1 Samuel 9:7

1Sa 9:7 Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, [if] we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and [there is] not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?

Ver. 7. What shall we bring the man?] q.d., Incivile esset sine honorario eum accedere antea ignotum: It would be no good manners to go empty handed. See 1Ki 14:3 2Ki 4:42, and learn to show all thankful respects to God’s faithful ministers. But the word and the world is now altered. Once it was, What shall we bring the man? what have we? Now it is, What shall we take, or keep back from the man? and to rob a minister, is held neither sin nor pity.

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 9:7-8. Behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man — It was a part of the honour they did great men, in those countries, to make them a present when they had occasion to address themselves to them. Particularly their prophets were thus honoured; being men of God, before whom they judged they ought not to appear empty, but to bring them presents, either as a testimony of respect, or as a grateful acknowledgment, or for the support of the prophets themselves, or of the sons of the prophets, or of other persons in want known to them. Thus, also, it was usual to show their respect to their king, 1Sa 10:27. The fourth part of a shekel of silver — A small present, but as acceptable as the widow’s mite, being all they had left on their journey.

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

9:7 anything to offer him: Evidently, it was customary to take a gift when one sought the help of a prophet (cp. 1 Kgs 14:2-3; 2 Kgs 5:5, 15; 8:8). Some false prophets demanded gifts in return for their services (Mic 3:11). Saul’s concern might reflect the spiritual ignorance of thinking that advice from a prophet of God could be purchased (Acts 8:20).

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

Or, vittles.

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

Saul said to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man?--According to Eastern notions, it would be considered a want of respect for any person to go into the presence of a superior man of rank or of official station without a present of some kind in his hand, however trifling in value.

the bread is spent in our vessels--Shepherds, going in quest of their cattle, put up in a bag as much flour for making bread as will last sometimes for thirty days. It appears that Saul thought of giving the man of God a cake from his travelling bag, and this would have been sufficient to render the indispensable act of civility--the customary tribute to official dignity.

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 7. There is not a present to bring to the man of God] We are not to suppose from this that the prophets took money to predict future events: Saul only refers to an invariable custom, that no man approached a superior without a present of some kind or other. We have often seen this before; even God, who needs nothing, would not that his people should approach him with empty hands. "It is very common in Bengal for a person, who is desirous of asking a favour from a superior, to take a present of fruits or sweetmeats in his hand. If not accepted, the feelings of the offerer are greatly wounded. The making of presents to appease a superior is also very common in Bengal." - WARD'S Customs.

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

(7) What shall we bring?—It would seem at first strange that one like Samuel should be approached by presents, but the custom of offering gifts was in many cases an act of respectful homage to a superior rather than a mere fee. Compare, for instance, the many detailed accounts of presents offered and accepted, chronicled in the varied sacred records—such as the little present of spicery, &c, sent by Jacob to the great minister or vizier of the Pharaoh of Egypt (Gen_43:11), and the ten cheeses Jesse gave to the captain of the thousand in which his sons were serving, and in the days of the highest civilisation and culture known in Israel, the gifts offered by the Queen of Sheba to the magnificent Solomon (1Ki_10:10).

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

7. a present] A word occurring here only, to denote the present with which one approaches a great man. The cognate verb is found in Isa_57:9, “Thou wentest to the king with ointment.” For presents offered to prophets compare 1Ki_14:3; 2Ki_5:15 ff; 2Ki_8:8-9 : and for the present of bread which Saul suggests they might have given compare the “handfuls of barley and pieces of bread” received by the false prophetesses in Eze_13:19. See Smith’s Dict. of the Bible, Art. Gifts.

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.

Then Saul said to his servant, but behold, if we go,.... The Targum is,"if he receives money,''which it seems Saul was not clear in; some sort of persons that set up for prophets, and a sort of diviners and fortune tellers, did; but he could not tell whether so eminent and honourable a person as Samuel was, did; in as much he was not better known by him, who had been so many years a judge in Israel:

what shall we bring the man? it being usual, when persons addressed great men for a favour, to carry a present with them; or a man of God, a prophet of the Lord, to inquire of the Lord by him concerning any thing, see Kg1 14:2,

for the bread is spent in our vessels; the food they brought with them in their bags or scrips for their journey, this was all exhausted; not that he meant by it, that if they had had any quantity, they might present it to the man of God, though yet sometimes such things were done, as the instances before referred to show; but that since their stock of bread was gone, what money they had, if they had any, must be spent in recruiting themselves, and therefore could have none to spare to give to the man:

and there is not a present to bring to the man of God; neither bread nor money, without which he seems to intimate it would be to no purpose to go to him:

what have we? Saul knew he had none, he had spent what he brought out, with him for the journey, and he put this question to try what his servant had; unless it can be supposed it was the custom now, as afterwards among the Romans (b), for servants to carry the purse, and as it was with the Jews in Christ's time, Joh 12:6 though this may have respect not to a price of divination, but to the common custom in eastern countries, and which continues to this day with the Turks, who reckon it uncivil to visit any person, whether in authority, or an inferior person, without a present; and even the latter are seldom visited without presenting a flower, or an orange, and some token of respect to the person visited (c).

(b) A. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 20. c. 1. (c) Maundrell's Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. 26, 27.

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

Presents of bread or meat were as common as presents of money. (Compare Eze 13:19; Hos 3:2.)

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

What. Were they uninformed of the disinterestedness of Samuel? or did they think that he would sell his oracles? By no means. But the manners of the ancients were very different from ours, and people chose to shew their respect for God, the king, prophets, &c., by making them some presents. People still never go to visit one another in Syria without something of the kind, as it would be deemed uncivil or cruel to act otherwise. See 3 Kings xiv. 1., and Micheas iii. 11. --- Bread. They would have made a present of some. Saul received two loaves, chap. x. 4. See chap. xvi. 20. Hence we may form some idea of the beautiful simplicity of those ages. People were then forced to carry their own provisions, as there were no inns which supplied any. (Calmet) --- Present. Sportula means a little basket. (Haydock) --- But here it is taken for a present, as meat was commonly given. (Menochius) --- Cyrus sent his friends geese half eaten, from his own table, for greater distinction. (Xenophon) (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "what have we?" Syriac, "we have none of our provisions left." (Calmet)

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).

The bread is spent in our vessels: this he saith, because bread was not unusually given by way of present, as we see, 1Sa 10:3,4. Or bread is put for all manner of provisions, as is frequent; and among these they might have something not unfit, in these plain times, to make a present of, as clusters of raisins, or cakes of figs, such as Abigail presented to David, 1Sa 25:18. See also 1Ki 14:3; 2Ki 4:42.

There is not a present; such presents were then made to the prophets, 1Ki 14:2,3; 2Ki 4:42; 8:8; either as a testimony of respect to him as their superior; upon which account subjects made presents to their kings, 1Sa 10:27; and the Persians never came to their king without some gift: or as a grateful acknowledgment of his favour; or for the support of the prophets themselves; or of the sons of the prophets; or of other persons in want, known to them.

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

7. What shall we bring the man — “Then, as now, in the East, it would have been the height of rudeness and indecorum for any one to present himself before a superior or equal, especially if he had any request to make, without some present, more or less, according to his degree — not by any means as a fee or bribe, but in testimony of his homage, his respect, or his compliments.” — Kitto. See biblical examples of this custom in 1Sa_10:27, and the marginal references there.

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

The bread is spent in our vessels. In the East a great man is always approached with a present, and offerings of food were no doubt the most usual gifts. (1Sa_16:20) Those made to the false prophets are contemptuously described in Eze_13:19 as "handfuls of barley and pieces of bread." A present. The word is rare, and apparently is the technical name for a fee of this kind, half payment and half gift.

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

A present - Presents were then made to the prophets, either as a testimony of respect: or, as a grateful acknowledgement: or, for the support of the Prophets themselves: or, of the sons of the prophets: or, of other persons in want, known to them.

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

what can we bring the man?

Giving a gift is a sign of respect for the man of God.

man of God

This phrase usually means a prophet of Yahweh. See how you translated this in 1 Samuel 2:27. AT: "a man who hears and tells words from God"

one-fourth of a shekel

"1/4 of a shekel." A shekel is a type of money used in the Old Testament. (See: Biblical Money and Fractions)

translationWords

bread

silver

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

What shall we bring to the man. Targum Yonoson renders, 'If he accepts money, what shall we bring to the man?' Shaul was not familiar with Shmuel's habits and thought that he would ask for remuneration.

And [we have no] gift. Targum Yonoson renders, 'and there is nothing proper.' This is an expression of יוֹשֶׁר [=propriety]. Menachem, however, explains תְּשׁוּרָה as an expression of a tribute for the privilege of seeing a king or an important person; [תְּשׁוּרָה being] an expression related to אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ [meaning] 'I behold them,' and I agree with his explanation.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.