Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 9:2
And he had a son, whose name [was] Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and [there was] not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward [he was] higher than any of the people.
2. whose name was Saul ] Heb. Shl = “asked.” It occurs as the name ( a) of an Edomite prince (Gen 36:37-38); ( b) of a son of Simeon (Gen 46:10); ( c) of a Kohathite in the genealogy of Samuel (1Ch 6:24); ( d) of Saul of Tarsus, “who is also called Paul” (Act 7:58, &c.); and thus it became “the most distinguished name in the genealogies of the tribe of Benjamin,” in the N.T. as well as in the O.T. (Php 3:5).
a choice young man, and a goodly ] Choice and goodly. Cp. 1Sa 10:24. Physical qualifications of stature, strength and beauty are a natural commendation for the dignity of a king, especially in warlike ages. Euripides speaks of , ‘form worthy to rule.’
Ajax appears in Homer ( Il. III. 227) as
“Towering o’er all with head and shoulders broads;”
and Turnus, in Virgil ( Aen. VII. 784),
“Out-tops the foremost chieftains by a head.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 2. From his shoulders and upwards] It was probably from this very circumstance that he was chosen for king; for, where kings were elective, in all ancient times great respect was paid to personal appearance.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And a goodly, Heb. good, i.e. comely and personable, as that word is used, Gen 6:2; as evil is put for deformed, Gen 41:19.
He was higher than any of the people: a tall stature was much valued in a king in ancient times, and in the eastern countries.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. Saul, a choice young man, and agoodlyHe had a fine appearance; for it is evident that he musthave been only a little under seven feet tall. A gigantic stature andan athletic frame must have been a popular recommendation at thattime in that country.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he had a son whose name was Saul,…. Of this name was the great apostle of the Gentiles before his conversion, and was of the same tribe also; but very different in stature; he was a little man, this a large tall man, like his father perhaps;
a choice young man, and a goodly; 1Sa 2:1 of a goodly aspect, a comely man, tall and well shaped, in the prime of his age, a very agreeable person, one among a thousand:
and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he; meaning not for the endowments of his mind, or his moral character and behaviour. There might be as good, or better men than he, on such accounts, but for his outward appearance, his bodily shape, and the dignity of his person:
from his shoulders and upwards he was higher than any of the people; this description of him is enlarged upon and explained, to show that he was just such a person the people were desirous of having king over them, such an one as the nations about them had; and it was usual with the eastern people, and so with the Greeks and Romans, to choose persons to the highest offices of magistracy that made a personable appearance superior to others, and is what they often take notice of, as a recommendation of them as princes. Herodotus l reports of the Ethiopians, that they judged the largest of the people, and him who had strength according to his size, most worthy to be king. And the same writer observes m, that among the many thousands of men of the army of Xerxes, there was not one who for comeliness and largeness was so worthy of the empire as Xerxes himself; so Ulysses, because of his height, was the more acceptable to the people of Corfu n; so Alexander’s captains, it is said o, might be thought to be kings for their beautiful form, height of body, and greatness of strength and wisdom. Julius Caesar is said to be of high stature; and so Domitian p; Virgil q represents Turnus as in body more excellent than others, and by the entire head above them; and Anchises as walking statelier and higher than the rest r; among the many encomiums Pliny s gives of Trajan, as to his outward form and appearance, this is one, “proceritas corporis”, height of body, being higher than others; the Gentiles had a notion that such men came nearer to the deities, and looked more like them; so Diana is described as taller than any of the nymphs and goddesses t. Solomon, according to Josephus u, chose such young men to ride horses, and attend his person, when he himself rode, who were conspicuous for their height, and greatly above others.
l Thalia, sive, l. 3. c. 20. m Polymnia, sive, l. 7. c. 187. n Homer. Odyss. 8. ver. 20, 21. o Justin. e Trogo, l. 13. c. 1. p Sueton. Vit. Caesar. c. 45. Domitian. c. 18. q Aeneid. l. 7. ver. 783, 784. & 9. ver. 29. r Ib. l. 8. ver. 162. s Panegyr. c. 4, 22. t “Tamen altior illis ipsa dea est”. Ovid. Metam. l. 3. fab. 2. ver. 180, 181. u Antiqu. l. 8. c. 7. sect. 3.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(2) A choice young man, and a goodly.The Hebrew word which is rendered in English by a choice young man cannot signify both these epithets. The translators were probably influenced by the Vulg. (Latin) Version, which translates the Hebrew word by electus, chosen, or choice, the more common signification of the Hebrew word being avoided, owing to the fact that at this time Saul appears to have had a son (Jonathan) who must have well-nigh reached his maturity. But the term young was not inappropriate to Saul, who was still in the full vigour of manhood as contrasted with the old age of Samuel, being about forty to forty-five years old. Translate then simply, a young man, &c. In the childhood of nations heroic proportions were highly valued, and the gigantic stature and the remarkable beauty of the king, no doubt contributed to the ready acceptance on the part of the still semi-barbarous Israel of the young man Saul. (Comp. Herodotus, 3:20, 7:187; Aristotle, Polit., 4:29; and Virgils description of Turnus, neid, 7:650, 783; and Homers words about Ajax, Iliad, iii. 226.)
The asses.Literally, And the she-asses. At this period of Jewish history asses were much used by the people. The horse was forbidden by the Law. Asses were used not only for purposes of agriculture, but also for riding; so in the song of Deborah we find, Speak, ye that ride on white asses (Jdg. 5:10); and again we read of the thirty sons of Jair, the Gileadite judge, each one ruler of a city, who rode on thirty ass colts (Jdg. 10:4). These belonging to the farm of Kish, being probably kept for breeding purposes, were untethered, and so strayed from the immediate neighbourhood, and were lost.
The whole of this chapter and part of the following is full of picturesque details of the pastoral life of the people. In many of the little pictures we see how strongly at this early period the religion of the Eternal coloured almost all parts of the every-day life of Israel.
One of the servants.The servant, not slave; the Hebrew word for the latter would be different. The servant was evidently a trusty dependant of the house of Sauls father, and was on familiar terms with his young master. We hear of his giving wise advice in the course of the search (1Sa. 9:6); he was the one in charge of the money (1Sa. 9:8); and this servant, we are especially told, was treated by Samuel the judge as an honoured guest at the sacrificial feast at Ramah. He was traditionally believed to have been Doeg the Edomite, afterwards so famous as one of the most ruthless of the great captains of King Saul. (See 1Sa. 22:18.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. A choice young man, and a goodly In the vigour and prime of early manhood, and of a beautiful countenance.
Higher than any of the people Great respect was paid by the ancients to a noble presence. Herodotus (iii, 20) says of the Ethiopians: “They confer the sovereignty upon the man whom they consider to be of the largest stature, and to possess strength proportionable to his size.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Sa 9:2. A choice young man, and a goodly Almost all ancient writers supply us with proofs of the singular regard which, in early days, was had to appearance and person in the choice of monarchs. See Doughty’s Annal. Sacr. Excurs. 76.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
1Sa 9:2 And he had a son, whose name [was] Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and [there was] not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward [he was] higher than any of the people.
Ver. 2. And he had a son, whose name was Saul. ] Which signifieth desired or sought after: Nomen, Omen.
A choice young man, and a goodly.
There was none a goodlier person than he.] This won him much respect with the vulgar, that he was Os humerosque Deo similis, proper and comely, looking like a prince, a as the tragedian noteth of Priamus: for want of which, Agesilaus, that gallant man, was much slighted by the Persians. The French had a Philip the Fair: and Artaxerxes Longimanus was omnium hominum pulcherrimus, saith Emilius Probus, the comliest man alive.
a – Eurip.
Saul. Many points of resemblance and contrast with Saul of Tarsus.
Name = Asked for: i.e. by man.
children = sons.
choice: 1Sa 16:7, Gen 6:2, 2Sa 14:25, 2Sa 14:26, Jer 9:23
from his shoulders: 1Sa 10:23, 1Sa 17:4, Num 13:33
Reciprocal: 1Ki 1:6 – very Psa 119:96 – I have seen Act 13:21 – Cis
THE KING AFTER MANS HEART
Higher than any of the people.
1Sa 9:2
Already Sauls character crops out. Big as he was he was not trusted to go alone; the servant carried the money; he soon tired of the search for the asses and showed signs of homesickness, and he seems to have been apt only in finding difficulties where he should have been braver in conquering them. His moral nature was never equal to his physical stature. On the whole Lesson,
I. Note the wonderful goodness of God.In the previous chapter He says to Samuel, They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. In this chapter He says, I will send thee a man that he may save My people for I have looked upon My people, because their cry is come unto Me. God has always to work with imperfect instruments. Because this is so, He does not therefore throw the instruments aside.
II. Learn something about Providence.Here are two lines along which God is acting. The first is the natural course of events, the lost asses, the persevering servant, the city of the seer, the feast. These are not out of the common. The second line is supernatural, The Lord had told Samuel in his ear, had, as it were, lifted his turban and whispered into his ear of Sauls coming and destiny. When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of. This is how God works. We cannot say but that through our losses, our journeys, our accidental meetings with others, the will of God may not be working out. As Oliver Cromwell said, Do you call these bare events? The Lord pity you!
III. See what we may learn as to how to get on in life.The old German proverb runs, Do the next thing. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it. The search for the lost drove of asses was not a very noble business, yet it led to the crown. The way to rise is to stoop. The way to rule is to serve. This is a valuable lesson for those starting in life.
IV. Remark the reward of obedience.There are good traits in Saul here, as well as some that are not good. He was not too proud to do what he was bidden. He was not above being led by a servant, and he was affectionate too. Lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us, he says in urging that they had better go home.
V. Here is a little lesson in proportion.Saul was as yet unable to see which was greater and which less, the asses or the kingdom. He never did quite learn to be a king. To the end he was petty and mean, although, as has been said, he was noble in streaks. What were the asses, lost or found, compared with the fact that he was the desire of Israel and the choice of the Lord? The Christian should not be careful and troubled about many things. He who has given him Christ will surely with Christ freely give him all things.
VI. Learn what a difference there is between true and false greatness.Sauls ideal of a king did not resemble himself. It would be well for some people if they could believe how royal they may be. Nor did Saul recognize Samuel. Probably he had never heard much about him. His servant knew better than he to whom to turn. And when they saw Samuel neither servant nor master knew him. They asked him the way to his own house. The best people in the world are not known by the world. God works His will by unrecognized prophets and uncrowned kings. He does so now. Perhaps a prophet or a king is in this congregation!
Illustrations
(1) There is a custom in Spain which allows any one the privilege, when the king passes in his carriage through the streets of Madrid, to run beside it and throw petitions at him. Not long ago an old woman darted towards the kings carriage, but a policeman, mistaking her motive, seized her roughly and threw her into the crowd. Instantly the king ordered the carriage to be stopped, and, jumping down, ran back to the policeman. Why did you touch that woman? he demanded. You must never lay your hands roughly upon a woman. You have done very ill. Then he turned to the old lady and, raising his hat, said, I will take your petition, madam. And as she handed it to him, he thanked her, and bowed. That is a pretty story, and suggests the lofty courtesy which properly belongs to a king.
(2) There was another Saul, who could say, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision. It had been better for the son of Kish if he had been like the young Pharisee from Tarsus. We, too, have Divine calls in our lives, and alas! we, too, not seldom hide ourselves among the stuff, and try to avoid taking up some heavy duty by absorbing our minds in material good. Few things have greater power of obscuring the heavenly vision, and of rendering us unwilling to obey it, than the clinging to the things of this world, which are in their place as the travellers luggage, needful on the road but very much out of their place when they become a hiding place for a man whom God is calling to service.
9:2 And he had a son, whose name [was] Saul, a {b} choice young man, and a goodly: and [there was] not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward [he was] higher than any of the people.
(b) So that it might seem that God approved their request in appointing such a person.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes