1 Samuel 9:2: Edit history

Context

This verse is not spoken by a character; it is the narrator of 1 Samuel introducing Saul for the first time. In the preceding chapter, the people of Israel ask Samuel to "make us a king to judge us like all the nations" (1 Samuel 8:5). Verse 1 of chapter 9 introduces Kish, a Benjamite, and verse 2 introduces his son Saul: "And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people" (1 Samuel 9:2). Beginning with the next verse, Saul sets out to search for his father's lost donkeys, and along the way he meets Samuel and is anointed. Saul's great height is mentioned again in 10:23. When he has been chosen as king and stands before the people, "he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward," and Samuel declares that there is none like him among all the people.

Interpretation

• As a positive introduction: In the ancient world, good looks and an impressive physique were regarded as marks of a king and a warrior. This interpretation holds that the verse shows Saul making a promising start, and it points to the scene in chapter 10 in which Samuel publicly acknowledges him.
• As foreshadowing: Many commentators and preachers note that this description fits exactly the image of the king "like all the nations" that the people wanted. They read it as deliberately placed to contrast with Saul's later failure. On this view, the verse is paired with 1 Samuel 16:7, where, at the anointing of David, God says that "the LORD looketh on the heart."
• As narrative irony: In chapter 17, when the towering Goliath appears, Saul, the tallest man among the people, does not step forward; instead, the young David does. Some interpreters read this scene in connection with the description in 9:2.

Questions of Application

There is no notable dispute among denominations over this verse. Nevertheless, several points have been raised.

• The evaluation of appearance: David is likewise described in 1 Samuel 16:12 as "ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to." On this basis, some hold that the text does not disparage physical appearance as such but rather criticizes the attitude that makes appearance the criterion for selection.
• The translation "boy": The Korean Revised Version calls Saul a "fine boy" (junsuhan sonyeon). The Hebrew word rendered "boy" is explained as referring to a young man in the prime of life, and it has therefore been pointed out that it should not be understood to mean a child. Other translations render it "young man" or similar; the King James Version reads "a choice young man."

In the Korean Church

In preaching, the verse is commonly contrasted with the passage on the anointing of David. It is cited chiefly in sermons on the theme that leaders should be chosen on the basis of the heart rather than outward appearance or ability. In contexts warning against judging people by their appearance, it is also read together with James 2:1–4.

Related Passages

• 1 Samuel 8:5
• 1 Samuel 10:23–24
• 1 Samuel 16:7
• 1 Samuel 16:12
• Acts 13:21–22