Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 9:20

And 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?

20. three days ago ] Heb. “to-day three days” = “the day before yesterday,” according to the inclusive Hebrew reckoning.

set not thy mind on them ] “Set not thy heart on them.” Be not anxious for them.

on whom is all the desire of Israel ] Rather, For whom are all the desirable things of Israel? are they not for thee and for all thy father’s house? i.e. ‘Care not for these asses for they are found: and even if they were lost, what matter? is not the best that Israel has to give at thy service?’

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Verse 20. As for thine asses] Thus he shows him that he knew what was in his heart, God having previously revealed these things to Samuel.

And on whom is all the desire of Israel?] Saul understood this as implying that he was chosen to be king.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Set not thy mind on them; trouble not thy mind about them.

On whom is all the desire of Israel? who is he that shall be that thing or person which all Israel desire to have, to wit, a king?

Is it not on thee, and on all thy fathers house? that honour is designed for thee, and, after thy death, for thy family or posterity, if by thy sin thou dost not cut off the entail.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

20, 21. on whom is all the desire ofIsrael? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father’s house?Thiswas a covert and indirect premonition of the royal dignity thatawaited him; and, though Saul’s answer shows that he fully understoodit, he affected to doubt that the prophet was in earnest.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago,…. Which, according to Kimchi, is to be understood not of the time from whence they were lost, but to be reckoned from the time that Saul had been seeking of them; so the Targum,

“as to the business of the asses, which are lost to thee, and thou art come to seek them today, these three days:”

though it is probable enough that the same day they were lost Saul set out to seek them, Now Samuel telling him of the asses that were lost, and of the time of their being lost, or of his seeking them, so exactly, before ever he said a word to him about them, must at once convince him that he was a true prophet, and which must prepare him to give credit to all that he should hereafter say to him:

set not thy mind on them, for they are found; of the truth of which he could not doubt, after he had said the above words; and which he said to make his mind easy, that he might the more cheerfully attend the feast, and be the more willing to stay all night:

and on whom is all the desire of Israel? which was to have a king; in this they were unanimous, and who so fit and proper as Saul, it is intimated, whom Samuel knew God had chosen and appointed to be king over them?

is it not on thee, and on all thy father’s house? not that the Israelites had their eye on Saul, and their desire after him to be their king, though he was such an one as they wished for; but that as this desire of theirs was granted, it would issue and terminate in him and his family; he should be advanced to the throne, which would be attended with the promotion of his father’s house, as Abner particularly, who was his uncle’s son, and was made the general of the army.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

20. Thine asses are found This must have convinced Saul that a true seer looked upon his heart.

All the desire of Israel Israel’s desire was for a king, and Samuel sees that Saul is the man to meet this desire. It is nowise improbable that Saul, the goodly, broad-shouldered youth of Gibeah, had already been talked of as a proper candidate for king, and many eyes in Israel had turned towards him with special interest. A man of great physical power and tall and commanding presence was the popular ideal of a king. And Saul filled this ideal well.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1Sa 9:20 And 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?

Ver. 20. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? ] Sed cuius est omne desiderabile Israelis? so Martyr rendereth it. And whose shall be the best, or fairest, things of Israel? a so the Vulgate after the Septuagint. See Trapp on “ Hag 2:7 “ They desire a king, and God hath pitched upon thee.

a Jerome in lib. Heb. Qu.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)