1 Samuel 9:26

18-27 Samuel, that good prophet, was so far from envying Saul, or bearing him any ill-will, that he was the first and most forward to do him honour. Both that evening and early the next morning, Samuel communed with Saul upon the flat roof of the house. We may suppose Samuel now convinced Saul that he was the person God had fixed upon for the government, and of his own willingness to resign. How different are the purposes of the Lord for us, from our intentions for ourselves! Perhaps Saul was the only one who ever went out to seek asses, and literally found a kingdom; but many have set out and moved their dwellings to seek riches and pleasures, who have been guided to places where they found salvation for their souls. Thus they have met with those who addressed them as if aware of the secrets of their lives and hearts, and have been led seriously to regard the word of the Lord. If this...

Verse 1 Samuel 9:26. _CALLED SAUL TO THE TOP OF THE HOUSE_] Saul had no doubt slept there all night; and now, it being the _break of day_, "Samuel called to Saul on the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away." There was no calling him _to_ the house-top a _second_ time he was sleeping there, and Samuel called him up....

TO THE TOP OF THE HOUSE - “On the top.” The bed on which Saul slept was on the top of the house. It is very common in the East to provide extra sleeping accommodation by placing a tent or awning on the house-top....

EXPOSITION SELECTION OF SAUL AS KING BY THE VOICE OF PROPHECY. GENEALOGY OF SAUL (1 Samuel 9:1). 1 SAMUEL 9:1 A MAN … WHOSE NAME WAS KISH. The genealogy of Saul is rendered obscure by the Hebrew custom of abbreviating such records by the omission of names. The family documents were no doubt kept in full, but when transcribed, as here and in the First Book of Chronicles, only a summary is given, and as the omitted links are not always the same, great difficulty is necessarily the result. The most satisfactory genealogy is that given b

AND THEY AROSE EARLY,.... Neither of them being able to sleep, as Abarbinel supposes; not Samuel for thinking what he was to do the next morning, anoint Saul king over Israel; nor Saul for what Samuel had hinted to him about the desire of all Israel being upon him, and for the honour done him at the feast, and because of the conversation they had together afterwards: AND IT CAME TO PASS ABOUT THE SPRING OF THE DAY; or the "ascents of the morning" x, when day was about to break, before the sun was up: THAT SAMUEL CALLED SAUL TO THE TOP OF THE HOUSE; where they had conversed together the evening before: SAYING, UP, THAT I MAY SEND THEE AWAY; meaning not rise from his bed, for he was risen; but that he would prepare to set out on his journey, that Samuel might take his leave of him for the present, when he had accompanied him some part of his way, as he intended; and he was the more urge...

2. THE STORY OF SAUL AND HIS ANOINTING Chapter S 9:1-10:16 _ 1. Saul the son of Kish and the lost asses (1 Samuel 9:1)_ 2. Samuel and Saul (1 Samuel 9:11) 3. Saul anointed King (1 Samuel 9:25; 1 Samuel 10:1) And now the Lord gives them a king according to their choice. “He should possess all the natural attractions and martial qualities which the people could desire in their king; he should reflect their religious standpoint at their best; but he should also represent their national failings and the inmost defects of their religious life; that of combining zeal for the religion of Jehovah, and

1 SAMUEL 9:1 TO 1 SAMUEL 10:16. SAMUEL ANOINTS SAUL AS KING. (J), taken from one of the oldest narratives (see Introduction, p. 273). Note the absence of any connexion with the Deuteronomic narrative in the previous chapter also the inconsistencies; in 1 Samuel 7:13 the Philistines were permanently disposed of; in 1 Samuel 9:16; 1 Samuel 10:5, they are oppressing Israel and have a garrison in the heart of the country; in our present narrative we have no trace of hostility to the Monarchy. This section preserves important features of primitive religious l

_about the spring of the day_ "spring," i.e. "rising" of the day = dawn. Cp. "dayspring," Luke 1:78. _called Saul_ Rather, "called TO Saul." Samuel had slept in the house, Saul on the roof. _abroad_ In the language of the E. V. -abroad" means simply -out of the house." 27 _a while_ NOW. The E. V. follows the Vulg. _paulisper_....

_Samuel Honors Saul. 1 Samuel 9:22-27_ 22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them in the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which _were_ about thirty persons. 23 And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee. 24 And the cook took up the shoulder, and _that_ which _was_ upon it, and _set it_ before Saul. And _Samuel_ said, Behold that which is left! set _it_ before thee, _and_ eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day. 25 And as they were come down from the high place into the city, _Samuel_ communed with Saul upon the top of the house. 26 And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that

SAUL AND SAMUEL MEET For the picture of Samuel in this c, as a person of local rather than national importance, cp. Intro. § 6. On early prophecy, see Intro. § 4. 1 SAMUEL 9:1 TO 1 SAMUEL 10:16 comes from a different source from 1 Samuel 8 : see intro. there. The author of this section gives no hint that the choice of a king was displeasing to God. But we meet with the views of 1 Samuel 8 again when we come to 1 Samuel 10:17....