1Samuel 10

 

וַיִּקַּח שְׁמוּאֵל אֶת־פַּךְ הַשֶּׁמֶן וַיִּצֹק עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ וַיִּשָּׁקֵהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר הֲלוֹא כִּי־מְשָׁחֲךָ יְהוָה עַל־נַחֲלָתוֹ   10:1

 לְנָגִיד׃

1Sam. 10:1   Then Samuel took a vial of oil and poured on his head and kissed him and said, “Is it not true that the Lord has anointed you to be prince over His inheritance?”

בְּלֶכְתְּךָ הַיּוֹם מֵעִמָּדִי וּמָצָאתָ שְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים עִם־קְבֻרַת רָחֵל בִּגְבוּל בִּנְיָמִן בְּצֶלְצַח וְאָמְרוּ אֵלֶיךָ נִמְצְאוּ   10:2 הָאֲתֹנוֹת אֲשֶׁר הָלַכְתָּ לְבַקֵּשׁ וְהִנֵּה נָטַשׁ אָבִיךָ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הָאֲתֹנוֹת וְדָאַג לָכֶם לֵאמֹר מָה

 אֶעֱשֶׂה לִבְנִי׃

1Sam. 10:2   “On your going today from me, then you will find two men at the tomb of Rachel on the border of Benjamin at Zelzah and they will say to you, “The asses that you went to seek have been found, and behold, your father has left the matter of the asses and is anxious for you saying, ‘What can I do about my son?’”

וְחָלַפְתָּ מִשָּׁם וָהָלְאָה וּבָאתָ עַד־אֵלֹון תָּבֹור וּמְצָאוּךָ שָּׁם שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים עֹלִים אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִים   10:3

 בֵּית־אֵל אֶחָד נֹשֵׂא שְׁלֹשָׁה גְדָיִים וְאֶחָד נֹשֵׂא שְׁלֹשֶׁת כִּכְּרֹות לֶחֶם וְאֶחָד נֹשֵׂא נֵבֶל־יָיִן׃

1Sam. 10:3   “Then you shall go on from there and beyond, and go as far as the plain of Tabor, and you will find three men there going up to He Who is God at Beth-el, one carrying three kids, and one carrying three loaves of bread, and one carrying a bottle of wine.”

וְשָׁאֲלוּ לְךָ לְשָׁלוֹם וְנָתְנוּ לְךָ שְׁתֵּי־לֶחֶם וְלָקַחְתָּ מִיָּדָם׃   10:4

1Sam. 10:4   “And they will inquire of you about your health, and offer two breads to you, that you shall take from their hands.”

אַחַר כֵּן תָּבוֹא גִּבְעַת הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר־שָׁם נְצִבֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וִיהִי כְבֹאֲךָ שָׁם הָעִיר וּפָגַעְתָּ חֶבֶל נְבִיאִים   10:5 יֹרְדִים מֵהַבָּמָה וְלִפְנֵיהֶם נֵבֶל וְתֹף וְחָלִיל וְכִנּוֹר וְהֵמָּה מִתְנַבְּאִים׃

1Sam. 10:5   “After that you shall go to the hill of the gods, where a garrison of Philistines is there.  And it shall come to pass at your coming there to the city, that you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place, and before them will be a psaltery and a timbrel and a pipe and a harp, and they will be prophesying.”

וְצָלְחָה עָלֶיךָ רוּחַ יְהוָה וְהִתְנַבִּיתָ עִמָּם וְנֶהְפַּכְתָּ לְאִישׁ אַחֵר׃   10:6

1Sam. 10:6   “And the spirit of the Lord will come mightily upon you, and you will prophesy with them, and you will be changed to another man.”

וְהָיָה כִּי (תְבֹאֶינָה) [תָבֹאנָה] הָאֹתוֹת הָאֵלֶּה לָךְ עֲשֵׂה לְךָ אֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָא יָדֶךָ כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים עִמָּךְ׃   10:7

1Sam. 10:7   “And it shall be, when these signs He did for you will have come to you, that you will get your power, for He Who is God is with you.”

The third word has an extra yad.  The correction is in the brackets.

וְיָרַדְתָּ לְפָנַי הַגִּלְגָּל וְהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי יֹרֵד אֵלֶיךָ לְהַעֲלוֹת עֹלוֹת לִזְבֹּחַ זִבְחֵי שְׁלָמִים שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תּוֹחֵל   10:8 עַד־בּוֹאִי אֵלֶיךָ וְהוֹדַעְתִּי לְךָ אֵת אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה׃

1Sam. 10:8   “Then you shall go down before me to Gilgal and behold, I am coming down to you to offer burnt offerings, to make sacrifices of peace offerings.  You shall wait seven days until my coming to you and make known to you what it is that you shall do.”

וְהָיָה כְּהַפְנֹתוֹ שִׁכְמוֹ לָלֶכֶת מֵעִם שְׁמוּאֵל וַיַּהֲפָךְ־לוֹ אֱלֹהִים לֵב אַחֵר וַיָּבֹאוּ כָּל־הָאֹתוֹת הָאֵלֶּה בַּיּוֹם   10:9 הַהוּא׃

1Sam. 10:9   And it was after turning his back to go from Samuel, that God changed for him another heart and all these signs came on that day.

As these things hadn’t happened yet, I consider this verse to be a summary of the next few verses.  Scholars apparently consider this differently.  Their view is that the events described in this verse happened before the event of the next verse, and it refers to a regal power that the Lord bestowed on Saul, not the spirit of prophecy.  According to their view, Saul would have had two changes of heart.

וַיָּבֹאוּ שָׁם הַגִּבְעָתָה וְהִנֵּה חֶבֶל־נְבִאִים לִקְרָאתוֹ וַתִּצְלַח עָלָיו רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים וַיִּתְנַבֵּא בְּתוֹכָם׃   10:10

1Sam. 10:10   And they came there to the hill and behold, a band of prophets were meeting him, and the spirit of God came mightily upon him and he prophesied in their midst.

וַיְהִי כָּל־יוֹדְעוֹ מֵאִתְּמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם וַיִּרְאוּ וְהִנֵּה עִם־נְבִאִים נִבָּא וַיֹּאמֶר הָעָם אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ מַה־זֶּה   10:11 הָיָה לְבֶן־קִישׁ הֲגַם שָׁאוּל בַּנְּבִיאִים׃

1Sam. 10:11   And it was, all knowing him from earlier times, when they saw that, behold, he was prophesying with the prophets, then the people said, each to his neighbor, “What is it has happened to the son of Kish?  Is Saul also with the prophets?”

וַיַּעַן אִישׁ מִשָּׁם וַיֹּאמֶר וּמִי אֲבִיהֶם עַל־כֵּן הָיְתָה לְמָשָׁל הֲגַם שָׁאוּל בַּנְּבִאִים׃   10:12

1Sam. 10:12   And a man from there answered and he said, “And who is their father?”  Therefore it has become to be a byword:  ”Was Saul also with the prophets?”

וַיְכַל מֵהִתְנַבּוֹת וַיָּבֹא הַבָּמָה׃   10:13

1Sam. 10:13   When he made an end of prophesying, then he went to the high place.

וַיֹּאמֶר דּוֹד שָׁאוּל אֵלָיו וְאֶל־נַעֲרוֹ אָן הֲלַכְתֶּם וַיֹּאמֶר לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־הָאֲתֹנוֹת וַנִּרְאֶה כִי־אַיִן וַנָּבוֹא   10:14 אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל׃

1Sam. 10:14   And an uncle of Saul said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “To seek the asses.  When we saw they were not, then we came to Samuel.”

וַיֹּאמֶר דּוֹד שָׁאוּל הַגִּידָה־נָּא לִי מָה־אָמַר לָכֶם שְׁמוּאֵל׃   10:15

1Sam. 10:15   Then the uncle of Saul said, “Please tell to me what Samuel said to you.”

וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל אֶל־דּוֹדוֹ הַגֵּד הִגִּיד לָנוּ כִּי נִמְצְאוּ הָאֲתֹנוֹת וְאֶת־דְּבַר הַמְּלוּכָה לֹא־הִגִּיד לוֹ אֲשֶׁר   10:16 אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל׃

1Sam. 10:16   And Saul said to his uncle, “Plainly he told us that the asses had been found.”  But the matter of the kingship that Samuel had said he did not mention to him.

וַיַּצְעֵק שְׁמוּאֵל אֶת־הָעָם אֶל־יְהוָה הַמִּצְפָּה׃   10:17

1Sam. 10:17   And Samuel called the people together to the Lord, to Mizpah.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָנֹכִי הֶעֱלֵיתִי אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם וָאַצִּיל   10:18 אֶתְכֶם מִיַּד מִצְרַיִם וּמִיַּד כָּל־הַמַּמְלָכוֹת הַלֹּחֲצִים אֶתְכֶם׃

1Sam. 10:18   And he said to the children of Israel, “Thus has said the Lord, God of Israel:  ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’

וְאַתֶּם הַיּוֹם מְאַסְתֶּם אֶת־אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר־הוּא מוֹשִׁיעַ לָכֶם מִכָּל־רָעוֹתֵיכֶם וְצָרֹתֵיכֶם וַתֹּאמְרוּ   10:19

  לוֹ כִּי־מֶלֶךְ תָּשִׂים עָלֵינוּ וְעַתָּה הִתְיַצְּבוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶם וּלְאַלְפֵיכֶם׃

1Sam. 10:19   ‘But you today have rejected your God, that He has been a Deliverer to you from all your calamities and your distresses, and have said to Him, ‘But You shall set a king over us.’  So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.”

וַיַּקְרֵב שְׁמוּאֵל אֵת כָּל־שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּלָּכֵד שֵׁבֶט בִּנְיָמִן׃   10:20

1Sam. 10:20   And Samuel brought near all the tribes of Israel; the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.

וַיַּקְרֵב אֶת־שֵׁבֶט בִּנְיָמִן (לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתוֹ) [לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָיו] וַתִּלָּכֵד מִשְׁפַּחַת הַמַּטְרִי וַיִּלָּכֵד שָׁאוּל בֶּן־קִישׁ    10:21  וַיְבַקְשֻׁהוּ וְלֹא נִמְצָא׃

1Sam. 10:21   Then he brought near the tribe of Benjamin by its families and the family of the Matrites was chosen, then Saul son of Kish was chosen, and they sought him, but he was not found.

The fifth word has a misspelling, a missing yad, which would make the noun families plural instead of singular.  The correct spelling is in the brackets.

וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ־עוֹד בַּיהוָה הֲבָא עוֹד הֲלֹם אִישׁ וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה הִנֵּה־הוּא נֶחְבָּא אֶל־הַכֵּלִים׃   10:22

1Sam. 10:22   So they asked further with the Lord, “Has a man come here yet?”  And the Lord said, “Behold, he is hiding himself by the baggage.”

וַיָּרֻצוּ וַיִּקָּחֻהוּ מִשָּׁם וַיִּתְיַצֵּב בְּתוֹךְ הָעָם וַיִּגְבַּהּ מִכָּל־הָעָם מִשִּׁכְמוֹ וָמָעְלָה׃   10:23

1Sam. 10:23   And they ran and brought him from there.  When he stood in the midst of the people, then he was taller than all the people from his shoulders and above.

וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־כָּל־הָעָם הַרְּאִיתֶם אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר־בּוֹ יְהוָה כִּי אֵין כָּמֹהוּ בְּכָל־הָעָם וַיָּרִעוּ כָל־הָעָם   10:24 וַיֹּאמְרוּ יְחִי הַמֶּלֶךְ׃

1Sam. 10:24   And Samuel said to all the people, “Have you seen who the Lord has chosen in him, that there is none like him in all the people?”  And all the people shouted, and they said, “Long live the king!”

The literal translation of what the people shouted is “Let the king live!”  In other bibles the words are translated as “God save the king!”  Therefore, it would appear to be an idiom that might have been assumed by convention.

וַיְדַבֵּר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־הָעָם אֵת מִשְׁפַּט הַמְּלֻכָה וַיִּכְתֹּב בַּסֵּפֶר וַיַּנַּח לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וַיְשַׁלַּח שְׁמוּאֵל   10:25

  אֶת־כָּל־הָעָם אִישׁ לְבֵיתוֹ׃

1Sam. 10:25   Then Samuel declared to the people the manner of the kingdom and wrote in a book, and placed before the Lord.  And Samuel sent away all the people, each to his house.

Where was the book that Samuel wrote placed?  Was it in the Tabernacle?  Probably not.  My guess is that it was placed near an altar in Mizpah (see v. 10:17).

וְגַם־שָׁאוּל הָלַךְ לְבֵיתוֹ גִּבְעָתָה וַיֵּלְכוּ עִמּוֹ הַחַיִל אֲשֶׁר־נָגַע אֱלֹהִים בְּלִבָּם׃   10:26

1Sam. 10:26   And Saul also went to his house to Gibeah, and the valiant whom God had touched in their hearts went with him.

וּבְנֵי בְלִיַּעַל אָמְרוּ מַה־יֹּשִׁעֵנוּ זֶה וַיִּבְזֻהוּ וְלֹא־הֵבִיאוּ לוֹ מִנְחָה וַיְהִי כְּמַחֲרִישׁ׃   10:27

1Sam. 10:27   But sons of the wicked said, “Who is this, our savior?”  And they despised him and did not bring him a present, but he was like someone keeping silent.

I assume this verse is referring to Saul.  Why is it here?

 

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