1 Samuel 9:2

1Sa 9:2 And he had a son, whose name [was] Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and [there was] not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward [he was] higher than any of the people.

Ver. 2. And he had a son, whose name was Saul.] Which signifieth desired or sought after: Nomen, Omen.

A choice young man, and a goodly.] Heb., Good. That is of a good nature and disposition, saith Lyra. So perhaps he was at first: as was also Nero for the first five years of his reign, so that Seneca sets him forth for a singular example of clemency. Saul proved to be the reigning hypocrite, by whom "the people were ensnared." {Job 34:30} It is threatened as a heavy curse, "If you still trespass against me, I will set princes over you that shall hate you." {Lev 26:17}

There was none … a goodlier person than he.] This won him much respect with the vulgar, that he was Os humerosque Deo similis, proper and comely, looking like a prince, {a} as the tragedian noteth of Priamus: for want of which, Agesilaus, that gallant man, was much slighted by the Persians. The French had a Philip the Fair: and Artaxerxes Longimanus was omnium hominum pulcherrimus, saith Emilius Probus, the comliest man alive.

{a} αξιον ειδος τυραννιδος - Eurip.

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.

9:2 Saul’s mere appearance—most handsome . . . taller than anyone else—inspired loyalty among the people (see 10:23; cp. 16:12; 2 Sam 14:25-26).

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

So that it might seem that God approved their request in appointing out such a person.

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

Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly--He had a fine appearance; for it is evident that he must have been only a little under seven feet tall. A gigantic stature and an athletic frame must have been a popular recommendation at that time in that country.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 2. From his shoulders and upwards] It was probably from this very circumstance that he was chosen for king; for, where kings were elective, in all ancient times great respect was paid to personal appearance.

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

(2) A choice young man, and a goodly.—The Hebrew word which is rendered in English by “a choice young man” cannot signify both these epithets. The translators were probably influenced by the Vulg. (Latin) Version, which translates the Hebrew word by electus, “chosen, or choice,” the more common signification of the Hebrew word being avoided, owing to the fact that at this time Saul appears to have had a son (Jonathan) who must have well-nigh reached his maturity. But the term young was not inappropriate to Saul, who was still in the full vigour of manhood as contrasted with the old age of Samuel, being about forty to forty-five years old. Translate then simply, “a young man,” &c. In the childhood of nations heroic proportions were highly valued, and the gigantic stature and the remarkable beauty of the king, no doubt contributed to the ready acceptance on the part of the still semi-barbarous Israel of the young man Saul. (Comp. Herodotus, 3:20, 7:187; Aristotle, Polit., 4:29; and Virgil’s description of Turnus, Æneid, 7:650, 783; and Homer’s words about Ajax, Iliad, iii. 226.)

The asses.—Literally, And the she-asses. At this period of Jewish history asses were much used by the people. The horse was forbidden by the Law. Asses were used not only for purposes of agriculture, but also for riding; so in the song of Deborah we find, “Speak, ye that ride on white asses” (Jdg_5:10); and again we read of the thirty sons of Jair, the Gileadite judge, each one ruler of a city, who rode on thirty ass colts (Jdg_10:4). These belonging to the farm of Kish, being probably kept for breeding purposes, were untethered, and so strayed from the immediate neighbourhood, and were lost.

The whole of this chapter and part of the following is full of picturesque details of the pastoral life of the people. In many of the little pictures we see how strongly at this early period the religion of the Eternal coloured almost all parts of the every-day life of Israel.

One of the servants.—The “servant,” not “slave;” the Hebrew word for the latter would be different. The servant was evidently a trusty dependant of the house of Saul’s father, and was on familiar terms with his young master. We hear of his giving wise advice in the course of the search (1Sa_9:6); he was the one in charge of the money (1Sa_9:8); and this servant, we are especially told, was treated by Samuel the judge as an honoured guest at the sacrificial feast at Ramah. He was traditionally believed to have been Doeg the Edomite, afterwards so famous as one of the most ruthless of the great captains of King Saul. (See 1Sa_22:18.)

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

2. whose name was Saul] Heb. Shâûl = “asked.” It occurs as the name (a) of an Edomite prince (Gen_36:37-38); (b) of a son of Simeon (Gen_46:10); (c) of a Kohathite in the genealogy of Samuel (1Ch_6:24); (d) of Saul of Tarsus, “who is also called Paul” (Act_7:58, &c.); and thus it became “the most distinguished name in the genealogies of the tribe of Benjamin,” in the N.T. as well as in the O.T. (Php_3:5).

a choice young man, and a goodly] Choice and goodly. Cp. 1Sa_10:24. Physical qualifications of stature, strength and beauty are a natural commendation for the dignity of a king, especially in warlike ages. Euripides speaks of εῖδος ἄξιον τυραννίδος, ‘form worthy to rule.’

Ajax appears in Homer (Il. III. 227) as

“Towering o’er all with head and shoulders broads;”

and Turnus, in Virgil (Aen. VII. 784),

“Out-tops the foremost chieftains by a head.”

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.

And he had a son whose name was Saul,.... Of this name was the great apostle of the Gentiles before his conversion, and was of the same tribe also; but very different in stature; he was a little man, this a large tall man, like his father perhaps:

a choice young man, and a goodly; Sa1 2:1 of a goodly aspect, a comely man, tall and well shaped, in the prime of his age, a very agreeable person, one among a thousand:

and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he; meaning not for the endowments of his mind, or his moral character and behaviour. There might be as good, or better men than he, on such accounts, but for his outward appearance, his bodily shape, and the dignity of his person:

from his shoulders and upwards he was higher than any of the people; this description of him is enlarged upon and explained, to show that he was just such a person the people were desirous of having king over them, such an one as the nations about them had; and it was usual with the eastern people, and so with the Greeks and Romans, to choose persons to the highest offices of magistracy that made a personable appearance superior to others, and is what they often take notice of, as a recommendation of them as princes. Herodotus (l) reports of the Ethiopians, that they judged the largest of the people, and him who had strength according to his size, most worthy to be king. And the same writer observes (m), that among the many thousands of men of the army of Xerxes, there was not one who for comeliness and largeness was so worthy of the empire as Xerxes himself; so Ulysses, because of his height, was the more acceptable to the people of Corfu (n); so Alexander's captains, it is said (o), might be thought to be kings for their beautiful form, height of body, and greatness of strength and wisdom. Julius Caesar is said to be of high stature; and so Domitian (p); Virgil (q) represents Turnus as in body more excellent than others, and by the entire head above them; and Anchises as walking statelier and higher than the rest (r); among the many encomiums Pliny (s) gives of Trajan, as to his outward form and appearance, this is one, "proceritas corporis", height of body, being higher than others; the Gentiles had a notion that such men came nearer to the deities, and looked more like them; so Diana is described as taller than any of the nymphs and goddesses (t). Solomon, according to Josephus (u), chose such young men to ride horses, and attend his person, when he himself rode, who were conspicuous for their height, and greatly above others.

(l) Thalia, sive, l. 3. c. 20. (m) Polymnia, sive, l. 7. c. 187. (n) Homer. Odyss. 8. ver. 20, 21. (o) Justin. e Trogo, l. 13. c. 1. (p) Sueton. Vit. Caesar. c. 45. Domitian. c. 18. (q) Aeneid. l. 7. ver. 783, 784. & 9. ver. 29. (r) Ib. l. 8. ver. 162. (s) Panegyr. c. 4, 22. (t) "Tamen altior illis ipsa dea est". Ovid. Metam. l. 3. fab. 2. ver. 180, 181. (u) Antiqu. l. 8. c. 7. sect. 3.

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

Goodlier, better proportioned, more handsome, (Haydock) as the daughters of men are styled good, or fair, Genesis vi. 1. People seek for corporal advantages in those who command. The poets always represent their deities and heroes as taller than the rest of men. A king of Sparta was fined for marrying a little woman. (Aristotle, Polit. iv.) The Ethiopians give their highest offices to those who have the most engaging appearance. (Herodotus iii. 20.) (Calmet) --- Little people may be elegant, but never majestic or perfectly beautiful. (Aristotle, Ethic. iv. 3.) (Menochius) --- Choice, is taken in the same sense as goodly, and does not intimate that Saul was one of the elect. (Denis the Carthusian)

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).

And a goodly, Heb. good, i.e. comely and personable, as that word is used, Gen 6:2; as evil is put for deformed, Gen 41:19.

He was higher than any of the people: a tall stature was much valued in a king in ancient times, and in the eastern countries.

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

2. A choice young man, and a goodly — In the vigour and prime of early manhood, and of a beautiful countenance.

Higher than any of the people — Great respect was paid by the ancients to a noble presence. Herodotus (iii, 20) says of the Ethiopians: “They confer the sovereignty upon the man whom they consider to be of the largest stature, and to possess strength proportionable to his size.”

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

He had a son, whose name was Saul. Ie. asked, a name usually given to a firstborn son. A choice young man. This is a double translation of the Hebrew word, and consequently one half or other must be wrong. It may either be a participle, elect or choice, and is so rendered by the Syriac and Vulgate; or an adjective, young, the rendering of the Chaldee, and virtually of the Septuagint, which gives well grown. This is the preferable translation; for the word constantly occurs coupled with virgin (Deu_32:25; Isa_62:5, etc.) for one in the full flower of manhood. Saul could not, therefore, have been the runner of 1Sa_5:12, though, as we read that Jonathan his son was a grown man two or three years afterwards, (1Sa_13:2) he must have been at least thirty-five years of age, after making allowance for the early period at which the Jews married. His noble appearance and gigantic stature were well fitted to impress and overawe a semi-barbarous people, who were better able to form an estimate of his physical qualities than of the high mental and moral gifts possessed by Samuel.

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

Goodly - Comely and personable. Higher - A tall stature was much valued in a king in ancient times, and in the eastern countries.

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