Matthew Henry

Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among…

“O what a comfort is it to all believers that our great intercessor above never ceases, is never silent, for he always appears in the presence of God for us! Samuel intercedes with God for them, and does it by sacrifice,”

When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD.

“And, if we thus confess our sins, we shall find our God faithful and just to forgive us our sins.”

When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. And when the Israelites learned of this, they feared the Philistines

“But we may be in God's way and yet meet with distress; nay, when sinners begin to repent and reform, they must expect that Satan will muster all his force against them, and set his instruments on work to the utmost to oppose and discourage…”

and said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”

“They were here unarmed, unprepared for war, come together to fast and pray, not to fight; prayers and tears therefore being all the weapons many of them are now furnished with, to these they have recourse.”

Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD.

“It was a burnt-offering, which was offered purely for the glory of God, so intimating that the great plea he relied on in his prayer was taken from the honour of God. "Lord, help thy people now for thy name's sake."”

Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”

“The place where this memorial was set up was the same where, twenty years before, the Israelites were smitten before the Philistines, for that was beside Eben-ezer, ch. iv.”

So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. “Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways.

“They knew it was in vain to court Samuel to take upon him the title and dignity of a king, but he must appoint them one.”

And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you.

“They were indeed so much the more exposed to calamities if they provoked God to anger by sin, and found they could not transgress at so cheap a rate as other nations could, which perhaps was the true reason why they desired to stand upon…”

Just as they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.

“Should he oppose the motion, it would bespeak a greater fondness of power and dominion than did become a prophet, and an indulgence of his sons.”

Now listen to them, but you must solemnly warn them and show them the manner of the king who will reign over them.”

“Rather than so, let them have a king. [3.] God knows how to bring glory to himself out of it, and to serve his own wise purposes even by their foolish counsels. (2.)”

He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to his own chariots and horses, to…

“This is the chief grandeur of princes, and the imaginary glory of great men, to have a multitude of attendants. And whence must he have these?”

When that day comes, you will beg for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you on that day.”

“Note, When we bring ourselves into distress by our own irregular desires and projects we justly forfeit the comfort of prayer and the benefit of divine aids, and, if God be not better to us than we deserve, must have our relief in our own…”

Samuel listened to all the words of the people and repeated them in the hearing of the LORD.

“Not but that God perfectly knew it, without Samuel's report; but thus he dealt faithfully between God and Israel, as a prophet, returning the answer to him that sent him; and thus he waited on God for further direction.”

Now there was a Benjamite, a powerful man, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin.

“He was of the tribe of Benjamin; so was the New-Testament Saul, who also was called Paul, and he mentions it as his honour, for Benjamin was a favourite, Rom. xi.”

One day the donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants and go look for the donkeys.”

“But his obedience to his father in it was very commendable. Seest thou a man diligent in his business, and dutiful to his superiors, willing to stoop and willing to take pains? he does as Saul stand fair for preferment.”

When they reached the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, “Come, let us go back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about…

“Children should take care that they do nothing to grieve or frighten their parents, but be tender of their tenderness.”

“Good,” said Saul to his servant. “Come, let us go.” So they set out for the city where the man of God was.

“Samuel needed not their money, nor would he have denied them his advice if they had not brought it (it is probable, when he had it, he gave it to the poor); but they brought it to him as a token of their respect and…”

So Saul and his servant went up toward the city, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel coming toward them on his way up to the high place.

“A sparrow falls not to the ground without our Father. Samuel, by an extraordinary revelation, is informed concerning Saul. He was a seer, and therefore must see this in a way peculiar to himself.”

Now on the day before Saul’s arrival, the LORD had revealed to Samuel, “At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you…

“The Hebrew phrase is, He uncovered the ear of Samuel, to which some allude for the explication of the way of God's revealing himself to us; he not only speaks, but uncovers our ear.”

Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”

“Thus is great worth oftentimes hidden under a very despicable appearance. Samuel knew that it was not the house, but the man, that he wanted, and therefore answered him, " I am the seer, the person you enquire for,"”

“I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today.

“Samuel knew him before he knew Samuel; thus, though all that are called to the kingdom of glory are brought to know God, yet first they were known of him, Gal. iv.”

Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of Benjamin?

“Saul sprang as a root out of a dry ground. That tribe, though fewest in number, was first in dignity, God giving more abundant honour to that part which lacked, 1 Cor. xii.”

Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?

“But it was only a vial of oil that he anointed him with, the vessel brittle, because his kingdom would soon be cracked and broken, and the quantity small, because he had but little of the Spirit conferred upon him to what David had, who…”

As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all the signs came to pass that day.

“A new fire was kindled in his breast, such as he had never before been acquainted with: seeking the asses is quite out of his mind, and he thinks of nothing but fighting the Philistines, redressing the grievances of Israel, making laws, administering justice, and…”

All those who had formerly known Saul and saw him prophesying with the prophets asked one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish?

“Though this school of the prophets was near his father's house, yet he had never associated with them, nor shown them any respect, perhaps had sometimes spoken slightly of them; and now to see him prophesying among them was a surprise to them, as it…”