Skip to content

1 Samuel 10

Chapter Text

Samuel Anoints Saul

Saul Made King

Summary

Saul, a tall, handsome young Benjamite, searches for his father's lost donkeys. His servant suggests consulting Samuel the seer. God has already revealed to Samuel that He will send the man who is to be anointed king. Samuel meets Saul, hosts him at a feast, and the next morning privately anoints him as prince over Israel, kissing him and declaring God's choice.

Meaning

The anointing of Saul demonstrates that even when God accommodates human demands, He remains sovereign over the selection. The king comes not by popular election but by divine appointment.

Saul's initial humility and his search for lost donkeys provide an ironic contrast to the kingdom he is about to receive. God often finds His chosen servants in the midst of ordinary, humble tasks.

Background

The territory of Benjamin, Saul's tribe, was the smallest in Israel, and Saul's clan was the least significant in Benjamin. This mirrors God's pattern of choosing the unlikely.

Anointing with oil was the means of consecrating kings and priests in Israel, symbolizing the Holy Spirit's empowerment for the appointed task.

Chapter Outline

  1. vv. 1-8Samuel privately anoints Saul and gives three signs
  2. vv. 9-13God transforms Saul and the signs are fulfilled
  3. vv. 14-16Saul conceals the kingship from his uncle
  4. vv. 17-19Samuel rebukes Israel for demanding a king
  5. vv. 20-24Saul publicly chosen by lot and acclaimed king
  6. vv. 25-27The manner of the kingdom recorded and mixed response

Key Verses

Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?10:1

The first royal anointing in Israel's history. The Hebrew word 'mashach' (anoint) is the root of 'Messiah,' making this act a type of the greater anointing to come. Samuel's phrase 'captain over his inheritance' frames kingship as stewardship, not ownership.

And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.10:6

A pivotal promise of spiritual transformation accompanying the call to leadership. The indwelling of the Spirit equips Saul for his task and signals that true authority in Israel flows from God's empowerment, not human ability.

And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.10:9

The fulfillment of Samuel's threefold sign validates Saul's calling. The phrase 'God gave him another heart' is one of the Old Testament's clearest statements about divine inner transformation preceding public service.

Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.10:22

A memorable and humanizing detail — Israel's newly chosen king is found hiding among the baggage. This moment foreshadows the tension between Saul's outward stature and his inner insecurity that will define his reign.

People & Places

People

  • SamuelProphet and judge of Israel who anoints Saul as king and oversees his public selection at Mizpeh.
  • SaulSon of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin, anointed privately by Samuel and publicly chosen by lot as Israel's first king.
  • Saul's uncleAn unnamed relative who questions Saul about his journey but is not told about the kingship.
  • KishSaul's father, a Benjamite; mentioned as the father whose son is chosen by sacred lot.

Places

  • Rachel's sepulchreThe burial site of Rachel near the border of Benjamin at Zelzah, where Saul would receive his first confirming sign.
  • ZelzahA location on the border of Benjamin near Rachel's tomb, mentioned only here in Scripture.
  • Plain of TaborA place between Rachel's tomb and the hill of God where Saul would meet three men traveling to Bethel.
  • BethelAn ancient worship site meaning 'house of God,' destination of the three men Saul encounters.
  • Hill of GodA high place near a Philistine garrison where a band of prophets worshipped; the site of Saul's prophetic experience.
  • GilgalA significant worship and gathering site where Samuel instructs Saul to wait for him to offer sacrifices.
  • MizpehThe assembly site where Samuel gathers all Israel for the public selection of a king by sacred lot.
  • GibeahSaul's hometown in Benjamin, where he returns after being chosen king, accompanied by loyal followers.

Prophecy & Fulfillment

Samuel's threefold sign (vv. 2–6) functions as short-range predictive prophecy, fulfilled precisely in verses 9–10, confirming Saul's divine appointment. The anointing with oil (v. 1) establishes the pattern of Israel's messianic expectation — the anointed king as God's chosen deliverer — which finds ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, 'the Anointed One.' God's sovereign selection of the king by lot at Mizpeh (vv. 20–21) echoes the theme that Israel's true ruler is the LORD Himself (v. 19), a tension that runs through the monarchy and into the prophetic hope for a righteous Davidic king.

Devotional

God calls and God equips. Before Saul faced a single battle, the Lord gave him 'another heart' — a reminder that divine assignments come with divine provision. We need not hide among the baggage when God has already prepared us for the task ahead.

Yet notice the mixed response: some hearts were touched by God, while others scorned the new king. Faithful service will always meet both support and opposition. Saul's quiet restraint toward his critics (v. 27) models the wisdom of not answering every detractor.

What matters most is not the crowd's applause but the certainty that 'God is with thee' (v. 7). That assurance is enough to step forward in obedience.

Literary Style

Historical narrative with embedded prophetic speech. The chapter employs a threefold sign structure (vv. 2–6) that builds dramatic tension toward fulfillment, a technique common in prophetic commissioning accounts. The lot-casting scene at Mizpeh uses narrowing selection (tribe, family, individual) for suspense. The proverbial question 'Is Saul also among the prophets?' (v. 12) introduces a recurring literary motif in the Saul cycle.