Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 9:22
And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlor, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which [were] about thirty persons.
22. the parlour ] Or, the chamber, a room at the high place specially used for sacrificial feasts. In later times the word was applied to the “chambers” in the precincts of the temple used for the residence of priests and Levites, and for sacred purposes in general.
made them sit in the chiefest place ] Lit. “gave them a place at the head of those who were invited.” “Chiefest” is an instance of the double superlatives common in the E. V. Cp. “most highest.” See the Bible Word Book.
about thirty persons ] Only the more distinguished citizens would be specially invited to the chamber. The rest would feast in the open air outside.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The parlour – The hall or cell attached to the chapel on the high place, in which the sacrificial feast was accustomed to be held. (Compare 1Ch 9:26.)
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 22. Brought them into the parlour] It might as well be called kitchen; it was the place where they sat down to feast.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He honoured his servant for Sauls sake; thereby both giving all the guests occasion to think how great that person was, or should be, whose very servant was advanced above the chief persons of the city, who were doubtless present upon this occasion; and showing how far himself was from envying Saul that honour and power, which was to be translated from him to Saul.
Made them sit in the chiefest place; thereby to raise all their expectation, and to prepare them for giving that honour to Saul which his approaching dignity required.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
22. Samuel took Saul and hisservant, and brought them into the parlourThe toil-worn butnoble-looking traveller found himself suddenly seated among theprincipal men of the place and treated as the most distinguishedguest.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour,…. The dining room of the house, which belonged to the high place:
and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden; and who very probably were the principal persons in the city; and yet Saul was placed at the head of them by Samuel, to convince him that what he had said to him was in earnest, and to do him honour before all the people; and for the sake of him, and to show his respect to him, he placed his servant; his minister, also in the chief place with him; what was reckoned the highest and most honourable places at table,
[See comments on Mt 23:6]. The guests were placed by the master of the feast according to their rank; and the dignity of the person, as Jarchi observes, was known by his manners and place of sitting:
which were about thirty persons; more or less; Josephus n says seventy, disagreeing with the text, the Targum, Syriac and Arabic versions, but agreeing with the Septuagint.
n Antiqu. l. 6. c. 4. sect. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Samuel Honors Saul. 1Sa. 9:22-27
22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them in the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons.
23 And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee.
24 And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.
25 And as they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house.
26 And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.
27 And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I may show thee the word of God.
15.
Why did Samuel reserve a piece of meat for Saul? 1Sa. 9:23-24
Samuel had already addressed Saul as the most outstanding Israelite of his time. To signify his honor for Saul he had reserved the best part of the sacrificial animal for Saul. Some understand this reference to that which was upon it, to that broth which was poured over it. No doubt it was that which was attached to it. A strange interpretation has made this to be the kidney and that which was over it, but the kidney was to be burned upon the altar in the case of all the slain sacrifices (Lev. 3:4). Only the flesh of the animals offered in sacrifice was used in the sacrificial meal. What was attached to the leg must have been the fat upon the flesh. The leg is the largest and best portion and was a piece of honor for Saul (Gen. 43:34).
16.
Why were they on the top of the house? 1Sa. 9:25
Palestinian houses had flat roofs. They were places for retirement for private conversation (Deu. 22:8). It was while he was on the housetop that Peter received a vision to go to the Gentiles (Act. 10:9), and many other references are made to activities of this kind on the roof of the houses.
17.
Why was Samuel secretive about anointing Saul? 1Sa. 9:26
Samuel wanted Saul to get away early in the morning. Boaz had urged Ruth to leave his threshing floor before one could know another (Rth. 3:14). Samuel did not allow Sauls servant to hear the conversation. Samuel may have entered into private conversation concerning the moral degradation of the people, their clamor for the king, the oppression of the heathen, the inability of the Israelites to stand against their foes, the necessity for a conversion of the people and the need for a leader who was devoted to God. Such discussions are best conducted in secret when they concern only two particular individuals.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(22) And Samuel took Saul.The seer gave Saul no answer to this question, in which the young mans wonderment was expressed that one so insignificant should be chosen for so high a destiny. Samuel merely wished, in the first instance, to awaken new and grander thoughts and aspirations in this young heart, and without reply he proceeded to conduct his guests to the scene of the sacrifice on the high place. In the guest-chamber, where thirty of the most distinguished persons present at the solemn sacrifice were assembled. Samuel places Saul and his companion, no doubt to their great surprise, in the principal seats. The parlour is an unfortunate rendering of the Hebrew word here, which signifies the cell, or chamber attached to the building on the high place, for such purposes as the present. These solemn sacrificial meals were the usual adjuncts of a solemn sacrifice.
Not only was Saul thus highly honoured in public as the future king, but his servant also. If, as tradition tells us, this servant was Doeg the Edomite, he, too, on this occasion had a foretaste of his future position, an earnest of the rank and power which he would receive when one of Sauls great officers of state.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
22. Parlour is rendered chamber, 2Ki 23:11; Neh 13:5; Jer 35:4; Eze 40:45-46. Here it means the dining room set apart for Samuel and the thirty distinguished guests chief citizens of the place who were invited to eat with him. The rest of the people probably ate of the sacrifice in the open air.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Samuel Honours Saul At The Feast And Then Explains To Him Privately What It Is All About ( 1Sa 9:22-26 ).
To the astonishment of Saul and his servant they now found themselves as guests of honour at the sacrificial meal, were seated in the chiefest place, and received the honoured portion.
Analysis.
a
b And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said unto you, Set it by you.” And the cook took up the thigh, and what was on it, and set it before Saul (1Sa 9:23-24 a).
c And Samuel said, “Look, that which has been reserved! Set it before you and eat, because it been has kept for you until the appointed time, for I said, I have invited the people” (1Sa 9:24 b).
b So Saul ate with Samuel that day (1Sa 9:24 c).
a And when they were come down from the high place into the city, he conversed with Saul on the housetop. And they arose early, and it happened about the spring of the day, that Samuel called to Saul on the housetop, saying, “Up, that I may send you away.” And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, from the house (literally ‘abroad, outside’) (1Sa 9:25-26).
Note that in ‘a’ Samuel takes Saul and his servant to the high place and into the guest chamber, and honours him, and in the parallel they leave the high place and Saul learns what it means before being sent away. In ‘b’ the special portion is set before Saul and in the parallel Saul eats with Samuel the prophet of YHWH indicating the special, bond between them. Centrally in ‘c’ the significance of the act is revealed.
1Sa 9:22
‘ And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the guest-chamber, and made them sit in the chiefest place among those who were bidden, who were about thirty persons.’
Then Samuel led Saul and his servant into the guest-chamber at the Sanctuary, and gave them the highest place among all the guests. There were about thirty distinguished persons there (they would almost certainly have been distinguished in order to be invited into the special guest-chamber, and especially so as Samuel had invited them there to meet God’s appointee), and no doubt they were dressed in their finest. Saul and his servant must have felt a little uncomfortable, even though they would have groomed themselves ready to meet the seer. But this was no ordinary situation. Samuel’s aim was the presentation and exaltation and of Saul before important people.
1Sa 9:23
‘ And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said unto you, Set it by you.” ’
Then Samuel sent to the cook for the special portion which he had specifically set aside for YHWH’s expected appointee. Saul was receiving royal treatment.
1Sa 9:24
‘ And the cook took up the thigh, and what was on it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, “Look, that which has been reserved! Set it before you and eat, because it been has kept for you until the appointed time, for I said, I have invited the people.” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.’
The thigh was the special portion reserved for the sacrificing priests and their guests (Lev 7:32). Thus to receive a portion of the thigh was a special honour. And this was set before Saul with the words, ‘Look, this has been reserved for you. Set it before you and eat.’ Then Samuel added, ‘It has been kept for you until the appointed time’. This was deliberately in order to bring out that this was Saul’s moment of destiny as determined by YHWH. It was not only for Saul’s sake but for the sake of the guests. Samuel knew that it was most important that the right impression be made among these important guests, for their support would be vital for Saul’s acceptance. We can, however, imagine how the young man’s head must have been spinning. A few hours before he had been on the trail of his father’s asses. Now here he was being feted as the guest of honour and prospective war-leader in the presence of some of the most important people in Israel.
“For I said, I have invited the people.” We should probably paraphrase this as meaning ‘since the time when I said, I have invited the people.’ The emphasis is on the fact that all this had been made ready beforehand from the very moment that Samuel had sent out the invitations to these important men in readiness for the one whom YHWH would send to them when he came at the appointed time.
“So Samuel ate with Saul that day.” To eat together was to indicate friendship and welcome. Thus by this Samuel is welcoming Saul into a special relationship with himself as the prophet of YHWH.
1Sa 9:25
‘ And when they were come down from the high place into the city, he conversed with Saul on the housetop.’
The meal over they returned from the high place to Samuel’s house, and once they were there Samuel took Saul onto the flat roof to talk with him. We must assume that there he revealed all that YHWH had said to him, and possibly a great deal more. No doubt he used his long experience to try and put Saul at ease about what was to be expected of him. It was a lot for the young man to take in. Verse 26 reveals that this was also where Saul would sleep. At certain times of the year it was preferable to sleeping inside, and as the honoured guest the privilege was given to Saul.
1Sa 9:26
‘And they arose early, and it happened about the spring of the day, that Samuel called to Saul on the housetop, saying, “Up, that I may send you away.” And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, from the house (abroad).’
Rising early was common practise among busy men, and thus as the day dawned all would rise from their beds and prepare for the day. Then Samuel called up to Saul to prepare to leave for home, because it was now time that he returned. Then they both left the house together because Samuel still had something that he wanted to do which required privacy.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
(22) And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons. (23) And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee. (24) And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.
The respect shown Saul by the prophet, plainly intimated somewhat very important. We cannot but admire Samuel’s conduct upon this occasion. Though the making Saul king tended to the lessening Samuel’s sons, yet in obedience to the command of God, the prophet did it with the greatest cheerfulness.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Sa 9:22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which [were] about thirty persons.
Ver. 22. And made them sit in the chiefest place. ] He envied not Saul’s new dignity, though it were to the diminution of his own: sed excipit eum et tractat humanissime atque honorificentissime; a but giveth him the place.
a Piscat.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
in the chiefest: Gen 43:32, Luk 14:10
Reciprocal: Gen 43:34 – was five times
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Sa 9:22. In the chiefest place Thereby to raise their expectation, and to prepare them for giving that honour to Saul which his approaching dignity required.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
9:22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the {m} parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which [were] about thirty persons.
(m) Where the feast was.