1 Samuel 9:6
in 1 Samuel 9“Look,” said the servant, “in this city there is a man of God who is highly respected; everything he says surely comes to pass. Let us go there now. Perhaps he will tell us which way to go.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is a man that is held in honor; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can tell us concerning our journey whereon we go.
KJV
And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 9
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd he said unto him,.... That is, the servant of Saul: behold, now, there is in this city a man of God; a prophet of the Lord, as the Targum; such were called men of God, because not only partakers of the grace of God, but of extraordinary gifts, which qualified them for the office of prophets.
This site's exposition
Perhaps he will tell us which way to go
on 1 Samuel 9:6-8
The servant knows the town has a man of God, and “everything he says surely comes to pass”. Saul's objection is practical, since “there is no gift to take to the man of God”, and the servant's “quarter shekel of silver” becomes the gift. The custom of bringing a present to a man of God recurs at First Kings 14:3, when Jeroboam's wife carries bread to Ahijah.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church3 voices
He said to him: Behold, there is a man of God in this city, etc. For this is the patience and faith of the saints, this is continuous love, this long expectation seeing from afar and greeting the joy of the Lord's incarnation and the …
Saul said to his servant: Behold, we will go, etc. Saul, indeed, and his servant were wandering, in that they thought to seek the gifts of prophecy from the man of God, and therefore they were disturbed in vain, because they had not even taken …
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 4, Chapter 4 · Written before 604.
proposed
He calls Samuel a man of God, in whom we have already said that the preachers of Holy Church are designated. He is indeed called a man out of reverence for his holy manner of life, and everything he speaks is declared to come without ambiguity: because whatever he threatens concerning eternal punishments, whatever he promises to the just concerning eternal joy, comes to pass just as he announces it, and the impious shall go away to punishment and the elect to glory.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Acquaintance with the things of God, and serviceableness to the kingdom of God, put true honour upon men, and make them great. This was the honour of Samuel, as a man of God, that all he saith comes surely to pass. This was observed concerning him when he was a young prophet ( ch. iii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
But it is probable that at the introduction of the prophetic office, the seers had discovered things lost or stolen, and thus their power for higher revelations was gradually established.
The words behind it
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| ל֗וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| הִנֵּה־ | hineh- | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| נָ֤א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| אִישׁ־ | ʾish- | a man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֱלֹהִים֙ | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| בָּעִ֣יר | bair | [is] in the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| הַזֹּ֔את | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| וְהָאִ֣ישׁ | vehaish | and the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| נִכְבָּ֔ד | nikhbad | [is] honored | H3513 → | 113 times |
| כֹּ֥ל | kol | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יְדַבֵּ֖ר | yedaber | he speaks | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| בּ֣וֹא | bo' | actually <come> | H935 → | 2568 times |
| יָב֑וֹא | yavo' | it comes | H935 → | 2568 times |
| עַתָּה֙ | ʾatah | now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| נֵ֣לֲכָה | nelakhah | let us go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| שָּׁ֔ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| אוּלַי֙ | ʾulai | perhaps | H194 → | 45 times |
| יַגִּ֣יד | yagid | he will tell | H5046 → | 370 times |
| לָ֔נוּ | lanu | to <the> us | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דַּרְכֵּ֖נוּ | darkenu | journey our | H1870 → | 707 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הָלַ֥כְנוּ | halakhnu | we have walked | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| עָלֶֽיהָ׃ | ʾaleiha | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
ל֗וֹto <the> him
lo
הִנֵּה־here!
hineh-H2009 →843 times
נָ֤אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
אִישׁ־a man of
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
אֱלֹהִים֙God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
בָּעִ֣יר[is] in the city
bairH5892 →1090 times
הַזֹּ֔את<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 times
וְהָאִ֣ישׁand the man
vehaishH376 →1663 times
נִכְבָּ֔ד[is] honored
nikhbadH3513 →113 times
כֹּ֥לall
kolH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁר־that
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יְדַבֵּ֖רhe speaks
yedaberH1696 →1141 times
בּ֣וֹאactually <come>
bo'H935 →2568 times
יָב֑וֹאit comes
yavo'H935 →2568 times
עַתָּה֙now
ʾatahH6258 →433 times
נֵ֣לֲכָהlet us go
nelakhahH1980 →1546 times
שָּׁ֔םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
אוּלַי֙perhaps
ʾulaiH194 →45 times
יַגִּ֣ידhe will tell
yagidH5046 →370 times
לָ֔נוּto <the> us
lanu
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דַּרְכֵּ֖נוּjourney our
darkenuH1870 →707 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
הָלַ֥כְנוּwe have walked
halakhnuH1980 →1546 times
עָלֶֽיהָ׃on it
ʾaleihaH5921 →5755 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
1 Timothy 6:11But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 2:22
Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
- 1 Timothy 4:12
Let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
- 2 Timothy 3:17
so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.
- Hebrews 12:14
Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
- 2 Peter 1:5–7
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;
- 2 Timothy 2:22
Through
1 Kings 13:1Suddenly, as Jeroboam was standing beside the altar to burn incense, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 12:32–33
And Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar; he made this offering in Bethel to…
- 2 Kings 23:17
Then the king asked, “What is this monument I see?” And the men of the city replied, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and pronounced these things…
- 1 Kings 12:32–33
Through
1 Thessalonians 2:10You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous, and blameless our conduct was among you who believed.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 1:5
because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with great conviction—just as you know we lived among you for your sake.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Samuel

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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 Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
