1 Samuel 10:5
in 1 Samuel 10After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistines have an outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they will be prophesying:
KJV
After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy:
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This verse in 1 Samuel 10
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The company of prophets were, doubtless, the pupils at this seminary, which had probably been instituted by Samuel, and in which the chief branches of education taught were a knowledge of the law, and of psalmody with instrumental music, which is called "prophesying" (here and in 1Ch 25:1, 7).
This site's exposition
where the Philistines have an outpost
on 1 Samuel 10:5-7
Gibeah of God lies “where the Philistines have an outpost”, at the edge of the enemy's hold on Saul's land. This “group of prophets” appears here first and returns under Samuel at 19:20, and later under Elijah and Elisha. The Spirit of the LORD rushing on Saul so he is “transformed into a different person” marks God fitting a man for a work he did not choose.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 4, Chapter 5 · Written before 604.
proposed
12. A hill is the height of a mountain. What is more rightly understood by this hill than the holy intent of the Scriptures? It is indeed the height of a mountain, because it does not lie on the plain of the letter, but is exceedingly elevated in the sublimity of spiritual meanings. The untrained preacher therefore sets out on the right path of virtues if, after he has seen the public preachers and the secluded anchorites, he sees and recognizes the height of Scripture.
After these things, you will come to the hill of God, where the station of the Philistines is, etc. Understand the hill of God to be Gabatha, the city which is interpreted as a hill. Therefore, the Lord, coming to the height of His divine …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Prophets - By prophets he understands persons that wholly devoted themselves to religious studies and exercises. For the term of prophesying is not only given to the most eminent act of it, foretelling things to come; but also to preaching, and to the making or singing of psalms, or songs of praise to God.
After that thou shall come to the hill of God,....
But we have no reason to look for the same benefit by it now, unless we saw it as effectual as it was then in Saul's case, to drive away the evil spirit. These prophets had been at the high place, probably offering sacrifice, and now they came back singing psalms.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The hill of God - The Targum says, “The hill on which the ark of the Lord was. Calmet supposes it to be a height near Gibeah. The garrison of the Philistines - Probably they kept a watch on the top of this hill, with a company of soldiers to keep the country in check. A company of prophets - A company of scribes, says the Targum. Probably the scholars of the prophets; for the prophets seem to have been the only accredited teachers, at particular times, in Israel; and at this time there does not appear to have been any other prophet besides Samuel in this quarter. Probably the teacher of this school was not an inspired man, but one acting under the direction of Samuel. Mr. Harmer thinks that the following custom among the Mohammedans greatly illustrates this obscure place: “When the children have gone through the Koran, their relations borrow a fine horse and furniture, and carry them about the town in procession, with the book in their hand, the rest of their companions following, and all sorts of music of the country going before. Dr. Shaw, in p. 195, mentions the same custom; adding the acclamations of their school-fellows, but taking no notice of the music. We have no reason, however, to doubt the fact on account of the doctor’s silence; especially as it relates to another part of Barbary, and is given us by those who resided some years in that country. The doctor makes no use of this circumstance relating to the education of youth in Barbary; but the account of the procession above given seems to be a lively comment on that ancient Jewish custom mentioned in these verses. That the word prophet often signifies sons or scholars of the prophets, and that prophesying often implies singing, has been already remarked; but no author that I know of has given any account of the nature of this procession, or its design. […]
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Hill of God - Rather, “Gibeah” of God, and so in 1Sa 10:10. Two things are clear; “one” that Saul had got home when he got to Gibeah of God, for there he found his uncle, and no further journeying is so much as hinted at, and the same word “Gibeah” describes his home at 1Sa 10:
The words behind it
25 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַ֣חַר | ʾachar | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| כֵּ֗ן | ken | thus | H3651 → | 771 times |
| תָּבוֹא֙ | tavo' | you will come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| גִּבְעַ֣ת | givat | Gibeah of | H1390 → | 45 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שָׁ֖ם | sham | [are] there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| נְצִבֵ֣י | netzivei | [the] garrisons of | H5333 → | 11 times |
| פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים | felishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| וִיהִי֩ | vihi | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כְבֹאֲךָ֨ | khevoakha | when coming you | H935 → | 2568 times |
| שָׁ֜ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| הָעִ֗יר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| וּפָגַעְתָּ֞ | ufaga'ta | and you will meet | H6293 → | 46 times |
| חֶ֤בֶל | chevel | a company of | H2256 → | |
| נְבִיאִים֙ | neviim | prophets | H5030 → | 314 times |
| יֹרְדִ֣ים | yoredim | coming down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| מֵֽהַבָּמָ֔ה | mehabamah | from the high place | H1116 → | 102 times |
| וְלִפְנֵיהֶ֞ם | velifneihem | and [will be] <to> before them | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| נֵ֤בֶל | nevel | lyre | H5035 → | 38 times |
| וְתֹף֙ | vetof | and tambourine | H8596 → | |
| וְחָלִ֣יל | vechalil | and flute | H2485 → | |
| וְכִנּ֔וֹר | vekhinor | and harp | H3658 → | 42 times |
| וְהֵ֖מָּה | vehemah | and they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| מִֽתְנַבְּאִֽים׃ | mitnabeim | [will be] prophesying | H5012 → | 115 times |
אַ֣חַרafter
ʾacharH310 →715 times
כֵּ֗ןthus
kenH3651 →771 times
תָּבוֹא֙you will come
tavo'H935 →2568 times
גִּבְעַ֣תGibeah of
givatH1390 →45 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
אֲשֶׁר־where
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
שָׁ֖ם[are] there
shamH8033 →834 times
נְצִבֵ֣י[the] garrisons of
netziveiH5333 →11 times
פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים[the] Philistines
felishtimH6430 →287 times
וִיהִי֩and it will be
vihiH1961 →3559 times
כְבֹאֲךָ֨when coming you
khevoakhaH935 →2568 times
שָׁ֜םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
הָעִ֗ירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
וּפָגַעְתָּ֞and you will meet
ufaga'taH6293 →46 times
חֶ֤בֶלa company of
chevelH2256 →
נְבִיאִים֙prophets
neviimH5030 →314 times
יֹרְדִ֣יםcoming down
yoredimH3381 →381 times
מֵֽהַבָּמָ֔הfrom the high place
mehabamahH1116 →102 times
וְלִפְנֵיהֶ֞םand [will be] <to> before them
velifneihemH6440 →2123 times
נֵ֤בֶלlyre
nevelH5035 →38 times
וְתֹף֙and tambourine
vetofH8596 →
וְחָלִ֣ילand flute
vechalilH2485 →
וְכִנּ֔וֹרand harp
vekhinorH3658 →42 times
וְהֵ֖מָּהand they
vehemahH1992 →553 times
מִֽתְנַבְּאִֽים׃[will be] prophesying
mitnabeimH5012 →115 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Kings 3:15But now, bring me a harpist.” And while the harpist played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 16:23
And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play, and Saul would become well, and the spirit of distress would depart from him.
- Ephesians 5:18–19
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
- Ezekiel 1:3
the word of the LORD came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Kebar. And there the LORD’s hand was upon him.
- 1 Kings 18:46
And the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah, and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
- Ezekiel 8:1
In the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me; and there the hand of the Lord…
- 1 Samuel 16:23
Through
1 Samuel 19:20he sent messengers to capture him. But when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came upon them, and Saul’s messengers also began to prophesy.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 10:5–6
After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistines have an outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joel 2:28
And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
- John 7:32
When the Pharisees heard the crowd whispering these things about Jesus, they and the chief priests sent officers to arrest Him.
- 1 Samuel 10:5–6
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 4, Chapter 5; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and W. G. Blaikie, The First Book of Samuel (Expositor's Bible).