1 Samuel anoints Saul 2-8 He confirms him by prediction of three signs 9-13 Saul's heart is changed, and he prophesies 14-16 He conceals the matter of the kingdom from his uncle 17-25 Saul is chosen at Mizpeh by lot 26,27 The different affections of his subjects

a vial 1Sa 2:10 9:16 16:13 24:6 26:11 2Ki 9:3-6 Ac 13:21 Re 5:8

kissed him 2Sa 19:39 1Ki 19:18 Ps 2:12 Ho 13:2 1Th 5:26

captain 1Sa 8:9,19 13:14 Jos 5:14,15 2Sa 5:2 2Ki 20:5 Heb 2:10

his inheritance Ex 19:5,6 De 32:9 Ps 78:71 135:4 Jer 10:16

2 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?

Rachel's Ge 35:19 Jer 31:15

Zelzah Jos 18:28

The asses 1Sa 10:16 9:3-5

care [heb] business

3 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:

Tabor Jos 19:12,22 Jud 4:6,12 8:18 Ps 89:12

Beth-el Ge 28:19,22 35:1,3,6,7

three kids Le 1:10 3:6,12 7:13 23:13 Nu 15:5-12

4 And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands.

salute thee [heb] ask thee of peace Jud 18:15

5 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:

hill of God 1Sa 10:10 13:3

a company 1Sa 19:20 2Ki 2:3,5,15 4:38 6:1

a psaltery Ex 15:20,21 2Ki 3:15 1Ch 13:8 15:19-21,27,28 16:5,42 25:1-6 2Ch 29:25-27 Ps 49:4 150:3-6

6 And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.

Spirit 1Sa 10:10 16:13 19:23,24 Nu 11:25 Jud 3:10 Mt 7:22

another man 1Sa 10:9-12

7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.

let it be [heb] it shall come to pass that, etc.
signs Ex 4:8 Lu 2:12 Joh 6:14

that thou do as occasion, etc. [heb] do for thee as thine hand shall find Jud 9:33

God Ge 21:20 De 20:1 Jud 6:12 Isa 7:14 45:1,2 Mt 1:23 28:20

8 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 show thee what thou shalt do.

to Gilgal 1Sa 11:14,15 13:4,8-15 15:33

9 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.

back [heb] shoulder
gave [heb] turned
another heart 1Sa 10:6

and all those signs The following history of Saul is given by the Afghans, a people generally supposed to be of Jewish origin: In a war which raged between the children of Israel and the Amalekites, the latter being victorious, plundered the Jews, and obtained possession of the ark of the covenant. Considering this [as] the God of the Jews, they threw it into the fire, which did not affect it. They afterwards attempted to cleave it with axes, but without success: every individual who treated it with indignity, was punished for his temerity. They then placed it in their temple; but all their idols bowed to it. At length they fastened it upon a cow, which they turned loose in the wilderness. When the prophet Samuel arose, the children of Israel said to him, ` We have been totally subdued by the Amalekites, and have no king. Raise to us a king, that we may be enabled to contend for the glory of God.' Samuel said, `In case you are led out to battle, are you determined to fight?' They answered, `What has befallen us, that we should not fight against infidels. That nation has banished us from our country and children.' At this time the angel Gabriel descended, and delivering a wand, said, `It is the command of God, that the person whose stature shall correspond with this wand, shall be king of Israel. Melec Tdlut was at that time a man of inferior condition, and performed the humble employment of feeding the goats and cows of others. One day, a cow under his charge was accidentally lost. Being disappointed in his searches, he was greatly distressed, and applied to Samuel saying, `I have lost a cow, and I do not possess the means of satisfying the owner. Pray for me that I may be extricated from this difficulty.' Samuel perceiving that he was a man of lofty stature, asked his name. He answered, Talut. Samuel then said, `Measure Talut with the wand which the angel Gabriel brought.' His stature was equal to it. Samuel then said, `God had raised Talut to be your king.' The children of Israel answered, `We are greater than our king. We are men of dignity, and he is of inferior condition. How shall he be our king?' Samuel informed them, they should know that God had constituted Talut king, by his restoring the ark of the covenant. He accordingly restored it, and they acknowledged him their sovereign. Asiatic Researches, vol. ii. p. 119, et seq 1Sa 10:2-5 Jud 6:21,36-40 7:11 Isa 38:7,8 Mr 14:16

10 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.

they came 1Sa 10:5 19:20-24

11 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?

when all Joh 9:8,9 Ac 3:10

one to another [heb] a man to his neighbour
What is this Mt 13:54,55 Ac 2:7,8 4:13 9:21

Is Saul 1Sa 19:24 Joh 7:15

12 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 [heb] from thence
who is their Isa 54:13 Joh 6:45 7:16 Jas 1:17

13 And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.

14 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 he said 1Sa 9:3-10

no where 2Ki 5:25

15 And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you.

16 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.

matter 1Sa 9:27 Ex 4:18 Jud 14:6 Pr 29:11

17 And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh;

unto the Lord 1Sa 7:5,6 Jud 20:1

18 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:

Thus saith Jud 2:1 6:8,9 Ne 9:9-12,27,28

19 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.

And ye have 1Sa 8:7-9,19 12:12,17-19

by your tribes Nu 17:2 Jos 7:14 Mic 5:2

20 And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.

caused 1Sa 14:41 Jos 7:16-18 Ac 1:24-26

21 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.

22 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 1Sa 23:2-4,11,12 Nu 27:21 Jud 1:1 20:18,23,28

hid 1Sa 9:21 15:17 Lu 14:11

23 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.

he was higher 1Sa 9:2 16:7 17:4

24 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 ye him De 17:15 2Sa 21:6

God save the king [heb] let the king live 1Ki 1:25,21,39 2Ki 11:12 Mt 21:9

25 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.

1Sa 8:11-18 De 17:14-20 Eze 45:9,10 46:16-18 Ro 13:1-7 1Ti 2:2 Tit 3:1 1Pe 2:13,14

26 And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.

Gibeah 1Sa 11:4 15:34 Jos 18:28 Jud 19:12-16 20:14 2Sa 21:6

whose hearts Ezr 1:5 Ps 110:3 Ac 7:10 13:48

27 But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought no presents. But he held his peace.

children 1Sa 2:12 11:12 De 13:13 2Sa 20:1 2Ch 13:7 Ac 7:35,51,52

brought him 2Sa 8:2 1Ki 4:21 10:25 2Ch 17:5 Ps 72:10 Mt 2:11

he held his peace. or, he was as though he had been deaf Ps 38:13 Isa 36:21 Mt 27:12-14