12A man who was from there replied, “And who is their father?” Therefore this became a proverb: “Is even Saul among the prophets?” ^10:13When Saul¹⁵ had finished prophesying, he went to the high…

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Footnotes

1 Heb “walk in” (also in v. 5).
2 Heb “and they turned aside after unjust gain and took bribes and perverted justice.”
3 Heb “judge” (also in v. 6).
4 Heb “when.”
5 Heb “Listen to the voice of the people, to all which they say to you.”
6 Heb “according to all the deeds which they have done.”
7 Heb “and now, listen to their voice.”
8 The infinitive absolute appears before the imperative for emphasis.
9 Heb “and tell them the manner of the king who will rule over them.”
10 The numbers of v. 12 are confused in the Greek and versions. For “fifties” the has “hundreds.” The has “heads of thousands and heads of hundreds and heads of fifties and heads of tens,” perhaps reflecting influence from Deut 1:15.
11 Or “eunuchs” (so ); “officials”; , , , “officers.”
12 The adds “because you have chosen for yourselves a king.”
13 Heb “and the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel.”
14 Heb “and go out before us.”
15 Heb “and Samuel heard all the words of the people and he spoke them into the ears of the Lord.”
16 Heb “listen to their voice.”
1 Heb “became lost.”
2 Heb “and arise, go.”
3 The includes the following words: “So Saul arose and went out. He took with him one of the boys and went out to look for his father’s donkeys.”
4 Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 The infinitive absolute precedes the verb for emphasis.
6 Heb “our way on which we have gone.”
7 Heb “look.”
8 A quarter shekel of silver would weigh about a tenth of an ounce (about 3 grams).
9 Heb “our way.”
10 Heb “your word is good.”
11 The has “him” (אֹתוֹ, ’oto) here, in addition to the “him” at the end of the verse. The ancient versions attest to only one occurrence of the pronoun, although it is possible that this is due to translation technique rather than to their having a Hebrew text with the pronoun used only once. The present translation assumes textual duplication in the and does not attempt to represent the pronoun twice. However, for a defense of the here, with the suggested translation “for him just now—you will find him,” see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, .
12 Heb “to meet them.” This may indicate purpose on Samuel’s part. The next sentence indicates that the meeting was by design, not just an accident.
13 Heb “uncovered the ear of.”
14 Heb “anoint.”
15 Heb “responded.”
16 Heb “all that is in your heart.”
17 Heb “do not fix your heart.”
18 Heb “and all the house of your father.”
19 Heb “took and brought.”
20 Heb “he” (also in v. 25); the referent (Samuel) has been specified in both places in the translation for clarity.
21 This statement is absent in the (with the exception of Origen), an Old Latin , and the .
22 The words “Samuel then said” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
1 Heb “his”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Heb “he”; the referent (Samuel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3 Heb “Is it not that the Lord has anointed you?” The question draws attention to the fact and is a rhetorical way of affirming the Lord’s choice of Saul. The translation reflects the rhetorical force of the question.
4 That is, “anointed.”
5 The reads simply “Is it not that the Lord has anointed you over his inheritance for a leader?” The translation follows the . The apparently suffers from parablepsis, whereby a scribe’s eye jumped from the first occurrence of the expression “the Lord has anointed you” to the second occurrence of this expression at the end of v. 1. This mistake caused the accidental omission of the intervening material in the , which appears to preserve the original Hebrew text here.
6 In the Hebrew text the pronoun you is plural, suggesting that Saul’s father was concerned about his son and the servant who accompanied him.
7 For location see ; ; ; ; .
8 Or “sentries.” Some translate “outpost” () or “garrison” (, , ) here (see 1 Sam 13:3). The noun is plural in the Hebrew text, but the and other ancient witnesses read a singular noun here.
9 In light of Saul’s commission to be Israel’s deliverer (see v. 1), it is likely that some type of military action against the Philistines (see v. 5) is implied.
10 Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 Heb “turned his shoulder.”
12 Heb “God turned for him another heart”; , “gave him another heart”; , “changed Saul’s heart”; “gave Saul a new nature”; “made Saul feel like a different person.”
13 Two medieval Hebrew , the , and the have the singular “he” (in which case the referent would be Saul alone). Heb “they”; the referents (Saul and his servant) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
14 Heb “him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
15 Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.