TRV
Translation
King James Version
Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:
KJV (with Strong's)
Then shalt thou go on H2498 forward H1973 from thence, and thou shalt come H935 to the plain H436 of Tabor H8396, and there shall meet H4672 thee three H7969 men H582 going up H5927 to God H430 to Bethel H1008, one H259 carrying H5375 three H7969 kids H1423, and another H259 carrying H5375 three H7969 loaves H3603 of bread H3899, and another H259 carrying H5375 a bottle H5035 of wine H3196:
Complete Jewish Bible
Go on from there, and you will come to the Oak of Tavor. Three men will meet you there on their way up to God at Beit-El. One of them will be carrying three kids, another three loaves of bread and the third a skin of wine.
Berean Standard Bible
Then you will go on from there until you come to the Oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine.
American Standard Version
Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the oak of Tabor; and there shall meet thee there three men going up to God to Beth-el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:
World English Bible Messianic
“Then you shall go on forward from there, and you shall come to the oak of Tabor; and three men shall meet you there going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three young goats, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:
Geneva Bible (1599)
Then shalt thou go forth from thence and shalt come to the plaine of Tabor, and there shall meete thee three men going vp to God to Bethel: one carying three kiddes, and an other carying three loaues of bread, and another carying a bottle of wine:
Young's Literal Translation
`And thou hast passed on thence, and beyond, and hast come in unto the oak of Tabor, and found thee there have three men going up unto God to Beth-El, one bearing three kids, and one bearing three cakes of bread, and one bearing a bottle of wine,
Study This Verse
Commentary on 1 Samuel 10 verses 1–8
1 ¶ Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?
2 When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?
3 Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:
4 And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands.
5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy:
6 And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.
8 And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do.
Samuel is here executing the office of a prophet, giving Saul full assurance from God that he should be king, as he was afterwards, according to these prophecies which went before of him.
I. He anointed him and kissed him, Sa1 10:1. This was not done in a solemn assembly, but it was done by divine appointment, which made up the want of all external solemnities, nor was it ever the less valid for its being done in private, under a hedge, or, as the Jews say, by a fountain. God's institutions are great and honourable, though the circumstances of their administration be ever so mean and despicable. 1. Samuel, by anointing Saul, assured him that it was God's act to make him king: Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee? And, in token of that, the high priest was anointed to his office, to signify the conferring of those gifts upon him that were requisite for the discharge of its duties, and the same was intimated in the anointing of kings; for whom God calls he qualifies, and suitable qualifications furnish good proof of a commission. These sacred unctions, then used, pointed at the great Messiah, or anointed one, the king of the church, and high priest of our profession, who was anointed with the oil of the Spirit, not by measure, but without measure, and above all the priests and princes of the Jewish church. It was common oil, no doubt, which Samuel used, and we read not of his blessing it or praying over it. But it was only a vial of oil that he anointed him with, the vessel brittle, because his kingdom would soon be cracked and broken, and the quantity small, because he had but little of the Spirit conferred upon him to what David had, who was therefore anointed with a horn of oil, as were Solomon and Jehu with a box of oil. 2. By kissing him, he assured him of his own approbation of the choice, not only his consent to it, but his complacency in it, though it abridged his power and eclipsed his glory and the glory of his family. "God has anointed thee," says Samuel, "to be king, and I am satisfied and very well pleased, in pledge of which take this kiss." It was likewise a kiss of homage and allegiance; hereby he not only owns him to be king, but his king, and in this sense we are commanded to kiss the Son, Psa 2:12. God has anointed him, and therefore we must thus acknowledge him and do homage to him. In Samuel's explication of the ceremony, he reminds him, (1.) Of the nature of the government to which he is called. He was anointed to be a captain, a commander indeed, which bespeaks honour and power, but a commander in war, which bespeaks care, and toil, and danger. (2.) Of the origin of it: The Lord hath anointed thee. By him he ruled, and therefore must rule for him, in dependence on him, and with an eye to his glory. (3.) Of the end of it. It is over his inheritance, to take care of that, protect it, and order all the affairs of it for the best, as a steward whom a great man sets over his estate, to manage it for his service and give an account of it to him.
II. For his further satisfaction he gives him some signs, which should come to pass immediately, this very day; and they were such as would not only confirm the word of Samuel in general, and prove him a true prophet, but would confirm this word to Saul in particular, that he should be king. 1. He should presently meet with some that would bring him intelligence from home of the care his father's house was in concerning him, Sa1 10:2. These he would meet hard by Rachel's sepulchre. The first place Samuel directed him to was a sepulchre, the sepulchre of one of his ancestors, for Rachel died in travail with Benjamin; there he must read a lecture of his own mortality, and now that he had a crown in his eye must think of his grave, in which all his honour would be laid in the dust. Here two men would meet him, perhaps sent on purpose to look after him, and would tell him the asses were found, and his father was in pain concerning him, saying, What shall I do for my son? He would reckon it happened well that he met with these messengers; and it is good to eye Providence in favourable conjunctures (though the matter be minute) and to be encouraged to trust it in greater matters. 2. He should next meet with others going to Bethel, where, it should seem, there was a high place for religious worship, and these men were bringing their sacrifices thither, Sa1 10:3, Sa1 10:4. It was a token for good to one that was designed for the government of Israel, wherever he came, to meet with people going to worship God. It is supposed that those kids and loaves, and the bottle of wine which the three men had with them, were designed for sacrifice, with the meat-offerings and drink-offerings that were to attend the sacrifice; yet Samuel tells Saul that they will give him two of their loaves, and he must take them. Such a present would look to us now like the relieving of a beggar. Saul must hereafter remember the time when he received alms, and must therefore be humble and charitable to the poor. But perhaps it would then be construed a fit present for a prince; and, as such, Saul must receive it, the first present that was brought to him, by such as knew not what they did, nor why they did it, but God put it into their hearts, which made it the more fit to be a sign to him. These two loaves, which were the first tribute paid to this newly-anointed king, might serve for an admonition to him not to spend the wealth of his crown in luxury, but still to be content with plain food. Bread is the staff of life. 3. The most remarkable sign of all would be his joining with a company of prophets that he should meet with, under the influence of a spirit of prophecy, which should at that time come upon him. What God works in us by his Spirit serves much more for the confirming of faith than any thing wrought for us by his providence. He here (Sa1 10:5, Sa1 10:6) tells him, (1.) Where this would happen: At the hill of God, where there was a garrison of the Philistines, which is supposed to be near Gibeah, his own city, for there was the Philistines' garrison, Sa1 13:3. Perhaps it was one of the articles of Samuel's agreement with them that they should have a garrison there, or, rather, after they were subdued in the beginning of his time they got ground again, so far as to force this garrison into that place, and thence God raised up the man that should chastise them. There was a place that was called the hill of God, because of one of the schools of the prophets built upon it; and such respect did even Philistines themselves pay to religion that a garrison of their soldiers suffered a school of God's prophets to live peaceably by them, and did not only not dislodge them, but not restrain nor disturb the public exercises of their devotion. (2.) Upon what occasion; he should meet a company of prophets with music before them, prophesying, and with them he should join himself. These prophets were not (as it should seem) divinely inspired to foretel things to come, nor did God reveal himself to them by dreams and visions, but they employed themselves in the study of the law, in instructing their neighbours, and in the acts of piety, especially in praising God, wherein they were wonderfully assisted and enlarged by the Spirit of God. It was happy for Israel that they had not only prophets, but companies of prophets, who gave them good instructions and set them good examples, and helped very much to keep up religion among them. Now the word of the Lord was not precious, as it had been when Samuel was first raised up, who had been instrumental in founding these colleges, or religious houses, whence, it is probable, the synagogues took their rise. What a pity was it that Israel should be weary of the government of such a man, who though he had not, as a man of war, expelled the Philistines, yet (which was a greater kindness to Israel) had, as a man of God, settled the schools of the prophets! Music was then used as a proper means to dispose the mind to receive the impressions of the good Spirit, as it did Elisha's, Kg2 3:15. But we have no reason to look for the same benefit by it now, unless we saw it as effectual as it was then in Saul's case, to drive away the evil spirit. These prophets had been at the high place, probably offering sacrifice, and now they came back singing psalms. We should come from holy ordinances with our hearts greatly enlarged in holy joy and praise. See Psa 138:5. Saul should find himself strongly moved to join with them, and should be turned thereby into another man from what he had been while he lived in a private capacity. The Spirit of God, by his ordinances, changes men, wonderfully transforms them; Saul, by praising God in the communion of saints, became another man, but whether a new man or no may be questioned.
III. He directs him to proceed in the administration of his government as Providence should lead him, and as Samuel should advise him. 1. He must follow Providence in ordinary cases (Sa1 10:7): "Do as occasion shall serve thee. Take such measures as thy own prudence shall direct thee." But, 2. In an extraordinary strait that would hereafter befal him at Gilgal, and would be the most critical juncture of all, when he would have special need of divine aids, he must wait for Samuel to come to him, and must tarry seven days in expectation of him, Sa1 10:8. How his failing in this matter proved his fall we find afterwards, Sa1 13:11. It was now a plain intimation to him that he was upon his good behaviour, and, though a king, must act under the direction of Samuel, and do as he should order him. The greatest of men must own themselves in subjection to God and his word.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–8. Public domain.
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BedeAD 735
Commentary on Samuel
And when you depart from there, and go further, etc. Increasing the course of his teaching, the Savior arrived at the point of revealing to the disciples the secret of his passion, signifying that he was to bestow the gifts of the highest light on the world. Indeed, Thabor, which is a very high mountain and is interpreted as the coming light, in both name and position, smiles upon the mysteries of the life-giving cross, whose sacraments the Lord, revealing them, sought devoutly, and found all the mighty confessors of the Holy Trinity ascending to God in the Church with devout progress, which is Bethel, that is, the house of God; who, according to the grace given to them, some offered the richest remedies of penance for thought, speech, and action; others offered strengthening provisions of Sacred Scripture for the heart of man, revealed by divine gift in a threefold manner; others brought the most fervent cups of compunctive love in earthen vessels of the heart to be dedicated to God. While each in their own rank recognized Christ the Savior and wished for his incarnation to bring about the world's salvation, they gave him a double interpretation of the Scriptures; that after the first reading of the history, which was completed before his incarnation through the law, he might also open the allegorical and anagogical sense, which either pertains to the truth of present grace or to the beatitude of future life, through the act of the assumed dispensation. Surely, he also accepted these loaves from the hand of those who offered when he revealed to the disciples a worthy operation according to merits, so that they might understand the Scriptures. To this, if I am not mistaken, the interpretation of the three loaves rightly resonates; because in the Gospel, the importunate petitioner, urged by necessity, equally seeks and receives three loaves from a faithful friend (Luke 11). And in Leviticus, the loaves to be offered as a sacrifice are commanded to be prepared in three kinds of baking: namely, in the oven, in the pan, and on the griddle (Leviticus 2). We are nourished with the bread baked on the griddle when we receive those things which are openly and literally said or done without any cover to safeguard the soul's health. But with the bread fried in the pan, we seek what is often reviewed and reconsidered in the surface of the letter, to see what in it allegorically suits the mysteries of Christ, the state of the Catholic Church, and the correction of individual morals. Moreover, we seek the bread of the word in the oven when we also comprehend in the anagogical scripture, that is, by the upward lifting intention of the mind, those things which we cannot yet see, but hope to live out in the future.
Richard ChallonerAD 1781
Bethel: Where there was at that time an altar of God; it being one of the places where Samuel judged Israel.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
1 Samuel 10:3 details the second of three precise, divinely orchestrated signs given by the prophet Samuel to Saul, immediately following his secret anointing as Israel's first king. This specific prophecy describes Saul's encounter with three men on a pilgrimage to Bethel, carrying distinct provisions—three kids, three loaves of bread, and a bottle of wine—all meticulously designed to unequivocally confirm God's hand upon Saul and validate his unexpected royal appointment, preparing him for the public revelation of his kingship.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The passage employs several key literary devices to enhance its meaning and impact. Prophecy is the overarching device, with Samuel delivering a highly specific, verifiable prediction that will immediately unfold for Saul. This precision serves to authenticate Samuel's divine commission and, by extension, Saul's anointing, leaving no room for doubt. Symbolism is evident in the items carried by the pilgrims: the kids, bread, and wine are not merely provisions but represent elements of worship, sacrifice, and sustenance, subtly foreshadowing the spiritual resources and divine provision available to Saul in his new role as king. The journey "up to God to Bethel" itself is symbolic of a spiritual pilgrimage, aligning Saul's personal journey of anointing with the nation's spiritual aspirations and their ongoing pursuit of God's presence. Furthermore, the entire sequence of signs acts as a form of foreshadowing, preparing Saul for the greater spiritual empowerment and transformation he will experience when the Spirit of God comes upon him in 1 Samuel 10:6, demonstrating God's progressive revelation and preparation for His chosen servants.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This prophetic encounter powerfully illustrates God's commitment to confirming His calling and providing tangible assurance to those He chooses for His purposes. The meticulous detail of the sign—the specific location, the number of men, their destination, and the items they carry—underscores God's sovereignty and His ability to orchestrate even seemingly mundane encounters for His divine ends. It teaches us that God often provides clear, undeniable evidence of His will, not just through internal conviction, but through external, verifiable circumstances. This divine confirmation serves not only to reassure the individual called but also to validate their authority before others, laying a solid foundation for their leadership and demonstrating that their appointment is from God, not merely human design.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The story of Saul's prophetic encounter at the terebinth of Tabor offers profound insights into God's methods of calling and equipping His servants. It reminds us that divine appointments are often accompanied by clear, undeniable confirmations, designed to bolster faith and remove doubt, especially when the calling seems improbable or overwhelming. While we may not receive such dramatic, specific prophetic signs today, God continues to confirm His will through various means: the consistent testimony of His Word, the wise counsel of godly mentors, the alignment of circumstances, and the inner peace of the Holy Spirit. This passage encourages us to cultivate a posture of attentiveness and obedience, trusting that God will provide the necessary assurances as we step into new seasons or responsibilities. Just as the men were on a journey "up to God" with their offerings, so too are believers called to a continuous pilgrimage of seeking God's presence, bringing our "offerings" of praise, obedience, and surrendered lives. As we faithfully pursue Him, we can be confident that He will meet us and provide for us along the way, equipping us for every good work He has prepared.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the specific items carried by the three men (kids, bread, and wine)?
Answer: The items carried by the three men—three kids (young goats), three loaves of bread, and a bottle of wine—are highly significant as they represent common elements used in ancient Israelite religious practices. Kids were often used for sacrifices, particularly burnt offerings or peace offerings, symbolizing atonement, dedication, or fellowship with God. Bread was a staple food and frequently used in offerings, such as the showbread or grain offerings, signifying sustenance, God's provision, and the fruit of the land. Wine was used in libations (drink offerings) and for celebratory purposes, often accompanying sacrifices or covenant meals, symbolizing joy, covenant, and fellowship with God and one another. Their collective presence indicates that the men were on a pilgrimage to Bethel for the purpose of worship, sacrifice, or a communal religious meal. For Saul, seeing these specific provisions would have immediately connected the encounter to the sacred and affirmed the divine nature of the sign, hinting at God's provision for his new role and the spiritual dimension of his kingship, which would require him to lead the nation in its relationship with God.
Why was Bethel chosen as the destination for these pilgrims, and what does it signify?
Answer: Bethel, meaning "House of God," was a profoundly significant spiritual site in Israelite history, making it a natural and expected destination for pilgrims "going up to God." Its importance dates back to Genesis 28, where Jacob had a transformative encounter with God, dreamed of a ladder reaching to heaven, and set up a pillar, naming the place Bethel. It became a recognized sanctuary, a place where God had revealed Himself and where His presence was believed to reside. For the pilgrims, going to Bethel signified a journey to a sacred place of divine presence, worship, and covenant renewal, fulfilling their religious obligations. For Saul, the encounter near Bethel would have underscored the spiritual gravitas of his anointing and the sacred nature of the kingship he was about to assume. It connected his personal divine appointment to the broader covenant history of Israel and the enduring presence of God among His people, emphasizing that his rule was to be under God's authority.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The precise prophetic signs given to Saul, particularly the encounter with pilgrims bearing provisions for worship, find their ultimate fulfillment and deeper meaning in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Just as Saul's kingship was confirmed by undeniable divine signs, so too was Jesus's identity as the Messiah and King of kings validated by countless Old Testament prophecies and miraculous signs, culminating in His resurrection. The men "going up to God to Bethel" with their offerings beautifully foreshadows the ultimate journey to God made possible through Christ. He is the true "House of God," the very dwelling place of God among humanity, as John 1:14 declares, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." The provisions of kids, bread, and wine, symbolic of sacrifice and sustenance, are perfectly embodied in Christ. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the ultimate and perfect sacrifice that fully atones for sin, rendering all other sacrifices obsolete. He is the Bread of Life, who gives true spiritual sustenance to those who come to Him, satisfying their deepest hunger. And His blood, shed on the cross, is the wine of the new covenant, establishing an eternal relationship with God based on His grace. In Christ, the pilgrimage to God is no longer a physical journey to a specific site with material offerings, but a spiritual journey of faith into a living relationship, where all the provisions for reconciliation, eternal life, and divine sustenance are fully and freely given through His finished work.