Saul

The Biblical Account

Saul's story is told mainly in 1 Samuel 9–31. Saul was the son of Kish of the tribe of Benjamin, and Scripture records that "from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people" (1 Samuel 9:2). When the people of Israel demanded a king like the other nations, the prophet Samuel anointed Saul (1 Samuel 10:1). Anointing was a sign of being entrusted with an office. Saul was then chosen king by lot at Mizpeh, and after he rescued Jabesh-gilead from the Ammonites, his kingship was confirmed at Gilgal (1 Samuel 11).

Before a battle with the Philistines, Saul did not wait for Samuel but offered the burnt offering himself (1 Samuel 13). A burnt offering was a sacrifice in which the offering was consumed by fire. In the war against the Amalekites, contrary to God's command, he spared King Agag and the best of the livestock (1 Samuel 15). Because of this, Samuel declared that "to obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Samuel 15:22) and announced that Saul had been rejected as king. David was then anointed, and Scripture records that "an evil spirit from the LORD troubled" Saul (1 Samuel 16:14).

After David defeated Goliath, Saul grew jealous of David and tried to kill him several times. David twice had the opportunity to kill Saul but spared him (1 Samuel 24, 26). Before the final battle with the Philistines, Saul sought out the woman at Endor who had a familiar spirit (one who claimed to call up the spirits of the dead) (1 Samuel 28). He ultimately died in the battle on Mount Gilboa along with his son Jonathan and others (1 Samuel 31). 2 Samuel 1 contains the lament David composed for Saul and Jonathan.

Significance Within the Bible

1 Chronicles 10 records Saul's death briefly and attributes it to his transgression against the LORD and his inquiry of one who had a familiar spirit (1 Chronicles 10:13–14). In the New Testament, in Acts 13:21, Paul mentions in a sermon "Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin." Paul himself was also of the tribe of Benjamin (Philippians 3:5).

The apostle Paul's Hebrew name was also Saul (Acts 13:9), but he is a different person from Saul the king of Israel. For Paul, see the article Paul.

Interpretations and Debates

• Length of reign: In the Hebrew text of 1 Samuel 13:1, Saul's age at accession and the number of years he reigned are unclear, so translations render the verse differently. Acts 13:21 gives forty years.
• The evil spirit: Some read "an evil spirit from the LORD" as a judgment sent under God's sovereignty. Others interpret it as a description of Saul's depression or mental anguish. The claim that Saul suffered from a mental illness is a modern interpretation that the text does not state directly.
• The episode at Endor: Interpreters have long been divided between the view that Samuel actually appeared and the view that an evil spirit impersonated Samuel.
• The circumstances of his death: 1 Samuel 31 records that Saul fell upon his own sword. In 2 Samuel 1, an Amalekite claims that he killed Saul. Many interpreters hold that this Amalekite lied in order to gain credit.

In Korean Churches

In Korean church preaching, Saul is commonly presented as a contrast to David. The words of 1 Samuel 15:22, "to obey is better than sacrifice," are frequently quoted to emphasize obedience. In Sunday school, Saul is often introduced through the stories of David and Goliath and of David sparing Saul's life.

Some sermons cite the passage in which David refused to strike "the LORD's anointed" (1 Samuel 24:6) as grounds for teaching that pastors should not be criticized. Critics, however, regard this as an overextension of the text's application.