Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?
Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?
a vial = flask. Not "the".
Is it not . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 . Note the Jehovah relationship. Here is another Homceoteleuton, which is preserved in the Septuagint and Vulgate, "the LORD [and thou shalt rule among the people of Jehovah, and thou shalt save them out of the hand of their enemies, and this shall be a sign unto thee, that] the LORD hath, &c. The eye of some ancient scribe evidently went back to the latter of these two words "the LORD" and accidentally omitted the words between them.
captain: "a" captain; not "the".
When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?
thou shalt find . Three signs given (compare Mark 14:3 ) to indicate the coming change.
men. Hebrew. 'enosh. App-14 .
Rachel's sepulchre . Compare Genesis 35:20 .
lo . Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .
Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:
plain = oak, or terebinth; growing generally alone, becomes a conspicuous landmark.
God. Hebrew. Elohim . App-4 .
Beth-el = House of God. Evidently a place of worship, in the absence of any "place", according to Deuteronomy 12:5 , &c. Compare Exodus 20:24 .
carrying . Probably their firstfruits. Compare 2 Kings 4:42 .
And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands.
salute . Hebrew ask after thy peace.
After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy:
the garrison . So the Septuagint, Aramaean, and Syriac, but Hebrew text has plural
a company of prophets . The first occurrence of this expression. Probably a school established by Samuel (compare Acts 3:24 ; Acts 13:20 ). The head of such school called "father" (Compare 1 Samuel 10:12 ; 1 Samuel 19:20 ), or "master" (2 Kings 2:3 ), Such communities found later at Beth-el, Jericho, Gilgal ( 2Ki 2:3 , 2 Kings 2:5 ; 2 Kings 4:38 ); and probably here at Gibeah and Ramah (compare Naioth, 1 Samuel 19:18 , 1 Samuel 19:20 ).
psaltery = viol. A stringed instrument, same as lute. Compare 2 Samuel 6:5 . 1 Kings 10:12 . 1 Chronicles 16:5 .Isaiah 5:12 ; Isaiah 5:14 . If. Amos 5:23 ; Amos 6:5 .
tabret = drum. Hebrew. toph, Compare 18. c. 2 Samuel 6:5 .Isaiah 5:12 ; Isaiah 24:8 ; Isaiah 30:32 .Jeremiah 31:4 .Ezekiel 28:13 . See note on "timbrel. "(Exodus 15:20 ).
pipe = a plain reed, single or double, played like modern flute. Note plural in the Subscription of Psalms 5 (Companion Bible).
prophesy. Not necessarily "foretell", but speak in the name of the Lord.
And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
the spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 .
man . Hebrew. 'ish. App-14 .
And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.
occasion serve thee = thy hand shall find.
And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do.
thou shalt go down . This was the beginning of organised rising against the Philistines. All directed by God through Samuel; not by Saul.
behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .
offer = offer up. App-43 .
sacrifice = slay. App-43 . Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton in 1 Samuel 10:8 . App-6 .
a another = different.
And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.
And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?
What . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .
And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?
of the same place = from thence.
Is Saul . . . ? Origin of this Parcemia. App-6 .
And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.
And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that they were no where, we came to Samuel.
And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you.
And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.
And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh;
And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you:
children = sons.
Thus saith the LORD . This rehearsal is to show that they had sinned, although He was giving a king. Their sin was not in asking, but in forestalling Jehovah's already expressed purpose to give them a king (see Deuteronomy 17:15 and compare Genesis 49:10 ).
And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.
Nay . Some codices, with one early printed edition, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, have this word in the text.
before the LORD = before Jehovah: i, e. in Mizpeh, 1 Samuel 10:17 .
And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
was taken : i.e. by lot, by the Urim and Thummim. See note on Exodus 28:30 .
When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found.
and Saul . Septuagint reads "and [when he had brought near the family of Matri man by man] Saul". Compare Joshua 7:17 .
Therefore they inquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.
enquired : i.e. by the High Priest. No priest mentioned between 1 Samuel 4 and 1Sa 14, a period of forty years.
man . Hebrew. 'ish. App-14 .
And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.
And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.
See . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .
God save the king . Hebrew Let the king live. An idiom which includes the desire that he might have everything that makes life worth living, including also eternal life.
Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
wrote it in a book . Hebrew the book: viz. the book kept before the Lord; even the scriptures of truth. See Exodus 17:14 and App-47 .
And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.
touched- moved.
But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.
How . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .
he held his peace = he was as one that was deaf.