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Commentary on 1 Samuel 10 verses 17–27
Saul's nomination to the throne is here made public, in a general assembly of the elders of Israel, the representatives of their respective tribes at Mizpeh. It is probable that this convention of the states was called as soon as conveniently it might, after Saul was anointed, for, if there must be a change in their government, the sooner the better: it might be of bad consequence to be long in the doing. The people having met in a solemn assembly, in which God was in a peculiar manner present (and therefore it is said they were called together unto the Lord, Sa1 10:17), Samuel acts for God among them.
I. He reproves them for casting off the government of a prophet, and desiring that of a captain. 1. He shows them (Sa1 10:18) how happy they had been under the divine government; when God ruled them, he delivered them out of the hand of those that oppressed them, and what would they desire more? Could the mightiest man of valour do that for them which the Almighty God had done? 2. He likewise shows them (Sa1 10:19) what an affront they had put upon God (who had himself saved them out of all their tribulations, by his own power, and by such as he had immediately called and qualified) in desiring a king to save them. He tells them in plain terms, "You have this day rejected your God; you have in effect done it: so he construes it, and he might justly, for your so doing, reject you." Those that can live better by sense than by faith, that stay themselves upon an arm of flesh rather than upon the almighty arm, forsake a fountain of living waters for broken cisterns. And some make their obstinacy in this matter to be a presage of their rejecting Christ, in casting off whom they cast off God, that he should not reign over them.
II. He puts them upon choosing their king by lot. He knew whom God had chosen, and had already anointed him, but he knew also the peevishness of that people, and that there were those among them who would not acquiesce in the choice if it depended upon his single testimony; and therefore, that every tribe and every family of the chosen tribe might please themselves with having a chance for it, he calls them to the lot, Sa1 10:19. Benjamin is taken out of all the tribes (Sa1 10:20), and out of that tribe Saul the son of Kish, Sa1 10:21. By this method it would appear to the people, as it already appeared to Samuel, that Saul was appointed of God to be king; for the disposal of the lot is of the Lord. It would also prevent all disputes and exceptions; for the lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty. When the tribe of Benjamin was taken, they might easily foresee that they were setting up a family that would soon be put down again; for dying Jacob had, by the spirit of prophecy, entailed the dominion upon Judah. Judah is the tribe that must rule as a lion; Benjamin shall only ravin as a wolf, Gen 49:10, Gen 49:27. Those therefore that knew the scriptures could not be very fond of the doing of that which they foresaw must, ere long, be undone again.
III. It is with much ado, and not without further enquiries of the Lord, that Saul is at length produced. When the lot fell upon him, every one expected he should answer to his name at the first call, but, instead of that, none of his friends could find him (Sa1 10:21), he had hidden himself among the stuff (Sa1 10:22), so little fond was he now of that power which yet, when he was in possession of, he could not without the utmost indignation think of parting with.
1.He withdrew, in hopes that, upon his not appearing, they would proceed to another choice, or thus to express his modesty; for, by what had already passed, he knew he must be the man. We may suppose he was at this time really averse to take upon him the government, (1.) Because he was conscious to himself of unfitness for so great a trust. He had not been bred up to books, or arms, or courts, and feared he should be guilty of some fatal blunder. (2.) Because it would expose him to the envy of his neighbours that were ill-affected towards him. (3.) Because he understood, by what Samuel had said, that the people sinned in asking a king, and it was in anger that God granted their request. (4.) Because the affairs of Israel were at this time in a bad posture; the Philistines were strong, the Ammonites threatening: and he must be bold indeed that will set sail in a storm.
2.But the congregation, believing that choice well made which God himself made, would leave no way untried to find him out on whom the lot fell. They enquired of the Lord, either by the high priest, and his breast-plate of judgment, or by Samuel, and his spirit of prophecy; and the Lord directed them where they should find him, hidden among the carriages, and thence they fetched him, Sa1 10:23. Note, None will be losers at last by their humility and modesty. Honour, like the shadow, follows those that flee from it, but flees from those that pursue it.
IV. Samuel presents him to the people, and they accept him. He needed not to mount the bench, or scaffold, to be seen; when he stood upon even ground with the rest he was seen above them all, for he was taller than any of them by head and shoulders, Sa1 10:23. "Look you," said Samuel, "what a king God has chosen for you, just such a one as you wished for; there is none like him among all the people, that has so much majesty in his countenance and such a graceful stateliness in his mien; he is in the crowd like a cedar among the shrubs. Let your own eyes be judges, is he not a brave and gallant man?" The people hereupon signified their approbation of the choice, and their acceptance of him; they shouted and said, Let the king live, that is, "Let him long reign over us in health and prosperity." Subjects were wont to testify their affection and allegiance to their prince by their good wishes, and those turned (as our translation does this) into addresses to God. Psa 72:15, Prayer shall be made for him continually. See Psa 20:1. Samuel had told them they would soon be weary of their king, but, in the mind they are now in, they will never be so: Let the king live.
V. Samuel settles the original contract between them, and leaves it upon record, Sa1 10:25. He had before told them the manner of the king (Sa1 8:11), how he would abuse his power; now he tells them the manner of the kingdom, or rather the law, or judgment, or constitution, of it, what power the prince might challenge and the utmost of the property the subject might claim. He fixed the land-marks between them, that neither might encroach upon the other. Let them rightly understand one another at first, and let the agreement remain in black and white, which will tend to preserve a good understanding between them ever after. The learned bishop Patrick thinks he now repeated and registered what he had told them (Sa1 8:11) of the arbitrary power their kings would assume, that it might hereafter be a witness against them that they had drawn the calamity upon themselves, for they were warned what it would come to and yet they would have a king.
VI. The convention was dissolved when the solemnity was over: Samuel sent every man to his house. Here were no votes passed, nor, for aught that appears, so much as a motion made, for the raising of money to support the dignity of their new-elected king; if therefore he afterwards thinks fit to take what they do not think fit to give (which yet it was necessary that he should have), they must thank themselves. They went every man to his house, pleased with the name of a king over them, and Saul also went home to Gibeah, to his father's house, not puffed up with the name of a kingdom under him. At Gibeah he had no palace, no throne, no court, yet thither he goes. If he must be a king, as one mindful of the rock out of which he was hewn, he will make his own city the royal city, nor will he be ashamed (as too many are when they are preferred) of his mean relations. Such a humble spirit as this puts a beauty and lustre upon great advancements. The condition rising, and the mind not rising with it, behold how good and pleasant it is! But,
1.How did the people stand affected to their new king? The generality of them, it should seem, did not show themselves much concerned: They went every man to his own house. Their own domestic affairs lay nearer their hearts than any interests of the public; this was the general temper. But, (1.) There were some so faithful as to attend him: A band of men whose hearts God had touched, Sa1 10:26. Not the body of the people, but a small company, who because they were fond of their own choice of a king, or because they had so much more sense than their neighbours as to conclude that if he was a king he ought to be respected accordingly, went with him to Gibeah, as his life-guard. They were those whose hearts God had touched, in this instance, to do their duty. Note, Whatever good there is in us, or is done by us, at any time, it must be ascribed to the grace of God. If the heart bend at any time the right way, it is because he has touched it. One touch is enough, when it is divine. (2.) There were others so spiteful as to affront him; children of Belial, men that would endure no yoke, that would be pleased with nothing that either God or Samuel did; they despised him (Sa1 10:27) for the meanness of his tribe and family, the smallness of his estate, and the privacy of his education; and they said, How shall this man save us? Yet they did not propose any man more likely; nor, whomsoever they had, must their salvation come from the man, but from God. They would not join with their neighbours in testifying an affection to him and his government, by bringing him presents, or addressing him upon his accession to the crown. Perhaps those discontented spirits were most earnest for a king, and yet, now that they had one, they quarrelled with him, because he was not altogether such a one as themselves. It was reason enough for them not to like him because others did. Thus differently are men affected to our exalted Redeemer. God hath set him king upon the holy hill of Sion. There is a remnant that submit to him, rejoice in him, bring him presents, and follow him wherever he goes; and they are those whose hearts God has touched, whom he has made willing in the day of his power. But there are others who despise him, who ask, How shall this man save us? They are offended in him, stumble at his external meanness, and they will be broken by it.
2.How did Saul resent the bad conduct of those that were disaffected to his government? He held his peace. Margin, He was as though he had been deaf. He was so far from resenting it that he seemed not to take notice of it, which was an evidence of his humility and modesty, and the mercifulness of his disposition, and also that he was well satisfied with his title to the crown; for those are commonly most jealous of their honour, and most revengeful of affronts, that gain their power by improper means. Christ held his peace when he was affronted, for it was the day of his patience; but there is a day of recompence coming.
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SUMMARY
1 Samuel 10:19 captures a pivotal and somber moment in Israel's history, as the prophet Samuel delivers God's direct rebuke to the people for their profound rejection of His divine rule. Despite Yahweh's consistent and powerful acts of deliverance from every adversity and tribulation, the Israelites stubbornly insisted on having a human king, desiring to emulate the nations around them. This verse encapsulates their spiritual rebellion, highlighting their ingratitude and lack of faith, and sets the stage for the public selection of Saul, marking a significant and fraught transition from a divinely ordained theocracy to a human monarchy with far-reaching consequences for the nation.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
1 Samuel 10:19 powerfully employs several literary devices to convey its profound theological message. Contrast is central, highlighting the stark opposition between God's consistent, active faithfulness in saving Israel from "all your adversities and your tribulations" and the people's profound ingratitude and active "rejection" of Him in favor of a human king. This juxtaposition underscores the absurdity and spiritual rebellion of their choice. Direct Address is evident as Samuel confronts the assembled people with the second-person plural "ye," placing the responsibility for this momentous decision squarely on their shoulders. The phrase "this day" functions as a potent Temporal Marker, emphasizing the immediate, historical significance and gravity of their choice, marking it as a pivotal moment in their national narrative. Furthermore, the verse contains an element of Rhetorical Irony, as Samuel's statement implicitly highlights the sheer folly of rejecting a God who has consistently proven Himself to be their deliverer and protector, in favor of an untested, inherently flawed human leader.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
1 Samuel 10:19 stands as a foundational text for understanding the perennial tension between divine sovereignty and human autonomy. It tragically illustrates humanity's fallen tendency to prefer visible, tangible solutions and self-reliance over trusting in the unseen, yet perfectly capable, hand of God. The Israelites' demand for a king, despite God's repeated and undeniable deliverances, reveals a deep-seated lack of faith and a desire to control their own destiny, mirroring the universal human inclination to seek security in human systems and strength rather than in absolute dependence on the Creator. This pivotal rejection foreshadows a recurring theme throughout Israel's subsequent history: their persistent struggle to remain faithful to their covenant God, often succumbing to the allure of worldly systems, cultural conformity, and self-governance.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
This profound verse serves as a timeless mirror, inviting us to critically examine our own hearts and the ultimate objects of our trust. Just as ancient Israel rejected their invisible God for a visible king, we too can be subtly tempted to rely on human systems, our own strength, worldly wisdom, or material security rather than fully trusting in God's sovereign care and provision. When faced with our own "adversities and tribulations," do we instinctively seek God first, or do we quickly turn to human strategies, financial stability, political influence, or personal control? The call to "present yourselves before the LORD" is a perpetual invitation to humility, submission, and a renewed commitment to divine dependence, reminding us that true security, lasting peace, and unfailing guidance come only from aligning our lives with His divine will. This remains true even when His ways seem counter-cultural, unconventional, or less immediately gratifying than worldly alternatives. Our gratitude for God's past faithfulness and countless deliverances should serve as a powerful catalyst, fueling our present trust and anchoring our future hope in Him alone.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Israel want a king, and why was it considered a rejection of God?
Answer: Israel wanted a king primarily to be "like all the nations" (1 Samuel 8:5), desiring a visible, human leader to go out before them, fight their battles, and administer justice. This desire was fueled by the perceived instability of the period of the Judges and the corruption of Samuel's sons (1 Samuel 8:1-3). However, this request was considered a profound rejection of God because Yahweh Himself was meant to be their direct King and sovereign. Their unique covenant relationship with Him meant they were set apart from other nations, ruled by divine law and direct divine intervention. Their demand for a human king indicated a fundamental lack of trust in God's ability to rule and deliver them directly, preferring a human institution and worldly conformity over divine governance and their unique identity as God's chosen people (1 Samuel 8:7).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The rejection of God by Israel in 1 Samuel 10:19 finds its ultimate and most profound echo in the rejection of Jesus Christ, the true and eternal King, by His own people. Just as ancient Israel preferred an earthly king to their divine deliverer, many in Jesus' day preferred the status quo, human leaders, or a political messiah to the humble, suffering Messiah who offered spiritual salvation. Jesus, the perfect King, came not with an earthly army or visible splendor, but as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, offering ultimate deliverance from sin, death, and spiritual "adversities and tribulations." Yet, He was rejected by His own, crucified by human decree, and His divine kingship was tragically mocked on the cross. However, unlike the flawed human kings who followed Saul, Jesus' reign is eternal, perfectly just, and brings ultimate salvation to all who believe. His cross, the supreme act of divine "saving," stands as the definitive answer to all human "adversities," inviting all people, from every tribe and nation, to cease their rebellion and acknowledge Him as Lord and King, thereby fulfilling God's original desire for a people perfectly ruled by Him alone (Revelation 19:16).