9:1Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
9:2And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.
9:3And the asses of Kish Saul’s father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.
9:4And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.
9:5And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us.
9:6And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go.
9:7Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?
9:8And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.
9:9(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)
9:10Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of God was.
9:11And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here?
9:12And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, he is before you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place:
9:13As soon as ye be come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that be bidden. Now therefore get you up; for about this time ye shall find him.
9:14And they went up into the city: and when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place.
9:15Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,
9:16To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.
9:17And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.
9:18Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer’s house is.
9:19And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart.
9:20And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father’s house?
9:21And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?
9:22And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons.
9:23And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee.
9:24And 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.
9:25And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house.
9:26And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.
9:27And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God.
10:1Then 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?
10:2When 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?
10:3Then 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 Beth-el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:
10:4And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands.
10:5After 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:
10:6And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
10:7And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.
10:8And 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.
10:9And 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.
10:10And 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.
10:11And 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?
10:12And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?
10:13And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.
10:14And 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.
10:15And Saul’s uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you.
10:16And 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.
10:17And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh;
10:18And 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:
10:19And 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.
10:20And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
10:21When 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.
10:22Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.
10:23And 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.
10:24And 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.
10:25Then 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.
10:26And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.
10:27But 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.
The donkeys are found before Israel's king is. Saul begins by searching for his father's animals; when his own name is finally selected before the nation, he is the missing item, hidden among the baggage. The tallest man in the gathering has arranged not to be in it. The Book of First Samuel notices the incongruity without explaining the hiding as either admirable humility or a diagnosed fear.
Between those two searches, the directions come from almost everyone but Saul: a servant with a little silver, women going to draw water, and Samuel, who has already been told to expect him. Saul's unproductive errand and the LORD's announcement, I will send thee a man, describe the same journey from different sides. He is concerned about his father's worry, invited to a meal already prepared for him, and anointed before the public assembly knows his name has been chosen.
Nor is his elevation merely a matter of impressive shoulders. God gives him another heart; the signs occur; the Spirit comes upon him. Those are real gifts in the account, not appearances dismissed because of his later failures. Yet Samuel still tells the assembled people that their demand has rejected God. Divine provision and the rebuke of that demand stand together. Saul goes home with supporters whose hearts God has touched, opponents who despise him, and, for the moment, no reply to the insult.