Summary: Samuel anoints Saul as king (v.1) and sends him back to Gibeah (v.5), where he receives the Spirit of God (v.6). Saul is transformed into “a different person” (10:6), and the Spirit “changed Saul’s heart” (10:9). Upon receiving the Spirit, Saul prophesies, leading people to wonder if he had become a prophet (v.11). As Saul assumes kingship, he faces immediate challenges, with people questioning his leadership, though Saul disregards them (v.27). This marks a significant transition in Israel’s history as we move from the era of the judges to that of the monarchy.
(10:1) Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over his inheritance?”
By putting oil on his head (Ps. 89:20) and kissing him (Ps. 2:11-12), Samuel was anointing Saul as king. This authority came with great responsibility, because Samuel calls God’s people “His inheritance.” Like a kindergarten teacher watching over someone’s son on the first day of school, God was allowing Saul to watch over his people. This was a sacred trust being given to Saul as the first king of Israel.
Next, Samuel makes three predictions about what would happen in the near future. This only confirms Samuel’s propheticity, as well as Saul’s kingship.
(10:2) “When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel’s tomb, at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried about you. He is asking, ‘What shall I do about my son?’”
Samuel gives incredible specificity in this prediction: He accurately predicts the number of men, the location, the words, the donkeys, and even the feelings of Saul’s father.
(10:3-4) “Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men going up to worship God at Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine. 4 They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them.”
Once again, Samuel gives incredible detail in this prediction: the number of men, the location, the goats, and the bread and wine. He even predicts what these men will freely do to Saul (i.e. greet him and give him food and wine).
(10:5) “After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying.”
“Where there is a Philistine outpost.” This reminds the reader that Saul is being raised up as a king to fight the Philistines.
“Prophesying.” Youngblood understands this as a “possessive trance” or an “ecstatic phenomena.”[] Baldwin also refers to this as an “ecstatic state.”[] These authors state that this form of worship was different from pagan and occult practice.
This still seems like a mischaracterization of the event. To begin, the text never explains what prophesying actually looked like. Moreover, in context, God spoke through the prophet Samuel clearly and reasonably—not in some type of possessive trance or ecstatic state. If God spoke articulately through a prophet like Samuel, why would we believe that he spoke differently through these other prophets? Later, Saul prophesies in an ecstatic state—even getting naked (1 Sam. 19:23-24). Yet, this was a form of God’s judgment on Saul during his murderous attack against David. This later event shouldn’t be the standard for defining what prophesying looked like.
(10:6) “The Spirit of the LORD will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.”
God doesn’t call Samuel to become a king without giving him the power to change into that person. The Holy Spirit is the key to his transformation.
(10:7) “Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.”
As the inaugural king of Israel, Saul must’ve felt insecure and afraid. This explains why Samuel goes to such great lengths to predict all that will happen to Samuel in the immediate days ahead. As Saul saw these predictions coming to fruition, this must have built up his confidence as a king.
(10:8) “Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.”
Saul didn’t fulfill this obligation (1 Sam. 13:9-14), and it was the beginning of the end for him. Even amidst all of these accurate predictions, Saul couldn’t listen to Samuel’s long-term prediction at Gilgal. Saul’s sin is not that he acted, but that he couldn’t wait.
(10:9-10) As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day. 10 When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying.
Imagine being Saul as you watch all of this coming to fruition. This must’ve built up his confidence as a king.
(10:11-12) When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”
12 A man who lived there answered, “And who is their father?” So it became a saying: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
The people didn’t believe what they were seeing. Of all of the miracles listed in 1 Samuel, the people had the hardest time believing that God could change a person’s life.
(10:13-16) After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the high place. 14 Now Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where have you been?”
“Looking for the donkeys,” he said. “But when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.”
15 Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.” 16 Saul replied, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.
Even after seeing all of these miraculous predictions come to fruition, Saul was still inhibited in wanting to share this with his family (v.16). Saul was a big, strong, and handsome man, but he still felt insecurity in sharing about how God had changed his life and given him a unique calling as king.
(10:17-19) Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the LORD at Mizpah 18 and said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’ 19 But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your disasters and calamities. And you have said, ‘No, appoint a king over us.’ So now present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans.”
Saul gives the people a history lesson to remind them of God’s goodness and their rejection of him. God saved the Israelites from “the kingdoms that oppressed” them. But now, they were freely choosing a new “oppressor” through a king. God was giving them what they wanted.
(10:20) When Samuel had all Israel come forward by tribes, the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot.
“Taken by lot.” Commenting on the “lot” used here, Youngblood writes, “The lots, known as Urim (‘Curses,’ providing negative responses) and Thummim (‘Perfections,’ providing positive responses), were stored in the breastplate attached to the ephod of the high priest (Exod 28:28-30) and were brought out and cast whenever a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ would suffice.”[] These were under God’s control: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD” (Prov. 16:33).
(10:21-22) Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri’s clan was taken. Finally Saul son of Kish was taken. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. 22 So they inquired further of the LORD, “Has the man come here yet?” And the LORD said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the supplies.”
This is a sort of comical picture: On the big announcement day, the Great Kiing Saul is hiding in the baggage! Youngblood notes that the term “inquired” (šāʾal) is a Hebrew pun for Saul’s name.[]
(10:23) They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others.
Saul was big, strong, and handsome. He had Samuel make many predictions to confirm his kingship. He even had God himself changing him into the man he needed to be. But none of this stopped his insecurity! Our gifts and talents have very little to do with whether we will lead as insecure people.
(10:24) Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.”
Then the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
At this time, this must’ve been the best candidate for the job. Time must’ve transpired before David was old enough to lead—especially since Saul’s son, Jonathan, was David’s age.
(10:25) Samuel explained to the people the rights and duties of kingship. He wrote them down on a scroll and deposited it before the LORD. Then Samuel dismissed the people to go to their own homes.
Was Samuel reading Deuteronomy 17:14-20 to the people? This seems likely. This chapter from the Pentateuch explains the “ordinances” of the kings of Israel. Perhaps Samuel wrote additional documents that were later used in the writing of this book.
(10:26) Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched.
Gibeah was three miles north of Jerusalem.[]
David would later have “mighty men” who would follow him too.
(10:27) But some scoundrels said, “How can this fellow save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.
If Saul was insecure about his leadership, these cynics didn’t help. Some of the people were skeptical that God could change the life of this man (see vv.10-11). These same people wanted a king, but now, they were questioning the provision God had given them. Saul kept silent like he did earlier (v.16).
Why did Saul hide himself, when he’s going to be selected as king? Throughout this book, Samuel is a profoundly insecure leader. You can have the Holy Spirit, but still be afraid. You can be directly in God’s will, but still be afraid. Saul lacked faith in God’s credible promises.
One of the biggest difficulties in leading others is to handle their second-guessing, complaining, ungratefulness, and critiques (v.27). Saul didn’t respond to their taunting by saying anything. Instead, he decides to do something to prove himself. Our lifestyle and actions speak louder than our words.
Ronald F. Youngblood, “1, 2 Samuel,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 625.
Joyce G. Baldwin, 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 8, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 98.
Ronald F. Youngblood, “1, 2 Samuel,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 630.
Ronald F. Youngblood, “1, 2 Samuel,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 630.
Ronald F. Youngblood, “1, 2 Samuel,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 632.
James is an elder at Dwell Community Church, where he teaches classes in theology, apologetics, and weekly Bible studies.
