1 Samuel 9:21

Contextual Overview

¹⁸ Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray you, where the seer's house is. ¹⁸ Just then Saul approached Samuel at the gateway and asked, "Can you please tell me where the seer's house is?" ¹⁸ Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer’s house is. ¹⁸ Saul approached Samuel at the gate and said, "Please tell me where the seer's house is." ¹⁸ As Saul approached Samuel in the middle of the gate, he said, "Please tell me where the seer's house is." ¹⁸ Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house [is]. ¹⁸ Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, Please, where the seer's house is. ¹⁸Then Saul approached Samuel in the [city] gate and said, "Please tell me where the seer's house is." ¹⁸ Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, "Tell me where is the house of the seer?" ¹⁸ Forsothe Saul neiyede to Samuel in the myddis of the yate, and seide, Y preye, schewe thou to me, where is the hows of the seere?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a Benjamite: Judges 20:46-48, Psalms 68:27

my family: 1 Samuel 10:27, 1 Samuel 15:17, 1 Samuel 18:18, 1 Samuel 18:23, Judges 6:14, Judges 6:15, Hosea 13:1, Luke 14:11, Ephesians 3:8

so to me: Heb. according to this word

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 10:22 - hid 1 Samuel 14:51 - Kish 2 Samuel 7:18 - Who am I 1 Chronicles 17:16 - what is Luke 1:29 - what

Cross-References

Genesis 6:9
These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.

Genesis 6:9
These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, [and] perfect in his generations: Noah walked with God.

Genesis 6:9
This is the family history of Noah. Noah was a good man, the most innocent man of his time, and he walked with God.

Genesis 6:9
This is the account of Noah. Noah was a godly man; he was blameless among his contemporaries. He walked with God.

Genesis 6:9
These [are] the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man, [and] perfect in his generations, [and] Noah walked with God.

Genesis 6:9
This is the history of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God.

Genesis 6:9
These are the records of the generations (family history) of Noah. Noah was a righteous man [one who was just and had right standing with God], blameless in his [evil] generation; Noah walked (lived) [in habitual fellowship] with God.

Genesis 6:9
These ben the generaciouns of Noe. Noe was a iust man and perfit in hise generaciouns; Noe yede with God,

Genesis 6:9
These [are] births of Noah: Noah [is] a righteous man; perfect he hath been among his generations; with God hath Noah walked habitually.

Genesis 6:9
This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Saul answered and said, am not I a Benjamite,.... Or the son of Jemini, the name of one of his ancestors, see 1 Samuel 9:1 or rather, as the Targum, a son of the tribe of Benjamin:

of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? having been greatly reduced, even to the number of six hundred men, by the fatal war between that tribe and the rest, on account of the Levite's concubine, and is called little Benjamin, Psalms 68:27.

and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? the smallest in number, had the least share of authority in the tribe, and of land and cattle, wealth and substance:

wherefore then speakest thou so to me? Saul presently understood Samuel's meaning, that he should be chosen king of Israel, the affair of a king being at this time in everyone's mind and mouth; but could not believe that one of so small a tribe, and which sprung from the youngest son of Jacob, and of so mean a family, would be raised to such dignity, but that a person of great figure and character would be settled upon; and, therefore he took Samuel to be in joke, as Josephus m says, and not in earnest.

m Antiqu. l. 6. c. 4. sect. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The tribe of Benjamin, originally the smallest of all the tribes Numbers 1:36, if Ephraim and Manasseh are reckoned as one tribe, had been nearly annihilated by the civil war recorded in Judges 20:0. It had of course not recovered from that terrible calamity in the time of Saul, and was doubtless literally much the smallest tribe at that time. Nothing could be more improbable, humanly speaking, than that this weak tribe should give a ruler to the mighty tribes of Joseph and Judah.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 9:21. Am not I a Benjamite — This speech of Saul is exceedingly modest; he was now becomingly humble; but who can bear elevation and prosperity? The tribe of Benjamin had not yet recovered its strength, after the ruinous war it had with the other tribes, Judges 20:29-46.