What signs and commands does Samuel give Saul before the public selection at Maspha?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Samuel anoints Saul and predicts encounters at Rachel’s tomb, Thabor’s oak and the hill of God, where Saul will prophesy and be changed. He also tells Saul to go before him to Galgal and wait seven days until he comes to show what to do.

Chapter breakdown

Samuel takes a little vial of oil, pours it on Saul’s head, kisses him and says the Lord anoints him prince over his inheritance to deliver the people from surrounding enemies. He gives a sign of that anointing. Departing that day, Saul will meet two men by Rachel’s sepulchre in Benjamin’s southern borders, who will say the asses are found and his father, no longer thinking of them, worries for them and asks what to do for his son. Farther on at Thabor’s oak he will meet three men going up to God at Bethel: one carries three kids, one three loaves and one a bottle of wine. They will salute him and give two loaves, which he must accept. Challoner separately says Bethel then had God’s altar and was one of Samuel’s judging places.

Next Saul will come to the hill of God, where the Philistine garrison is. In the city he will meet prophets coming down from the high place, prophesying, with psaltery, timbrel, pipe and harp before them. The Lord’s Spirit will come upon Saul; he will prophesy with them and be changed into another man. When the signs happen, he may do whatever his hand finds because the Lord is with him. He must go down before Samuel to Galgal; Samuel will come so he may offer an oblation and peace victims. He must wait seven days until Samuel arrives and shows him what to do. Challoner separately identifies the hill as Gabaa, then having a high place or altar. He explains these prophets’ office as singing hymns and praise, called prophesying in Scripture, citing 1 Paralipomenon, also 1 Chronicles, 15:22 and 25:1. He says colleges or schools then trained such prophets and it seems one was on this hill and another at Najoth in Ramatha, citing 1 Kings 19:20–21 and following. His seeming identification stays qualified. The Galgal note separately says an altar of God was there by dispensation.

When Saul turns to leave Samuel, God gives him another heart, and all these things come to pass that day. At the hill prophets meet him, the Lord’s Spirit comes upon him and he prophesies among them. Those who knew him yesterday and the day before ask what happened to Cis’s son and whether Saul is also among prophets. One answers by asking who their father is, and the Saul question becomes a proverb. Challoner separately explains father as teacher or superior, with the sense of who could bring about the change making Saul a prophet. After prophesying Saul goes to the high place. His uncle asks him and his servant where they went. They say they sought the asses and, not finding them, went to Samuel. The uncle asks what Samuel said. Saul reports that the asses are found but does not tell him the kingdom matter Samuel spoke of.

Samuel gathers the people to the Lord at Maspha. He gives the Lord God of Israel’s words: he brought Israel from Egypt and delivered them from Egyptians and all kings who afflicted them. That day they have rejected their God, who alone saved them from all evils and tribulations, insisting on a king. Samuel tells them to stand by tribes and families before the Lord. Bringing all tribes, the lot falls on Benjamin; among its kindreds it falls on Metri, then comes to Saul, Cis’s son. They cannot find him and consult the Lord whether he will come. The Lord says he is hidden at home. They run and fetch him; among the people he stands above all from his shoulders upward. Samuel points to the Lord’s chosen man, with none like him among them, and all cry that God save the king.

Samuel tells the people the kingdom’s law, writes it in a book and lays it before the Lord, then sends each person to his house. Saul returns to his own house in Gabaa with part of the army whose hearts God has touched. The children of Belial question whether this fellow can save them, despise him and bring no presents. Saul acts as though he has not heard.

The story inside

The anointing precedes detailed signs and an instruction to wait at Galgal. God gives Saul another heart, the signs happen that day and his prophesying prompts questions and a proverb. He tells his uncle about the asses while withholding the kingdom matter. Samuel later gathers Israel and repeats the Lord’s deliverance and rejection charge before the lot narrows from tribe to kindred to Saul. Saul is absent until the Lord identifies his location at home and they fetch him. Acclamation is followed by the written law, departures, an army escort and opponents’ contempt, which Saul treats as unheard. The actual notes explain the places and prophetic terms separately.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The signs include concrete counts and objects. Two men, three worshippers, three kids, three loaves, a bottle and two given loaves precede the four instruments and promised change. The seven-day wait is a command in addition to those signs.
2
The source distinguishes speech from motives. Saul reports found asses to his uncle but withholds the kingdom; later he acts as if he has not heard contempt. Neither action comes with a stated reason of modesty, prudence or political strategy.
3
The public selection has a recorded sequence. Benjamin, Metri and Saul are selected, he is fetched from the place called home and the people acclaim him. Samuel then writes the law in a book and places it before the Lord; the book’s contents are not supplied here.

Test your recall

Which signs, quantities and waiting command does Samuel give, how does Saul’s prophesying lead to a proverb, and how does the lot lead to fetching, acclamation and the written law?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 29055–29082
1 Kings Chapter 10 Saul is anointed. He prophesieth, and is changed into another man. Samuel calleth the people together, to make a king: the lot falleth on Saul. 10:1. And Samuel took a little vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said: Behold, the Lord hath anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance, and thou shalt deliver his people out of the hands of their enemies, that are round about them. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that God hath anointed thee to be prince. 10:2. When thou shalt depart from me this day, thou shalt find two men by the sepulchre of Rachel in the borders of Benjamin to the south, and they shall say to thee: The asses are found which thou wentest to seek: and thy father, thinking no more of the asses, is concerned for you, and saith: What shall I do for my son? 10:3. And when thou shalt depart from thence, and go farther on, and shalt come to the oak of Thabor, there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine. Bethel.... Where there was at that time an altar of God; it being one of the places where Samuel judged Israel. 10:4. And they will salute thee, and will give thee two loaves, and thou shalt take them at their hand.
Lines 29084–29110
10:5. After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is: and when thou shalt be come there into the city, thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place, with a psaltery, and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp before them, and they shall be prophesying. The hill of God.... Gabaa, in which there was also at that time, a high place or altar.—Prophets.... These were men whose office it was to sing hymns and praises to God; for such in holy writ are called prophets, and their singing praises to God is called prophesying. See 1 Par. alias 1 Chr. 15.22, and 25.1. Now there were in those days colleges, or schools for training up these prophets; and it seems there was one of these schools at this hill of God; and another at Najoth in Ramatha. See 1 Kings 19.20, 21, etc. 10:6. And the Spirit of the Lord shall come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be changed into another man. 10:7. When therefore these signs shall happen to thee, do whatsoever thy hand shall find, for the Lord is with thee. 10:8. And thou shalt go down before me to Galgal, (for I will come down to thee), that thou mayst offer an oblation, and sacrifice victims of peace: seven days shalt thou wait, till I come to thee, and I will shew thee what thou art to do. Galgal.... Here also by dispensation was an altar of God.
Lines 29112–29142
10:9. So when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave unto him another heart, and all these things came to pass that day. 10:10. And they came to the foresaid hill, and behold a company of prophets met him: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he prophesied in the midst of them. 10:11. And all that had known him yesterday and the day before, seeing that he was with the prophets, and prophesied, said to each other: What is this that hath happened to the son of Cis? is Saul also among the prophets? 10:12. And one answered another, saying: And who is their father? therefore it became a proverb: Is Saul also among the prophets? Their father.... That is, their teacher, or superior. As much as to say, Who could bring about such a wonderful change as to make Saul a prophet? 10:13. And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place. 10:14. And Saul’s uncle said to him, and to his servant: Whither went you? They answered: To seek the asses: and not finding them, we went to Samuel. 10:15. And his uncle said to him: Tell me what Samuel said to thee. 10:16. And Saul said to his uncle: He told us that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom of which Samuel had spoken to him, he told him not.
Lines 29144–29172
10:17. And Samuel called together the people to the Lord in Maspha: 10:18. And he said to the children of Israel: Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all the kings who afflicted you. 10:19. But you this day have rejected your God, who only hath saved you out of all your evils and your tribulations: and you have said: Nay: but set a king over us. Now therefore stand before the Lord by your tribes, and by your families. 10:20. And Samuel brought to him all the tribes of Israel, and the lot fell on the tribe of Benjamin. 10:21. And he brought the tribe of Benjamin and the kindreds thereof, and the lot fell upon the kindred of Metri, and it came to Saul, the son of Cis. They sought him therefore, and he was not found. 10:22. And after this they consulted the Lord whether he would come thither. And the Lord answered: Behold he is hidden at home. 10:23. And they ran and fetched him thence: and he stood in the midst of the people, and he was higher than any of the people from the shoulders and upward. 10:24. And Samuel said to all the people: Surely you see him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people. And all the people cried and said: God save the king.
Lines 29174–29185
10:25. And Samuel told the people the law of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord: and Samuel sent away all the people, every one to his own house. 10:26. Saul also departed to his own house in Gabaa: and there went with him a part of the army, whose hearts God had touched. 10:27. But the children of Belial said: Shall this fellow be able to save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents; but he dissembled as though he heard not.