1 Samuel 9:24
in 1 Samuel 9So the cook picked up the leg and what was attached to it and set it before Saul. Then Samuel said, “Here is what was kept back. It was set apart for you. Eat, for it has been kept for you for this occasion, from the time I said, ‘I have invited the people.’” So Saul dined with Samuel that day.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the cook took up the thigh, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold, that which hath been reserved! set it before thee and eat; because unto the appointed time hath it been kept for thee, for I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.
KJV
And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 9
Commentary
12 notes on this verseThe shoulder, and that which was upon it - Probably the shoulder was covered with a part of the caul, that it might be the better roasted. The Targum has it the shoulder and its thigh; not only the shoulder merely, but the fore-leg bone to the knee; perhaps the whole fore-quarter. Why was the shoulder set before Saul? Not because it was the best part, but because it was an emblem of the government to which he was now called. See Isa 9:6: And the government shall be upon his Shoulder.
This site's exposition
seated them in the place of honor
on 1 Samuel 9:22-24
Samuel seats Saul “in the place of honor among those who were invited” and has the cook bring the leg set aside. Samuel's words, “It was set apart for you”, show the meal was arranged before Saul set out after the donkeys, matching the word of verse 16. A stranger off the road is served the reserved portion at a feast prepared for him.
This site's exposition
So the cook picked up the leg
Albert Barnes notes that the right shoulder was the priest's portion in the Levitical sacrifices. He takes this cut for Samuel's own portion, set before Saul as the highest honour. Matthew Henry reads it as Samuel yielding his place.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 11 -- On Abstinence · Written before 523.
proposed
Now although this meat is a burden unto the wise and prudent, yet was it given by promise unto Noah, and it was sent unto Elijah in a gift, and Abraham received God and His angels thereby, and Isaac was pleased to pour out blessings …
The Medieval Church3 voices
And Saul ate with Samuel that day, etc. And the Lord preached with John in the city shining with grace, until John was sent into prison, saying of the people who would believe in him: "I have food to eat that you do not know …
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 4, Chapter 4 · Written before 604.
proposed
But it should be noted that the cook placed the shoulder before Saul, and yet Samuel instructed Saul to place it before himself. What does this mean? A steward usually places a dish on the table before those reclining; and when the one reclining draws it toward himself, he places closer before himself what was a little farther away.
And Samuel said: "Behold what remains, I place it before you," etc. John spoke to Christ, proclaiming the marvels of His divine power: "All those whom I could call to faith and repentance, I persuaded to give effort to virtue. But because we are conceived …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
32 ); the next in honour to that was the left shoulder, which probably was always allotted to those that sat at the upper end of the table, and was wont to be Samuel's mess at other times; so that his giving it to Saul now was an implicit resignation of his place to him.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
I said - When I first spake that I had invited the people to join with me in my sacrifice, and then to partake with me of the feast, I then bade the cook reserve this part for thy use.
And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the cook took up the shoulder . . . and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left; set it before thee, and eat--that is, reserved (see on Ge 18:7; This was, most probably, the right shoulder; which, as the perquisite of the sacrifice, belonged to Samuel, and which he had set aside for his expected guest.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The shoulder and its appurtenances - would give the sense accurately. The right shoulder was the priest’s portion in the Levitical sacrifices. Probably it was Samuel’s own portion in this case, and he gave it to Saul as a mark of the highest honor.
The words behind it
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֣רֶם | vaiyarem | and he lifted up | H7311 → | 190 times |
| הַ֠טַּבָּח | hataboch | the cook | H2876 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַשּׁ֨וֹק | hashok | the thigh | H7785 → | |
| וְהֶעָלֶ֜יהָ | vehealeiha | and the on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וַיָּ֣שֶׂם׀ | vaiyasem | and he put [it] | H7760 → | 584 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| שָׁא֗וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הִנֵּ֤ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| הַנִּשְׁאָר֙ | hanishar | the [part which] remains | H7604 → | 133 times |
| שִׂים־ | sim- | set [it] | H7760 → | 584 times |
| לְפָנֶ֣יךָ | lefaneikha | <to> before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אֱכֹ֔ל | ʾekhol | eat [it] | H398 → | 810 times |
| כִּ֧י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לַמּוֹעֵ֛ד | lamoed | to the appointed time | H4150 → | 223 times |
| שָֽׁמוּר־ | shamur- | [it was] kept | H8104 → | 468 times |
| לְךָ֥ | lekha | for <the> you | ||
| לֵאמֹ֖ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הָעָ֣ם׀ | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| קָרָ֑אתִי | karati | I have invited | H7121 → | 733 times |
| וַיֹּ֧אכַל | vaiyokhal | and he ate | H398 → | 810 times |
| שָׁא֛וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל | shemuel | Samuel | H8050 → | 141 times |
| בַּיּ֥וֹם | baiyom | on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַהֽוּא׃ | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
וַיָּ֣רֶםand he lifted up
vaiyaremH7311 →190 times
הַ֠טַּבָּחthe cook
hatabochH2876 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַשּׁ֨וֹקthe thigh
hashokH7785 →
וְהֶעָלֶ֜יהָand the on it
vehealeihaH5921 →5755 times
וַיָּ֣שֶׂם׀and he put [it]
vaiyasemH7760 →584 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
שָׁא֗וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הִנֵּ֤הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
הַנִּשְׁאָר֙the [part which] remains
hanisharH7604 →133 times
שִׂים־set [it]
sim-H7760 →584 times
לְפָנֶ֣יךָ<to> before you
lefaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
אֱכֹ֔לeat [it]
ʾekholH398 →810 times
כִּ֧יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לַמּוֹעֵ֛דto the appointed time
lamoedH4150 →223 times
שָֽׁמוּר־[it was] kept
shamur-H8104 →468 times
לְךָ֥for <the> you
lekha
לֵאמֹ֖ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
הָעָ֣ם׀the people
haamH5971 →1873 times
קָרָ֑אתִיI have invited
karatiH7121 →733 times
וַיֹּ֧אכַלand he ate
vaiyokhalH398 →810 times
שָׁא֛וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
שְׁמוּאֵ֖לSamuel
shemuelH8050 →141 times
בַּיּ֥וֹםon the day
baiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַהֽוּא׃<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 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
Exodus 29:27Consecrate for Aaron and his sons the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the heave offering that is lifted up from the ram of ordination.
it leads to
- Leviticus 7:31–34
The priest is to burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Numbers 18:11
And this is yours as well: the offering of their gifts, along with all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I have given this to you and your sons and daughters as a permanent…
- Leviticus 10:15
They are to bring the thigh of the contribution and the breast of the wave offering, together with the fat portions of the offerings made by fire, to wave as a wave offering before…
- Deuteronomy 18:3
This shall be the priests’ share from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether a bull or a sheep: the priests are to be given the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach.
- Leviticus 7:31–34
Through
Ezekiel 24:4Put in the pieces of meat, every good piece—thigh and shoulder—fill it with choice bones.
it leads to
- Micah 3:2–3
You hate good and love evil. You tear the skin from my people and strip the flesh from their bones.
- Micah 3:2–3
Through
Exodus 29:22Take the fat from the ram, the fat tail, the fat covering the entrails, the lobe of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh (since this is a…
it leads to
- Exodus 29:13
Take all the fat that covers the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar.
- Leviticus 10:14
And you and your sons and daughters may eat the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution in a ceremonially clean place, because these portions have been assigned to you…
- Numbers 18:18
And their meat belongs to you, just as the breast and right thigh of the wave offering belong to you.
- Exodus 29:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonJudges to monarchySamuelAsked of God by Hannah and lent to the LORD at Shiloh; the last judge and first of the prophets after Moses, who anointed both Sau…
- PersonUnited monarchySaulIsrael's first king, head and shoulders above the people; began in humility, ended in rejection — sparing what God devoted, consul…
This page draws on 9 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 4; 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; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 11 -- On Abstinence.