1 Samuel 9:16

1Sa 9:16 To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him [to be] captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.

Ver. 16. I will send thee a than out of the land of Benjamin.] Arcana gubernatione mea ipso aliud agente. {a} Little did Saul think of the kingdom when he came to Ramah. And as little do we think of heaven, when God by effectual calling "delivereth us from the power of darkness, and translateth us into the kingdom of his dear Son." {Col 1:13}

And thou shalt anoint him to be captain.] Unges eum Antecessorem. Public persons are leaders to others, being as the he-goats before the flock, and therefore must have double care, since they have many eyes upon them.

Out of the hand of the Philistines.] Who were now, as it may seem, confederate with the Ammonites against Israel. {1Sa 12:12}

For I have looked upon my people.] Notwithstanding their late miscarriage in rejecting mine immediate government. "Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spoke against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord." {Jer 31:20}

.Because their cry is come unto me.] As Exo 3:9. And the good people cried, Domine indignus sum, sed indigus; I am unworthy of mercy, but I much need it.

{a} Piscat.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Sa 9:16. To-morrow I will send thee a man, &c. — This shows still that all was done by God’s direction. Out of the hand of the Philistines — Though driven out of the country by Samuel, they were now ready, as appears by the following history, to invade it again; and being the constant and nearest enemies of the Israelites, they were most dreaded by them. And from these did Saul in some measure save them, and would have saved them much more, if his and the people’s sins had not hindered. For I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me — Though he would not hear their cry to relieve them from the oppressions of their kings, (1Sa 8:18,) yet he was so gracious as to make those kings instruments of their deliverance from the oppression of their cruel neighbours.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9:16 God’s directive to anoint him (by pouring olive oil on the head) marked Saul’s elevation in status and consecration for a special purpose (see Exod 30:22-33; Lev 8:12; 1 Kgs 19:16; Isa 45:1). • He will rescue them: As they had requested (1 Sam 8:20; cp. Judg 13:5). David eventually subdued the Philistines (2 Sam 5:17-25; 8:1; 21:15, 18-22). • for I have . . . heard their cry (cp. Exod 3:7-9): The Philistines were again threatening to conquer Israel and demand homage from them as vassals.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Notwithstanding their wickedness, yet God was ever mindful of his inheritance.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 16. Thou shalt anoint him to be captain] Not to be king, but to be נגיד nagid or captain of the Lord's host. But in ancient times no king was esteemed who was not an able warrior. Plutarch informs us that Alexander the Great esteemed the following verse the most correct, as to its sentiment, of any in the whole Iliad of Homer: -

Ουτος γ' Ατρειδης ευρυκρειων Αγαμεμνων,

Αμφοτερον βασιλευς τ' αγαθος, κρατερος τ' αιχμητης.

"The king of kings, Atrides, you survey;

Great in the war, and great in acts of sway."

POPE.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(16) The Philistines.—This statement evidently points to the fact—of which, a little later, we have such ample evidence—that at this juncture the Philistines were again harassing the Israelite territory with their destructive raids. The power of the Philistines was broken, but by no means destroyed, in the great battle of Mizpeh. We know that all through King Saul’s reign, and in the early days of King David, these invasions were repeated with varying success. The statement of 1Sa_7:13 must be understood not as representing that the victory of Mizpeh once and for all destroyed the Philistine power, but that from that day the power of these determined enemies of Israel began to decline. The words of 1Sa_7:13 must be taken as including the ultimate result of the great Hebrew victory. It is clear that the annoyance of these Philistine raids and incursions were the immediate cause of the prayer for a king. The desire for this form of government, no doubt, for a very long while had existed among the people, but this pressing need for a younger and more warlike leader than their old prophet. judge prompted the request to Samuel.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

16. out of the hand of the Philistines] See note on 1Sa_7:13.

I have looked upon my people] Sept. “I have looked upon the affliction, of my people.” The word might easily have fallen out of the Hebrew text. Cp. Exo_3:7; Exo_3:9.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin,.... Who without any thought or design of his own, but merely directed by the providence of God, should come to him, not expecting a kingdom; at most only to hear of his father's asses, and which way he should take to find them; missing the finding of which would and did bring him thither:

and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel; the leader, ruler, and governor of them; to which high office he was to be appointed by pouring oil upon him, and was the first king on whom this ceremony was performed, and from whence he was called the Lord's anointed:

that he may save my people out of the hands of the Philistines; who, since Samuel was grown old, made encroachments upon them, built garrisons on their borders, and made, it is very probable, incursions upon them, and ravages and oppressions of them:

for I have looked upon my people; with an eye of pity and compassion:

because their cry is come unto me; by reason of the oppressions of the Philistines, and the war they were threatened with by the Ammonites; though Abarbinel thinks this refers to their importunate cry, supplication, and request to have a king set over them.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

That he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines, etc. - These words are not very easily reconcileable with 1Sa 7:13. It is possible that the aggressive movements of the Philistines, after the long cessation indicated by 1Sa 7:13, coupled with Samuel’s old age and consequent inability to lead them to victory as before, were among the chief causes which led to the cry for a king. If this were so the Philistine oppression glanced at in this verse might in a general survey be rather connected with Saul’s times than with Samuel’s.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ruler. Hebrew, Nagid, "Leader." Septuagint, "Archon." Chaldean, "King." The Israelites demanded a king, to lead them, and to fight for them; and Homer (Iliad iii.) gives this idea of the chief magistrate, "a good king and stout warrior," which Alexander so much admired. --- Philistines. They had been repressed by Samuel; but they had begun to gain the ascendancy, so as not to suffer the Israelites to have a blacksmith among them, &c. Saul gained some victories over them, and over the other enemies of his people, towards the beginning of his reign, chap. xiii., and xiv. (Calmet) --- To me. God threatened that he would not hear them, when they should grow weary (Haydock) of their king, chap. viii. 18. But he protects his people against the efforts of their foreign enemies. (Menochius) --- Oppression of the innocent cries to heaven for vengeance. (Worthington)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

I will send thee a man; I will by my secret providence so dispose of matters, and of the hearts of Saul and his father, that Saul shall come to thee, though with another design.

That he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines; for though they were now most pressed with the Ammonites, as we read, 1Sa 12:12, yet they looked upon these as a land-flood, which they hoped would be soon up, and soon down again; but the Philistines, their constant, inveterate, and nearest enemies, they most dreaded. And from these Saul did in some measure save them, and should have saved them much more, if his and the people’s manifold sins had not hindered it.

I have looked on my people, to wit, with compassion and resolution to help them; a usual synecdoche.

Their cry, i.e. their earnest prayers to me for help.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

16. Save my people out of the hand of the Philistines — This does not imply that Israel was now in subjection to the Philistines, for after the triumph of Mizpeh (chap. 7) the Philistines were not successful in their attempts to invade the land of Israel as long as Samuel lived; but this verse, as well as chap. 1Sa_7:13, shows that the Philistines continually harassed Israel by attempts to regain their lost dominion over them.

I have looked upon my people — With an eye of compassion, and with intent to help them.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines. Though Samuel had lightened the yoke of the Philistines by his victory at Mizpah, yet he had by no means altogether broken their power. It is so constantly the habit of the historical books of the Bible to include the distant and ultimate results of an act in their account of it, that we must not conclude that what is said in 1Sa_7:13-15 was the immediate consequence of Samuel"s victory. Especially, when it said that "the hand of Jehovah was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel," it is plain that Soul"s successful wars are included in the writer"s summary of events, inasmuch as Samuel"s life was prolonged until nearly the close of that monarch"s reign. The words further show that Soul"s office was essentially military, though this is too much emphasised in the A.V, which renders by captain a word which really means prince, chief. Saul, as a Benjamite, belonged to the bravest and most warlike tribe of Israel, and one whose country was the seat of perpetual combat with the Philistines. Their cry is come unto me. Plainly, therefore, Israel was again suffering from Philistine domination.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Philistines - For though they were now most pressed with the Ammonites, yet they looked upon these as a land-flood, soon up, and soon down again: but the Philistines, their constant and nearest enemies, they most dreaded. And from these did Saul in some measure save them, and would have saved them much more, if his and the people's sins had not hindered.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.