1 Samuel 10:21

When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
tribe	שֵׁ֤בֶט She.vet	H7626	a scion · noun, common masculine singular construct
Benjamin	בִּנְיָמִן֙ bin.ya.Min	H1144	Binjamin · proper noun, a man's name
near	וַיַּקְרֵ֞ב vai.yak.Rev	H7126	to approach (causatively · conjunction + verb, hiphil sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
families	לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֔יו le.mish.pe.cho.tov	H4940	a family · preposition + noun, common feminine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
family	מִשְׁפַּ֣חַת mish.Pa.chat	H4940	a family · noun, common feminine singular construct
Matri	הַמַּטְרִ֑י ha.mat.Ri	H4309	Matri · definite article + noun, gentilic masculine singular absolute
taken	וַתִּלָּכֵ֖ד va.ti.la.Khed	H3920	to catch (in a net · conjunction + verb, niphal sequential imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular
Saul	שָׁא֣וּל sha.'Ul	H7586	Shaul · proper noun, a man's name
son	בֶּן ben-	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine singular construct
Kish	קִ֔ישׁ Kish	H7027	Kish · proper noun, a man's name
taken	וַיִּלָּכֵד֙ vai.yi.la.Khed	H3920	to catch (in a net · conjunction + verb, niphal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
sought	וַיְבַקְשֻׁ֖הוּ vay.vak.Shu.hu	H1245	to search out (by any method · conjunction + verb, piel sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
found	נִמְצָֽא nim.Tza'	H4672	properly · verb, niphal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 10:17–end

Saul's nomination to the throne is here made public, in a general assembly of the elders of Israel, the representatives of their respective tribes at Mizpeh. It is probable that this convention of the states was called as soon as conveniently it might, after Saul was anointed, for, if there must be a change in their government, the sooner the better: it might be of bad consequence to be long in the doing. The people having met in a solemn assembly, in which God was in a peculiar manner present (and therefore it is said they were called together unto the Lord, Sa1 10:17), Samuel acts for God among them. I. He reproves them for casting off the government of a prophet, and desiring that of a ca…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 10:17

Samuel called the people together . . . at Mizpeh--a shaft-like hill near Hebron, five hundred feet in height. The national assemblies of the Israelites were held there. A day having been appointed for the election of a king, Samuel, after having charged the people with a rejection of God's institution and a superseding of it by one of their own, proceeded to the nomination of the new monarch. As it was of the utmost importance that the appointment should be under the divine direction and control, the determination was made by the miraculous lot, tribes, families, and individuals being successively passed until Saul was found. His concealment of himself must have been the result either of in…

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Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 10:21

When they sought him, he could not be found - Through modesty or fear he had secreted himself.

John Gill on 1 Samuel 10:21

And when he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families,.... By the heads of them, to have lots cast for them, out of which of the families the king should be chosen: the family of Matri was taken; that is, by lot; the lot fell upon that family for the choice of a king out of them: in the account of the families of the tribe of Benjamin, 1 Chronicles 8:1 no mention is made of this family, nor any where else, and yet no doubt there was such a family, and Saul was of it; it seems to have its name from the butt or mark arrows were shot at; some of the Benjamites being famous for their skill in darting and slinging, and perhaps this family might be so: and Saul the son of K…

Dictionary and topics

Divination — Of false prophets (Deut. 18:10, 14; Micah 3:6, 7, 11), of necromancers (1 Sam. 28:8), of the Philistine priests and diviners (1 Sam. 6:2), of Balaam (Josh. 13:22). Three kinds of divination are…
Kish — A bow. (1.) A Levite of the family of Merari (1 Chr. 23:21; 24:29). (2.) A Benjamite of Jerusalem (1 Chr. 8:30; 9:36). (3.) A Levite in the time of Hezekiah (2 Chr. 29:12). (4.) The great-grandfather…
Lot — (Heb. goral, a “pebble”), a small stone used in casting lots (Num. 33:54; Jonah 1:7). The lot was always resorted to by the Hebrews with strictest reference to the interposition of God, and as a…
Matri — (rain of Jehovah), a family of the tribe of Benjamin, to which Saul the King of Israel belonged. (1 Samuel 10:21)
Saul — Asked for. (1.) A king of Edom (Gen. 36:37, 38); called Shaul in 1 Chr. 1:48. (2.) The son of Kish (probably his only son, and a child of prayer, “asked for”), of the tribe of Benjamin, the first…
Benjamin · .Saul, the first king of Israel, from — .Saul, the first king of Israel, from
Benjamin, Tribe Of · Furnished the first king to Israel — Furnished the first king to Israel
King · By lot — By lot
Kish · 1. Father of Saul — 1. Father of Saul
Lot, The · Saul chosen king by — Saul chosen king by
Matri · A Benjamite — A Benjamite
Mizpah · .They crown Saul king of Israel at — .They crown Saul king of Israel at

1 Samuel 10:21

Word by word — the Hebrew

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 10:17–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 10:17

Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 10:21

John Gill on 1 Samuel 10:21

Dictionary and topics

1 Samuel 10:21

Word by word — the Hebrew

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 10:17–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 10:17

Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 10:21

John Gill on 1 Samuel 10:21

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on 1 Samuel 10:17–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Samuel 10:20

Rashi on 1 Samuel 10:21