1 Samuel 10

1 Samuel 10

Morgan - God save the King.-1 Sam. I0.24 This was the cry of the people when Saul was presented to them as the chosen of Jehovah. The literal translation would be, "Let the king live." It was simply an expression of desire for the long life of the one thus appointed. This first expression of the Hebrew people has passed into the current speech of all peoples who live under monarchic government. In this earliest use of it, it expressed the satisfaction of the people that their request was granted, their recognition of God in the appointment, and their submission to the authority of the appointed one. Such submission was wholly right. If men desire a king, their first duty is to obey the king. Paul recognized this when he clearly enjoined obedience to kings and all in authority. On the side of the king it was, and is, necessary that he recognize the fact that his authority is a delegated authority, that the powers that be are ordained of God. If he fail to do so, and govern without righteousness and justice, then the time will inevitably come when God will act through the people for his dethronement, and if necessary for his death. Not only this Bible history, but all human history testifies to the truth of these things. In them we discover the persistence of the Divine government. Man with all his choosing and planning never escapes from that final authority and power. This is the one and only, ground for confidence in human affairs, and it is a rock foundation. (Borrow Life applications from every chapter of the Bible) 1 Samuel 10:25 Then Samuel told the people the ordinances of the kingdom, and wrote them in the book and placed it before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his house. BGT 1 Samuel 10:25 καὶ εἶπεν Σαμουηλ πρὸς τὸν λαὸν τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἔγραψεν ἐν βιβλίῳ καὶ ἔθηκεν ἐνώπιον κυρίου καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν Σαμουηλ πάντα τὸν λαόν καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἕκαστος εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ KJV 1 Samuel 10:25 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. NET 1 Samuel 10:25 Then Samuel talked to the people about how the kingship would work. He wrote it all down on a scroll and set it before the LORD. Then Samuel sent all the people away to their homes. CSB 1 Samuel 10:25 Samuel proclaimed to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll, which he placed in the presence of the LORD. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each to his home. ESV 1 Samuel 10:25 Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship, and he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the LORD. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home. NIV 1 Samuel 10:25 Samuel explained to the people the regulations of the kingship. He wrote them down on a scroll and deposited it before the LORD. Then Samuel dismissed the people, each to his own home. NLT 1 Samuel 10:25 Then Samuel told the people what the rights and duties of a king were. He wrote them down on a scroll and placed it before the LORD. Then Samuel sent the people home again. NRS 1 Samuel 10:25 Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship; and he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the LORD. Then Samuel sent all the people back to their homes. 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 1 Samuel 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Deuteronomy 17:14-20+ “When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,’ 15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses, one from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman. 16 “Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never again return that way.’ 17 “He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself. 18 “Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 “It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel. THE ORDINANCES OF THE KINGDOM RECORDED Then Samuel told the people the ordinances (mishpat/mispat) of the kingdom, and wrote them in the book (scroll) and placed it before the LORD - NIV = the regulations of the kingship" NET = "Then Samuel talked to the people about how the kingship would work." 1Sa 8:11-18 presents Samuel's warnings regarding a king but were not strictly speaking ordinances. This book has been lost. If he placed it before the LORD, that suggest possibly Samuel placed it before the Ark of the Covenant at Kirjath-jearim the home of the ark (cf 1Sa 7:1) Some writers suggest the scroll was placed in a high place at Mizpah but that is speculation. Another reasonable consideration is that Samuel reiterated the instructions given by Moses (see passage above). Robert Bergen - In keeping with the stipulations set forth in the Torah, Samuel the Levite made available to the new king “a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites” (Deut 17:18). The exact content of this document is unknown; it may have been a copy of at least a section of the Mosaic legal materials or perhaps an expansion of the materials in Deuteronomy. Like other sacred documents, it was “deposited … before the Lord.” (Borrow 1 & 2 Samuel - New American Commentary) And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his house - Samuel was still in charge at this point, even dismissing the new king to his home. One would think this passage should read "Samuel went into retirement," but his role in establishing the monarchy had several more chapters to play out. Thus the fact that it was Samuel not Saul who sent the people away indicates that Samuel still had some authority in this newly born monarchy! 1 Samuel 10:26 Saul also went to his house at Gibeah; and the valiant men whose hearts God had touched went with him. BGT 1 Samuel 10:26 καὶ Σαουλ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ εἰς Γαβαα καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν υἱοὶ δυνάμεων ὧν ἥψατο κύριος καρδίας αὐτῶν μετὰ Σαουλ KJV 1 Samuel 10:26 And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched. NET 1 Samuel 10:26 Even Saul went to his home in Gibeah. With him went some brave men whose hearts God had touched. CSB 1 Samuel 10:26 Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, and brave men whose hearts God had touched went with him. ESV 1 Samuel 10:26 Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched. NIV 1 Samuel 10:26 Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. NLT 1 Samuel 10:26 When Saul returned to his home at Gibeah, a group of men whose hearts God had touched went with him. NRS 1 Samuel 10:26 Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went warriors whose hearts God had touched. Gibeah: 1Sa 11:4 15:34 Jos 18:28 Jdg 19:12-16 20:14 2Sa 21:6 whose hearts: Ezr 1:5 Ps 110:3 Ac 7:10 13:48 1 Samuel 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries See Gibeah NW of Jerusalem SAUL RETURNS HOME TO GIBEAH Saul also went to his house at Gibeah; and the valiant (chayil; Lxx = dunamis = power, might, strength) men whose hearts God had touched went with him - Saul did not immediately take up his throne (there was no palace, no capital city) but nevertheless the LORD provided valiant men to go with him but moving in their hearts, presumably further evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. Clearly God was not a passive bystander, but was actively supporting Israel's choice of a human king. This speaks volumes about the mercy and forbearance of God Who had been rejected. Bergen - Since no capital city had yet been established for an Israelite monarch, Saul’s hometown became the de facto first capital of Israel. The beginnings of a standing military force—a necessary component for effective national leadership—are seen as Saul was “accompanied by valiant men [Hb. haḥayil, “the strength”] whose hearts God had touched.” God’s action in these men’s lives demonstrates that the Lord was supplying his anointed with the vital resources needed to fulfill his responsibilities. (Borrow 1 & 2 Samuel - New American Commentary) Valiant (wealth, strength, riches, army) (02428) chayil strength, wealth, army. This word has the basic idea of strength and influence. In the sense of "strength," "power," or "might" in general, ḥayil is used about twenty times: of God (Psalm 59:11), from God (Ps 18:32), physical strength of a man (Eccles. 10:10), or even of plant life (Joel 2:22). Approximately eighty-five times ḥayil is used as an attribute of people. It follows ʾîsh "man" ("valiant man," 1 Kings 1:42), sometimes bēn, son" ("valiant man," 2 Sa 17:10), and most often follows gibbôr "mighty (man)" ("mighty man of valor"). The individual designated seems to be the elite warrior similar to the hero of the Homeric epic, and it may be that the gibbôr hayil was a member of a social class. Although in most contexts his military prowess was involved, he was wealthy enough to bear special taxes (2 Kings 15:20, translated because of context, "mighty men of wealth"). The use in 1 Kings 1:52 indicates that the ben ḥayil (translated "worthy man") was also to be honorable or reputable. Adonijah's life was in danger because of his treachery, not because of lack of strength or wealth. ḥayil also designates men of ability to care for Joseph's sheep (Genesis 47:6, translated "men of activity"), or to judge the people (Exodus 18:21, 25, translated able men"). (from the TWOT) 1 Samuel 10:27 But certain worthless men said, "How can this one deliver us?" And they despised him and did not bring him any present. But he kept silent. BGT 1 Samuel 10:27 καὶ υἱοὶ λοιμοὶ εἶπαν τί σώσει ἡμᾶς οὗτος καὶ ἠτίμασαν αὐτὸν καὶ οὐκ ἤνεγκαν αὐτῷ δῶρα KJV 1 Samuel 10:27 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. NET 1 Samuel 10:27 But some wicked men said, "How can this man save us?" They despised him and did not even bring him a gift. But Saul said nothing about it. CSB 1 Samuel 10:27 But some wicked men said, "How can this guy save us?" They despised him and did not bring him a gift, but Saul said nothing. ESV 1 Samuel 10:27 But some worthless fellows said, "How can this man save us?" And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace. NIV 1 Samuel 10:27 But some troublemakers said, "How can this fellow save us?" They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent. NLT 1 Samuel 10:27 But there were some scoundrels who complained, "How can this man save us?" And they scorned him and refused to bring him gifts. But Saul ignored them.Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the people of Gad and Reuben who lived east of the Jordan River. He gouged out the right eye of each of the Israelites living there, and he didn't allow anyone to come and rescue them. In fact, of all the Israelites east of the Jordan, there wasn't a single one whose right eye Nahash had not gouged out. But there were 7,000 men who had escaped from the Ammonites, and they had settled in Jabesh-gilead. (SEE TECHNICAL NOTE BELOW) NRS 1 Samuel 10:27 But some worthless fellows said, "How can this man save us?" They despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace. Now Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the Gadites and the Reubenites. He would gouge out the right eye of each of them and would not grant Israel a deliverer. No one was left of the Israelites across the Jordan whose right eye Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had not gouged out. But there were seven thousand men who had escaped from the Ammonites and had entered Jabesh-gilead. YLT 1 Samuel 10:27 and the sons of worthlessness have said, 'What! this one doth save us!' and they despise him, and have not brought to him a present; and he is as one deaf. worthless men: 1Sa 2:12 11:12 De 13:13 2Sa 20:1 2Ch 13:7 Ac 7:35,51,52 bring 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 1 Samuel 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries WORTHLESS MEN QUESTIONED SAUL'S KINGSHIP But - Term of contrast. While some men had hearts touched by God, not all men were so moved. Certain worthless (beliyyaal; Lxx = loimos = pestilence, public menace) men said, "How can this one deliver (yasha') us?" - Worthless men is literally "sons of Belial," (Belial was used as name for Satan in 2 Cor 6:15). They rejected the outcome in spite of compelling evidence that Yahweh had chosen Saul to be king of Israel. And they despised him and did not bring him any present - Why did they despise Saul? Perhaps the sight of a king coming out of suitcase cause them to disrespect Saul. Given this response by some, it is possible the valiant men God raised up, would function as body guards for the newly crowned king! Stevenson - You see, Israel at this time was nothing more than a scattered and disunited collection of tribes. This was not a unified nation. You couldn’t even get them to agree on what to eat for lunch. And they also did not agree that Saul should be their new king, no matter what Samuel had told them. But this changed dramatically when Saul led the Israelites to victory in battle. But he kept silent - Literally "he was as is deaf!" Saul did not respond to their dissing him, but held his peace. This would seem to be a man controlled by magnanimous spirit (? Holy Spirit) at this time. Ecclesiastes 10:4 says "If the ruler’s temper rises against you, do not abandon your position, because composure allays great offenses." Bergen notes that "Admirably, Saul’s first act as an oriental monarch was one of grace; he “kept silent” in response to the critics’ effrontery instead of ordering their deaths (cf. Pr 16:14). (Borrow 1 & 2 Samuel - New American Commentary) TECHNICAL NOTE - NET NOTE - In place of the Masoretic Text (MT) ("and it was like one being silent") the LXX has "after about a month," taking the expression with the first part of the following chapter rather than with 1Sa 10:27. Some Hebrew support for this reading appears in the corrected hand of a Qumran MS of Samuel, which has here "about a month." However, it seems best to stay with the MT here even though it is difficult. Worthless (wicked, Belial)(01100) beliyyaal from belî + yaʿal: "not, without" and "to be of use, worth, or profit.") A worthless person, good for nothing to himself or others, and capable of nothing but mischief. Some feel that the word Belial can be traced to the false god Baal, and is also a term for yoke (they cast off the yoke of decency), and a term for entangling or injuring. The LXX renders it according to the context by the terms paranomos, anomia, and aphrōn, i.e. "lawless, lawlessness, witless." By the NT time, Belial had become synonymous with Satan (cf. 2 Cor. 6:15+). There is one use we would all do well to ponder and in the power of the Spirit affirm or declare (or pray) to be true in our life from time to time... I will set no worthless (beliyyaal) thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten (dabaq) its grip on me. (Psalm 101:3+) (MARK IT DOWN - WORTHLESS IMAGES CAN BE VERY "STICKY" IN YOUR MIND'S EYE! I AM SPEAKING ESPECIALLY TO YOU MEN AS YOU KNOW TO WHAT I AM REFERRING!) Despised (0959) (baza/bazah is from a root meaning to accord little worth to something) means to disdain or to hold in contempt. Bazah is used in a number of places to mean “despise” in the sense of treating someone or something as totally insignificant or worthless. Bazah means to raise the head loftily and disdainfully, to look down one's nose at something (so to speak)! The idea is that one undervalues something or someone which implies contempt for that thing or person (in this case God's Name in Mal 1:6 and here His table/altar, the place He is to be worshipped, revered, and adored! Woe!) Cyril