1 Samuel 9:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: As they went up the hill to the city, they met young women coming out to draw water and said to them, "Is the seer here?"

NIV: As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water, and they asked them, "Is the seer here?"

NASB: As they went up the slope to the city, they found young women going out to draw water, and they said to them, 'Is the seer here?'

CSB: As they were climbing the hill to the city, they found some young women coming out to draw water and asked, "Is the seer here?"

NLT: As they were climbing the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water. So Saul and his servant asked, 'Is the seer here today?'

KJV: And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here?

NKJV: As they went up the hill to the city, they met some young women going out to draw water, and said to them, “Is the seer here?”

First Samuel 9:1–14 begins the story of Saul, first king of Israel. Saul and his servant spend three days looking for lost donkeys before seeking help. They ask for the local seer—the original term for a "prophet"—and are sent to Samuel. Neither man realizes they are expected and that the Lord has special plans for Saul.

The story of Saul, first king of Israel, begins with him searching the Ephraim hill country for lost donkeys. He stops at Ramah to ask the prophet there for help. The seer, Samuel, has been told by God to expect a man to come at this time. Samuel will anoint this man as the prince of Israel. Samuel makes Saul the guest of honor at a sacrificial feast and then brings him home to sleep on his roof. As Saul is leaving town the next day, Samuel stops and says it is time to reveal the word of God to Saul.

The people of Israel have demanded a king (1 Samuel 8:4–5). Here, the Lord introduces Samuel to Saul, who would become the nation's first ruler (1 Samuel 10:24). Saul and his servant stop at Ramah looking for his family's donkeys. God has told Samuel to anoint Saul as the prince of Israel. After eating with Samuel as an honored guest, Saul prepares to leave, but Samuel has more to tell him (1 Samuel 10:1). Saul would quickly fall into disobedience (1 Samuel 15:10–11); David would eventually take his place (1 Samuel 16:12–13).

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.

Accessed 11/21/2024 1:35:55 PM