1 Samuel 9:21
in 1 Samuel 9Saul 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? So why would you say such a thing to me?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou to me after this manner?
KJV
And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?
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This verse in 1 Samuel 9
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The tribe of Benjamin, originally the smallest of all the tribes Num 1:36, if Ephraim and Manasseh are reckoned as one tribe, had been nearly annihilated by the civil war recorded in Judg. 20. It had of course not recovered from that terrible calamity in the time of Saul, and was doubtless literally much the smallest tribe at that time. Nothing could be more improbable, humanly speaking, than that this weak tribe should give a ruler to the mighty tribes of Joseph and Judah.
This site's exposition
set not thy mind on them; for they are found
on 1 Samuel 9:20-21
Samuel dismisses the errand before Saul can ask about it, then turns the conversation from lost property to a question with no easy answer, on whom is all the desire of Israel. Saul's reply measures himself by tribal arithmetic, a Benjamite of the smallest tribe and the least family in it, and the humility sounds genuine here in a way it will not by chapter 15. Samuel later reminds him of this very moment, when thou wast little in thine own sight (15:17), so his own words at this table become the standard he is later measured against.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
I will give you a proof of what I maintain, from the case of a kingdom, which does not weigh as heavily with God as the priesthood. Saul, that son of Kish, was not himself at all ambitious of becoming a king but was going in quest of his asses and came to ask the prophet about them. The prophet, however, proceeded to speak to him of the kingdom, but not even then did he run greedily after it, though he heard about it from a prophet, but drew back and deprecated it, saying, "Who am I, and what is my father's house?" What then? When he made a bad use of the honor which had been given him by God, were those words of his able to rescue him from the wrath of him who had made him king? And was he able to say to Samuel, when rebuked by him: "Did I greedily run and rush after the kingdom and sovereign power? I wished to lead the undisturbed and peaceful life of ordinary men, but you dragged me to this post of honor. Had I remained in my low estate, I should easily have escaped all these stumbling blocks, for if I were one of the obscure multitude, I should never have been set forth on this expedition, nor would God have committed to my hands the war against the Amalekites, and if I had not had it committed to me, I should not have sinned this sin." But all such arguments are weak as excuses, and not only weak but perilous, inasmuch as they rather kindle the wrath of God. For he who has been promoted to great honor by God must not advance the greatness of his honor as an excuse for his errors but should make God's special favor toward him the motive for further improvement; whereas he who thinks himself at liberty to sin because he has obtained some uncommon dignity, what does he but study to show that the lovingkindness of God is the cause of his personal transgression, which is always the argument of those who lead godless and careless lives. […]
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 4, Chapter 4 · Written before 604.
proposed
But every elect person, when he hears great things about himself, brings his own weaknesses to mind, so that he may guard himself against pride, lest he lose the good things he has. Hence it is added: Saul answered and said: "Am I not a son of Gemini, of the least tribe of Israel, and is not my kindred the last among all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken this word to me?" As if he were saying: Why do you ascribe such great things to me, when I am nothing?
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
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. His father was Kish, a mighty man of power, or, as the margin reads it, in substance; in spirit bold, in body strong, in estate wealthy.
And Saul answered and said, am not I a Benjamite,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Am not I a Benjamite - This speech of Saul is exceedingly modest; he was now becomingly humble; but who can bear elevation and prosperity? The tribe of Benjamin had not yet recovered its strength, after the ruinous war it had with the other tribes, Judges 20:29-46.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֨עַן | vaiyaan | and he answered | H6030 → | 331 times |
| שָׁא֜וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| וַיֹּ֗אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הֲל֨וֹא | halo' | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | a Ben- | H1145 → | 15 times |
| יְמִינִ֤י | yemini | jaminite | H1145 → | 15 times |
| אָ֙נֹכִי֙ | ʾanokhi | [am] I | H595 → | 359 times |
| מִקַּטַנֵּי֙ | mikatanei | from [the] small of | H6996 → | 101 times |
| שִׁבְטֵ֣י | shivtei | [the] tribes of | H7626 → | 190 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וּמִשְׁפַּחְתִּי֙ | umishpachti | and [is] clan? my | H4940 → | 303 times |
| הַצְּעִרָ֔ה | hatzeirah | the insignificant | H6810 → | |
| מִכָּֽל־ | mikol | of all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת | mishpechot | [the] clans of | H4940 → | 303 times |
| שִׁבְטֵ֣י | shivtei | [the] tribes of | H7626 → | 190 times |
| בִנְיָמִ֑ן | vinyamin | Benjamin | H1144 → | 166 times |
| וְלָ֙מָּה֙ | velamah | and <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| דִּבַּ֣רְתָּ | dibarta | have you spoken | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֵלַ֔י | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כַּדָּבָ֖ר | kadavar | according to the manner | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ ס | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
וַיַּ֨עַןand he answered
vaiyaanH6030 →331 times
שָׁא֜וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
וַיֹּ֗אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הֲל֨וֹא¿ not
halo'H3808 →5168 times
בֶן־a Ben-
ven-H1145 →15 times
יְמִינִ֤יjaminite
yeminiH1145 →15 times
אָ֙נֹכִי֙[am] I
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
מִקַּטַנֵּי֙from [the] small of
mikataneiH6996 →101 times
שִׁבְטֵ֣י[the] tribes of
shivteiH7626 →190 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וּמִשְׁפַּחְתִּי֙and [is] clan? my
umishpachtiH4940 →303 times
הַצְּעִרָ֔הthe insignificant
hatzeirahH6810 →
מִכָּֽל־of all
mikolH3605 →5413 times
מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת[the] clans of
mishpechotH4940 →303 times
שִׁבְטֵ֣י[the] tribes of
shivteiH7626 →190 times
בִנְיָמִ֑ןBenjamin
vinyaminH1144 →166 times
וְלָ֙מָּה֙and <to> why?
velamahH4100 →752 times
דִּבַּ֣רְתָּhave you spoken
dibartaH1696 →1141 times
אֵלַ֔יto me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
כַּדָּבָ֖רaccording to the manner
kadavarH1697 →1440 times
הַזֶּֽה׃ ס<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 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
Luke 14:11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
it leads to
- Luke 18:14
I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Matthew 23:12
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
- Proverbs 29:23
A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.
- James 4:6
But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Psalms 138:6
Though the LORD is on high, He attends to the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar.
- Luke 18:14
Through
Ephesians 3:8Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 15:9
For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
- Colossians 1:27
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
- 1 Timothy 1:13
I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.
- 1 Corinthians 15:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 4, Chapter 4; John Chrysostom, ON THE PRIESTHOOD 4.1; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and W. G. Blaikie, The First Book of Samuel (Expositor's Bible).