Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 10:10

And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

10. to the hill ] Rather, to Gibeah. See note on 1Sa 10:5. The narrator cursorily mentions the fulfilment of the first and second signs, but relates the fulfilment of the third in detail, because it has an important bearing on Saul’s preparation for his new office.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

1Sa 10:10

The spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

Saul among the prophets

Suppose, now, you had come to school, thinking only of being the child of a cottager, and of earning your bread by hard labour all your days, and one upon whose word you could firmly rely came in and told you you were to be king over a mighty nation–with what feelings would you leave the school that day? Would not your thoughts and expectations be as entirely changed as if you were another child? And if, as you were leaving, you were able to speak, as it were, with a new tongue, and were endued with all wisdom and all knowledge, should we not be all ready to say you were another child? Thus was it with Saul. God gave him many gifts, but I hear not that He gave him grace–He gave him also another heart, but I read not that He gave him a heart renewed after the image of Him that created him. And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. There is something particularly solemn in this verse, and calculated to lead to great searchings of heart. Many passages of Scripture seem to point out that some poor sinners will have no idea of their mistake till they appear at the very bar of their God. Those of whom you read in Mat 25:41-46, had no suspicion of their danger, and would fain, even then, have justified themselves: but of all the awfully self-deceived, those are the most so, who even think they have done much for Christ, and come to claim a reward, and find that neither they nor their works are acknowledged by Him. Those are not a few, but many; they had prophesied–cast out devils–done many wonderful things–but had never experienced that only saving wonder the being born again. Beware, there is something infectious in the outside of religion; even the love of imitation may lead to this, or a desire to keep in favour with a godly family; and I have known some conclude, of course such an one must be good, because he lives among such good people. Alas! alas! the secret tolling day shall disclose a different tale, and the Sauls and the Balaams shall stand forth in their true colours, to receive the due reward of their deeds (Helen Plumptre.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 10. Behold, a company of prophets] See on 1Sa 10:5, &c.

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

Then the accomplishment of the two former signs is supposed, and this only of the third is expressed, because this was more eminent and public than the former: the other were only transient acts, which passed in private between two or three persons meeting together, and passing by one another; but this was a more permanent and more notorious sign, done in a more solemn manner, and before many and very considerable witnesses.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

When they came thither to the hill,…. Or, to Gibeah, as the Targum, and so Josephus e:

behold, a company of prophets met him; as foretold, 1Sa 10:5,

and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he prophesied among them; the spirit of prophecy, as the Targum, and he sung praises among them; he joined with them in their psalmody, and performed it as regularly as if he had been brought up with them. The Jews say f he prophesied of the world to come, of Gog and Magog, and of the rewards of the righteous, and of the punishment of the wicked.

e Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 4. sect. 2.) f Hieron. Trad. Heb. fol. 75. H.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(10) To the hill.To the hill: more accurately rendered, to Gibeah. This was the home of Saul; the estate of the house of Kish lay evidently in the immediate vicinity of Gibeah, henceforward to be known as Sauls royal city, Gibeah of Saul. As he walked, the Spirit of God came upon him, we read. The coming of the Spirit of God upon him may be looked on as the sequel of that Divine gift of the new heart bestowed on him in the early morning, when he left Ramah. The changed heart was a fit home for that Divine Spirit which came on him in the eventide, as he drew near to his ancestral city.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

1Sa 10:10. And when they came thither to the hill We refer to the notes on the latter part of the 19th chapter for a relation of the particulars mentioned in this verse.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

(10) And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

It should seem that this gift of prophecying was considered as a prelude to an advance of rank. We have a similar instance: Num 11:16-17 .

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

1Sa 10:10 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

Ver. 10. The Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied. ] As it were for company. Good men, as civet or musk, cast a sweet scent about them, and perfume the air they breathe on. See Trapp on “ 1Sa 10:6 “ Bonitatem suam aliis affricant.

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