1 Samuel 9:8
in 1 Samuel 9The servant answered him again. “Look,” he said, “I have here in my hand a quarter shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God, and he will tell us our way.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have in my hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.
KJV
And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 9
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThe fourth part of a shekel of silver - We find from the preceding verse, that the bread or provisions which they had brought with them for their journey was expended, else a part of that would have been thought a suitable present; and here the fourth part of a shekel of silver, about ninepence of our money, was deemed sufficient: therefore the present was intended more as a token of respect than as an emolument.
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
The servant answered him again
A quarter shekel of silver was a small sum, which Albert Barnes puts at about sixpence. Adam Clarke reads it as a token of respect toward the man of God, offered once the bread had run out. The gift comes from the servant.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 4, Chapter 4 · Written before 604.
proposed
Let the servant therefore say: "Let us go there, if perhaps he may show us about our way." But let Saul look upon himself as empty—because the Holy Spirit, while he instructs the senses of those living uprightly, makes them now bold, now timid. Bold indeed, so that they may venture forth; timid, lest they become proud. He impels them to seek what is necessary; he holds them back, lest by presuming too much they fall into the vice of rashness.
Behold, a fourth part of a silver shekel is found in my hand, etc. Understand that the silver shekel represents the perfection of human salvation, which progresses toward praising God; it attains its complete solidity through the increase of four parts: for in the Old …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the servant answered Saul again, and said,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the fourth part of a shekel of silver--rather more than sixpence. Contrary to our Western notions, money is in the East the most acceptable form in which a present can be made to a man of rank.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The fourth part of a shekel - In value about sixpence. Probably the shekel, like our early English silver coins, was divided into four quarters by a cross, and actually subdivided, when required, into half and quarter shekels.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤סֶף | vaiyosef | and he repeated | H3254 → | 212 times |
| הַנַּ֙עַר֙ | hanaar | the servant | H5288 → | 239 times |
| לַעֲנ֣וֹת | laanot | to answer | H6030 → | 331 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שָׁא֔וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| וַיֹּ֕אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הִנֵּה֙ | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| נִמְצָ֣א | nimtza' | [is] found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| בְיָדִ֔י | veyadi | in hand my | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| רֶ֖בַע | reva' | a fourth part of | H7253 → | |
| שֶׁ֣קֶל | shekel | a shekel of | H8255 → | 88 times |
| כָּ֑סֶף | kasef | silver | H3701 → | |
| וְנָֽתַתִּי֙ | venatati | and I will give [it] | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לְאִ֣ישׁ | leish | to [the] man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְהִגִּ֥יד | vehigid | and he will tell | H5046 → | 370 times |
| לָ֖נוּ | lanu | to <the> us | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דַּרְכֵּֽנוּ׃ | darkenu | journey our | H1870 → | 707 times |
וַיֹּ֤סֶףand he repeated
vaiyosefH3254 →212 times
הַנַּ֙עַר֙the servant
hanaarH5288 →239 times
לַעֲנ֣וֹתto answer
laanotH6030 →331 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שָׁא֔וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
וַיֹּ֕אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הִנֵּה֙here!
hinehH2009 →843 times
נִמְצָ֣א[is] found
nimtza'H4672 →455 times
בְיָדִ֔יin hand my
veyadiH3027 →1618 times
רֶ֖בַעa fourth part of
reva'H7253 →
שֶׁ֣קֶלa shekel of
shekelH8255 →88 times
כָּ֑סֶףsilver
kasefH3701 →
וְנָֽתַתִּי֙and I will give [it]
venatatiH5414 →2011 times
לְאִ֣ישׁto [the] man of
leishH376 →1663 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
וְהִגִּ֥ידand he will tell
vehigidH5046 →370 times
לָ֖נוּto <the> us
lanu
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דַּרְכֵּֽנוּ׃journey our
darkenuH1870 →707 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Samuel
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 and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).