Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 9:7
Then 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?
7. a present ] A word occurring here only, to denote the present with which one approaches a great man. The cognate verb is found in Isa 57:9, “Thou wentest to the king with ointment.” For presents offered to prophets compare 1Ki 14:3 ; 2Ki 5:15 ff; 2Ki 8:8-9: and for the present of bread which Saul suggests they might have given compare the “handfuls of barley and pieces of bread” received by the false prophetesses in Eze 13:19. See Smith’s Dict. of the Bible, Art. Gifts.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Presents of bread or meat were as common as presents of money. (Compare Eze 13:19; Hos 3:2.)
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. There is not a present to bring to the man of God] We are not to suppose from this that the prophets took money to predict future events: Saul only refers to an invariable custom, that no man approached a superior without a present of some kind or other. We have often seen this before; even God, who needs nothing, would not that his people should approach him with empty hands. “It is very common in Bengal for a person, who is desirous of asking a favour from a superior, to take a present of fruits or sweetmeats in his hand. If not accepted, the feelings of the offerer are greatly wounded. The making of presents to appease a superior is also very common in Bengal.” – WARD’S Customs.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The bread is spent in our vessels: this he saith, because bread was not unusually given by way of present, as we see, 1Sa 10:3,4. Or bread is put for all manner of provisions, as is frequent; and among these they might have something not unfit, in these plain times, to make a present of, as clusters of raisins, or cakes of figs, such as Abigail presented to David, 1Sa 25:18. See also 1Ki 14:3; 2Ki 4:42.
There is not a present; such presents were then made to the prophets, 1Ki 14:2,3; 2Ki 4:42; 8:8; either as a testimony of respect to him as their superior; upon which account subjects made presents to their kings, 1Sa 10:27; and the Persians never came to their king without some gift: or as a grateful acknowledgment of his favour; or for the support of the prophets themselves; or of the sons of the prophets; or of other persons in want, known to them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. Saul said to his servant, But,behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man?According toEastern notions, it would be considered a want of respect for anyperson to go into the presence of a superior man of rank or ofofficial station without a present of some kind in his hand, howevertrifling in value.
the bread is spent in ourvesselsShepherds, going in quest of their cattle, put up in abag as much flour for making bread as will last sometimes for thirtydays. It appears that Saul thought of giving the man of God a cakefrom his travelling bag, and this would have been sufficient torender the indispensable act of civilitythe customary tribute toofficial dignity.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then Saul said to his servant, but behold, if we go,…. The Targum is,
“if he receives money,”
which it seems Saul was not clear in; some sort of persons that set up for prophets, and a sort of diviners and fortune tellers, did; but he could not tell whether so eminent and honourable a person as Samuel was, did; in as much he was not better known by him, who had been so many years a judge in Israel:
what shall we bring the man? it being usual, when persons addressed great men for a favour, to carry a present with them; or a man of God, a prophet of the Lord, to inquire of the Lord by him concerning any thing, see 1Ki 14:2,
for the bread is spent in our vessels; the food they brought with them in their bags or scrips for their journey, this was all exhausted; not that he meant by it, that if they had had any quantity, they might present it to the man of God, though yet sometimes such things were done, as the instances before referred to show; but that since their stock of bread was gone, what money they had, if they had any, must be spent in recruiting themselves, and therefore could have none to spare to give to the man;
and there is not a present to bring to the man of God; neither bread nor money, without which he seems to intimate it would be to no purpose to go to him:
what have we? Saul knew he had none, he had spent what he brought out, with him for the journey, and he put this question to try what his servant had; unless it can be supposed it was the custom now, as afterwards among the Romans b, for servants to carry the purse, and as it was with the Jews in Christ’s time, Joh 12:6 though this may have respect not to a price of divination, but to the common custom in eastern countries, and which continues to this day with the Turks, who reckon it uncivil to visit any person, whether in authority, or an inferior person, without a present; and even the latter are seldom visited without presenting a flower, or an orange, and some token of respect to the person visited c.
b A. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 20. c. 1. c Maundrell’s Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. 26, 27.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(7) What shall we bring?It would seem at first strange that one like Samuel should be approached by presents, but the custom of offering gifts was in many cases an act of respectful homage to a superior rather than a mere fee. Compare, for instance, the many detailed accounts of presents offered and accepted, chronicled in the varied sacred recordssuch as the little present of spicery, &c, sent by Jacob to the great minister or vizier of the Pharaoh of Egypt (Gen. 43:11), and the ten cheeses Jesse gave to the captain of the thousand in which his sons were serving, and in the days of the highest civilisation and culture known in Israel, the gifts offered by the Queen of Sheba to the magnificent Solomon (1Ki. 10:10).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. What shall we bring the man “Then, as now, in the East, it would have been the height of rudeness and indecorum for any one to present himself before a superior or equal, especially if he had any request to make, without some present, more or less, according to his degree not by any means as a fee or bribe, but in testimony of his homage, his respect, or his compliments.” Kitto. See biblical examples of this custom in 1Sa 10:27, and the marginal references there.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Sa 9:7. But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? Such as are prejudiced against the sacred history, and unacquainted with eastern customs, may be ready, from the donations to the prophets, to imagine that they were a mercenary set of people, and rudely to rank them with cunning men and fortune-tellers, who will not from principles of benevolence reveal those secrets, or foretel those future events, of the perfect knowledge of which they are supposed to be possessed, without demanding of the anxious inquirer a large reward. This, however, will make impressions on none but those who know not the Oriental usages, which Maundrell long since applied with such clearness and force to the present passage, that he has sufficiently satisfied my mind upon this point. I shall first give Maundrell’s words, and then add a few remarks of my own. “Thursday, March 11. This day we all dined at Consul Hastings’ house, and after dinner went to wait upon Ostan, the bassa of Tripoli, having first sent our present, as the manner is among the Turks, to procure a propitious reception. It is counted uncivil to visit in this country without an offering in hand. All great men expect it as a kind of tribute due to their character and authority, and look upon themselves as affronted, and even defrauded, when this compliment is omitted. Even in familiar visits amongst inferior people, you shall seldom have them come without bringing a flower, or an orange, or some other such token of their respect to the person visited; the Turks in this point keeping up to the ancient Oriental custom, hinted 1Sa 9:7. If we go (says Saul), what shall we bring the man of God? there is not a present, &c. which words are questionless to be understood in conformity to this eastern custom, as relating to a token of respect, and not a price of Divination.” See Journey from Aleppo, p. 26. Maundrell does not tell us what the present was which they made Ostan. It will be more entirely satisfying then to the mind to observe, that in the East they not only universally send before them a present, or carry one with them, especially when they visit superiors, either civil or ecclesiastical; but that this present is frequently a piece of money, and that of no very great value. So Bishop Pococke tells us, that he presented an Arab sheik of an illustrious descent, on whom he waited, and who attended him to the ancient Hierapolis, with a piece of money which he was told he expected; and that in Egypt an aga being dissatisfied with the present he made him, he sent for the bishop’s servant, and told him, that he ought to have given him a piece of cloth; and if he had none, two sequins, worth about a guinea, must be brought to him, otherwise he should see him no more: with which demand he complied. In the one case a piece of money was expected, in the other two sequins demanded. A trifling present of money to a person of distinction among us would be an affront: it is not so, it seems, in the East. Agreeably to these accounts of Dr. Pococke, we are told in the Travels of Egmont and Heyman, that the well of Joseph in the castle of Cairo was not to be seen without leave from the commandant; which having obtained, they in return presented him with a sequin. See Observations, p. 233.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
1Sa 9:7 Then 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?
Ver. 7. What shall we bring the man? ] q.d., Incivile esset sine honorario eum accedere antea ignotum: It would be no good manners to go empty handed. See 1Ki 14:3 2Ki 4:42 , and learn to show all thankful respects to God’s faithful ministers. But the word and the world is now altered. Once it was, What shall we bring the man? what have we? Now it is, What shall we take, or keep back from the man? and to rob a minister, is held neither sin nor pity.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
present. Hebrew. teshurah. Occurs only here. It is from shur, to behold. Hence, that which procures and secures an interview, or sight of the person sought.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
what shall: Jdg 6:18, Jdg 13:15-17, 1Ki 14:3, 2Ki 4:42, 2Ki 5:5, 2Ki 8:8
spent in: Heb. gone out of, etc
there is not: We are not to suppose from this that the prophets took money to predict future events: Saul only refers to an invariable custom, that no man approached a superior without some present or another, however small in value. Dr. Pococke tells us of a present of fifty radishes! Other authors mention a flower, an orange, or similar trifles; and Mr. Bruce says, that one who wished to solicit a favour from him, presented him with about a score of dates! “I mention this trifling circumstance,” says Mr. B. “to shew how essential to human and civil intercourse presents are considered to be in the East; whether it be dates, or whether it be diamonds, they are so much a part of their manners, that without them, an inferior will never be at peace in his own mind, or think that he has hold of his superior for protection. But superiors give no presents to their inferiors.” Presents then are tokens of honour; not intended as offers of payment or enrichment.
have we: Heb. is with us
Reciprocal: Gen 43:11 – carry down Exo 34:20 – none Num 22:7 – rewards of divination Deu 33:1 – the man 1Ki 13:7 – I will give Mat 10:10 – scrip
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Sa 9:7-8. Behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man It was a part of the honour they did great men, in those countries, to make them a present when they had occasion to address themselves to them. Particularly their prophets were thus honoured; being men of God, before whom they judged they ought not to appear empty, but to bring them presents, either as a testimony of respect, or as a grateful acknowledgment, or for the support of the prophets themselves, or of the sons of the prophets, or of other persons in want known to them. Thus, also, it was usual to show their respect to their king, 1Sa 10:27. The fourth part of a shekel of silver A small present, but as acceptable as the widows mite, being all they had left on their journey.