1 Samuel 9:7
in 1 Samuel 9“If we do go,” Saul replied, “what can we give the man? For the bread in our packs is gone, and there is no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?
KJV
Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?
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This verse in 1 Samuel 9
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThere is not a present to bring to the man of God - We are not to suppose from this that the prophets took money to predict future events: Saul only refers to an invariable custom, that no man approached a superior without a present of some kind or other.
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.
This site's exposition
If we do go
Adam Clarke reads Saul's worry as a settled custom, by which no one approached a superior without a present. Albert Barnes notes that gifts of bread were as common as gifts of money. Their bread is gone.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 4, Chapter 4 · Written before 604.
proposed
To this end, therefore, Saul is led by the boy, that he may be instructed: because those who are to be placed on the height of prelacy are admonished to submit themselves to the spiritual understanding of perfect preachers through their teaching. He who says this admonishes us to be led by this boy: "If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law" (Gal. 5:18). But it must be asked why it is said with hesitation: "If perhaps he may show us our way, on account of which we have come."
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
): What shall we bring the man? They could not present him, as Jeroboam's wife did Ahijah, with loaves and cakes ( 1 Kings xiv. 3 ), for their bread was spent; but the servant bethought himself that he had in his pocket the fourth part of a shekel, about seven-pence halfpenny in value, and that he would give to the man of God to direct them,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
), that all their meat and money were spent. Samuel treats him not as a common person, but a person of quality and distinction, to prepare both him and the people for what was to follow.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Then Saul said to his servant, but behold, if we go,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Presents of bread or meat were as common as presents of money. (Compare Eze 13:19; Hos 3:2.)
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| שָׁא֜וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| לְנַעֲר֗וֹ | lenaaro | to servant his | H5288 → | 239 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֣ה | vehineh | and here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| נֵלֵךְ֮ | nelekh | we will go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וּמַה־ | umah- | and what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| נָּבִ֣יא | navi' | will we bring | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לָאִישׁ֒ | laish | to the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| כִּ֤י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הַלֶּ֙חֶם֙ | halechem | the bread | H3899 → | 298 times |
| אָזַ֣ל | ʾazal | it has been used up | H235 → | |
| מִכֵּלֵ֔ינוּ | mikeleinu | from bags our | H3627 → | 325 times |
| וּתְשׁוּרָ֥ה | uteshurah | and [is] a gift | H8670 → | |
| אֵין־ | ʾein- | there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| לְהָבִ֖יא | lehavi' | to bring | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לְאִ֣ישׁ | leish | to [the] man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| מָ֖ה | mah | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| אִתָּֽנוּ׃ | ʾitanu | [is] with us | H854 → | 929 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
שָׁא֜וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
לְנַעֲר֗וֹto servant his
lenaaroH5288 →239 times
וְהִנֵּ֣הand here!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
נֵלֵךְ֮we will go
nelekhH1980 →1546 times
וּמַה־and what?
umah-H4100 →752 times
נָּבִ֣יאwill we bring
navi'H935 →2568 times
לָאִישׁ֒to the man
laishH376 →1663 times
כִּ֤יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
הַלֶּ֙חֶם֙the bread
halechemH3899 →298 times
אָזַ֣לit has been used up
ʾazalH235 →
מִכֵּלֵ֔ינוּfrom bags our
mikeleinuH3627 →325 times
וּתְשׁוּרָ֥הand [is] a gift
uteshurahH8670 →
אֵין־there not
ʾein-H369 →789 times
לְהָבִ֖יאto bring
lehavi'H935 →2568 times
לְאִ֣ישׁto [the] man of
leishH376 →1663 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
מָ֖הwhat?
mahH4100 →752 times
אִתָּֽנוּ׃[is] with us
ʾitanuH854 →929 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 8:8So the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand, go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD through him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”
it leads to
- 2 Kings 1:2
Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers and instructed them: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Kings 19:15
Then the LORD said to him, “Go back by the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.
- 2 Kings 1:2
Through
2 Kings 5:15Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “Now I know for sure that there is no God in all the earth except in…
it leads to
- Daniel 2:47
The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the God of gods and Lord of kings, the Revealer of Mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.”
- Daniel 6:26–27
I hereby decree that in every part of my kingdom, men are to tremble in fear before the God of Daniel: For He is the living God, and He endures forever; His kingdom will…
- Daniel 2:47
Through
Judges 6:18Please do not depart from this place until I return to You. Let me bring my offering and set it before You.” And the LORD said, “I will stay until you return.”
it leads to
- Genesis 18:5
And I will bring a bit of bread so that you may refresh yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant’s way. After that, you may continue on your way.” “Yes,” they replied,…
- Genesis 18:5
Through
2 Kings 4:42Now a man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with a sack of twenty loaves of barley bread from the first ripe grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha.
it leads to
- Matthew 14:16–21
“They do not need to go away,” Jesus replied. “You give them something to eat.”
- John 6:13
So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
- Matthew 14:16–21
Through
1 Kings 14:3Take with you ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will become of the boy.”
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 9:7–8
“If we do go,” Saul replied, “what can we give the man? For the bread in our packs is gone, and there is no gift to take to the man of God. What do…
- 1 Samuel 9:7–8
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 Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.