Analysis of 1 Samuel 9 — Lost Donkeys and a Hidden Prophet: When God Hides a Crown in an Ordinary Errand
- Pr Enos Mwakalindile
- 2 days ago
- 14 min read
When donkeys stray and a young man goes searching for them, heaven is already writing another story. A hidden prophet waits on a hill, oil waits in a flask, and the first king of Israel walks toward a meeting he did not plan but God did.
1.0 Introduction — When Ordinary Errands Carry Extraordinary Callings
The roar of the people’s demand for a king in chapter 8 fades, and 1 Samuel 9 opens in the quiet of a family story.
No elders at Ramah. No thunder from heaven. Just a well‑off Benjamite, some lost donkeys, and a tall, handsome son sent to look for them.
If chapter 8 showed the monarchy from the top down—public debate, political anxiety, and theological warning—chapter 9 turns the camera and shows it from the bottom up. We do not begin with a coronation or a royal decree, but with a domestic inconvenience. Somewhere between the hills of Ephraim and the land of Zuph, a search party wanders, and the future king of Israel worries that his father might grow anxious.
What the characters see is simple: missing animals, a long walk, and an old seer who might help. What Yahweh sees—and what he lets us see—is very different:
“Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin” (9:16).
To Samuel, Yahweh speaks of sending. To Saul, it looks like coincidence. To us, the narrator opens both windows at once. The effect is gentle but profound: the monarchy that was demanded in fear (ch. 8) will still be given in providence (ch. 9). God will work even through a flawed request, and he will do it in a way that hides majesty in the folds of the ordinary.
In 1 Samuel 9 we walk with Saul through the hills, climb the road to Samuel’s town, sit at the head of a feast table, and watch as a hesitant young man is drawn into a story far bigger than his tribe, his family, or his missing animals.
2.0 Historical and Literary Context — A Benjamite in a Prophetic History
2.1 Saul, Benjamin, and the Shadow of Gibeah
The narrator introduces Saul with care:
“There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish… a man of wealth. And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people” (9:1–2).
He is from Benjamin, the smallest tribe, still carrying the memory of near annihilation in the days of the judges (cf. Judg 19–21). Out of this fragile tribe, whose capital Gibeah had once been the site of unspeakable violence, comes a man described in superlatives—wealthy family, impressive stature, striking appearance. One recent commentator observes that the deliberate contrast between Benjamin’s insignificance and Saul’s towering stature shows that, from the outset, his kingship will hold together great potential and deep vulnerability (Firth 2019, 72).
Saul embodies both the people’s desire in chapter 8—“a king… to go out before us” (8:20)—and their conflicted hopes. He looks like what the nations admire, yet comes from a tribe whose story is marked by fracture. The narrative will slowly reveal that outward impressiveness and inward stability are not the same thing.
2.2 1 Samuel 9–10:16 as an Older Narrative Unit
Most interpreters recognize that 1 Samuel 9–10:16 forms a single narrative unit: the story of Saul’s search, encounter with Samuel, secret anointing, and reception of confirming signs. Older scholarship often treated this as part of an early “Saul history” that portrayed kingship in more positive tones, in contrast to the sharp critique of chapter 8.
More recent work, however, suggests a more nuanced picture. One major commentary argues that the book as we have it passed through a pre‑Deuteronomistic prophetic edition that wove together several older blocks of material: an ark narrative, stories about Saul’s early career (including 9–10:16), and the history of David’s rise (16–31). In this view, our chapter belongs to a prophetic history that both acknowledges Saul as Yahweh’s choice and keeps his kingship under the searching word of God.
In that prophetic history, the stories of Saul’s rise are framed by the people’s demand for a king (ch. 8) and the subsequent accounts of his failures (chs. 13; 15). This gives 1 Samuel 9 a double function: it narrates Saul’s genuine calling and, at the same time, quietly prepares us for the tensions that will surface later.
2.3 Between Anti‑Monarchic Fears and Divine Initiative
Chapters 8–12 form a carefully crafted unit about the rise of monarchy. Within that unit, 1 Samuel 8 voices the prophetic warning about a “king who takes,” while 1 Samuel 9–10 shows Yahweh himself taking the initiative to identify and anoint a king.
Some earlier approaches tried to solve the tension by assigning these chapters to competing “pro‑” and “anti‑” royal sources. More recent readings tend to see the final form as intentionally holding the threads together: kingship can be both a concession to fearful desire and an instrument of God’s purpose.
One survey of the literature notes that the prophetic historian accepted monarchy as “an unwelcome but inevitable reality,” yet refused to imagine Israel’s future without kings; instead, he set kingship under constant prophetic scrutiny (McCarter 1980, 33–35). The God who has been rejected as king (8:7) nevertheless chooses, sends, and equips a king (9:16; 10:1, 6).
1 Samuel 9, then, is not an apologetic gloss smoothing over chapter 8; it is the next movement in a more complex song, where judgment and mercy are played in the same key.
3.0 Walking Through the Text — Donkeys, a Servant, a Seer, and a Feast
3.1 9:1–2 — A Tall Son from a Small Tribe
The story opens with line and tribe:
“There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish… and he had a son whose name was Saul” (9:1–2).
Kish is described as a “mighty man of valor” or a man of standing, which may point to both wealth and social influence. Saul, his son, is introduced first by appearance and only then by inner disposition. He is “good” or “handsome” and taller than everyone else.
The picture is intentionally striking. In a world where physical height symbolized strength and leadership, Saul looks like the answer to Israel’s request. His appearance will later be contrasted with David’s less imposing stature and the divine reminder that “the LORD sees not as man sees” (16:7).
3.2 9:3–10 — Lost Donkeys and a Servant’s Spiritual Instinct
“Now the donkeys of Kish… were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, ‘Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys’” (9:3).
The future king’s first appearance in action is not on a battlefield but on an errand. He moves through the hill country of Ephraim, the land of Shalishah, the land of Shaalim, and the land of Benjamin, but finds nothing (9:4). The journey is long enough that Saul finally worries his father will stop caring about the animals and start worrying about his son (9:5).
At this point, the servant—an unnamed young man—becomes the story’s quiet theologian. He knows of “a man of God” in the nearby city, “held in honor,” whose words always come true (9:6). Saul, pragmatic and perhaps somewhat spiritually inexperienced, worries about what is appropriate: “What shall we bring the man?” (9:7). The servant has thought ahead; he has a quarter‑shekel of silver ready (9:8).
The roles are subtly inverted. The master hesitates; the servant suggests seeking prophetic guidance. Often in Scripture, the least likely characters are the ones who sense where God might be at work. Here it is the servant who steers Saul toward Samuel and, without knowing it, toward his calling.
Verse 9 pauses the story to offer a linguistic aside: “Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, ‘Come, let us go to the seer,’ for today’s ‘prophet’ was formerly called a ‘seer.’” The narrator is aware that the terminology has shifted and helps later readers bridge the gap. It is also a subtle reminder that prophetic ministry has a history; language changes, but the reality of God’s guidance endures.
3.3 9:11–14 — Climbing Toward the High Place
As Saul and his servant “went up the hill to the city,” they met young women coming out to draw water (9:11). The scene recalls earlier stories where significant encounters happen at wells—Abraham’s servant and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel (Gen 24; 29). Here, however, the focus is not on marriage but on worship.
The women direct them with precise instructions: hurry, because “today he has come to the city, for the people have a sacrifice today on the high place” (9:12). Samuel is about to preside at a communal sacrifice and feast. If Saul is to meet him, it must be now, before he goes up to bless the sacrifice (9:13).
The details heighten the sense of providential timing. Samuel normally circulates on circuit (7:16–17); on this day, he “has just now come” into the city. Saul, who has searched multiple regions in vain, arrives at the one place where he can meet the prophet, at the one moment when the prophet is briefly accessible.
3.4 9:15–21 — The God Who Sends and the Man Who Feels Small
At this point the narrator lets us hear something Saul cannot:
“Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed to Samuel: ‘Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel’” (9:15–16).
Humanly speaking, Saul has been wandering. Theologically speaking, Yahweh has been sending. What looks like random movement is, from heaven’s side, a directed meeting.
The term used for Saul’s role is “prince” (nagid), a word that accents function rather than glamour. He is to “restrain” or “save” Yahweh’s people from the Philistines, because God has seen their affliction and heard their cry (9:16). The language echoes the exodus (Exod 3:7–10); the request for a king has not silenced a God who hears.
When Samuel first sees Saul, Yahweh identifies him: “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you!” (9:17). Saul, oblivious to all this, approaches with a practical question: “Tell me where the house of the seer is” (9:18).
Samuel immediately overturns Saul’s expectations. “I am the seer,” he says, and then invites Saul to go up ahead to the high place, promising he will eat with him and dismiss him in the morning after telling him “all that is on your mind” (9:19). Before Saul can ask, Samuel assures him that the donkeys have already been found (9:20) and hints at a greater matter: “And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s house?” (9:20).
Saul’s response is revealing:
“Am I not a Benjamite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?” (9:21).
He feels the smallness of his tribe and family. His self‑perception lags far behind the calling Yahweh is opening. The one who looks large in the people’s eyes feels very small in his own.
3.5 9:22–24 — The Honored Guest at the Hidden Feast
Samuel takes Saul and his servant into the hall and gives them the place “at the head of those who had been invited, who were about thirty persons” (9:22). What follows is a carefully staged act of honor.
Samuel tells the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Put it aside’” (9:23). The cook brings the leg, likely a special or priestly portion, which Samuel sets before Saul with the words, “See, what was kept is set before you. Eat, because it was kept for you until the appointed time, that you might eat with the guests” (9:24).
Everything in the scene speaks of prior intention. The portion was “kept” and “laid aside” for this moment. The feast, though public, has a hidden center: the honoring of a man whom Yahweh has chosen. Saul, who came as a stranger, finds himself treated as the guest of honor.
The sacrificial meal also anchors Saul’s call in the worship life of Israel. His kingship will not be merely political; it is born in the context of sacrifice, blessing, and shared table.
3.6 9:25–27 — Rooftop Conversation and a Moment Set Apart
After the feast, Samuel brings Saul up on the roof and talks with him late into the night (9:25). The rooftop in ancient houses was a place of quiet, a space for prayer, conversation, and reflection. The text does not record their words; it simply lets the intimacy of the scene stand.
At daybreak, Samuel calls to Saul on the roof: “Up, that I may send you on your way” (9:26). As they go together to the outskirts of the city, Samuel asks Saul to send the servant on ahead. “But you, stand still for a moment, that I may make known to you the word of God” (9:27).
The chapter ends on that poised silence. King and prophet stand alone on the road, servant at a distance, the city receding behind them. The next verse (10:1) will describe the anointing, but 1 Samuel 9 closes by framing everything that has happened—including the lost donkeys, the servant’s suggestion, the chance encounter, the feast—as preparation for a single, decisive moment of prophetic speech and sacramental act.
4.0 Theological Reflection — Providence, Ambiguity, and the First Anointed King
4.1 Providence in the Detours of Life
It is hard to miss the theology of providence in this chapter. Donkeys wander; a father worries; a servant remembers a prophet; young women happen to be at the well; a seer “has just now come” to town; a special portion has been kept aside. Behind every detail stands the quiet line: “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man” (9:16).
The God who was “rejected” as king in chapter 8 has not withdrawn from the story. He still hears the cry of his people (9:16) and still moves history forward. The difference is that now he will work through a king who himself remains answerable to the prophetic word.
4.2 Seeing, Being Seen, and the Seer
The chapter plays with seeing. Saul is impressive to human eyes—taller than any of the people (9:2). Samuel is the “seer,” the one people go to when they need to “inquire of God” (9:9). Yet the true subject of the verbs of sight is Yahweh: “I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me” (9:16).
The prophetic office, here described in older language, is instrumental: Samuel sees because Yahweh shows; Samuel knows because Yahweh speaks. Saul, by contrast, is largely in the dark. The chapter invites readers to value not the one who looks impressive but the one through whose ears and eyes God’s word and vision flow.
4.3 A Mixed Portrait of Saul
1 Samuel 9 refuses both to demonize and to idealize Saul. He is obedient to his father, considerate of his feelings, willing to search diligently. He listens to his servant and is open to seeking God’s direction. When honor is shown him, he responds with genuine humility.
At the same time, there are hints of limitation. He is concerned with practicalities more than with seeking God until the servant prods him. His self‑description as being from the least clan of the least tribe suggests real modesty but may also hint at insecurity. The very traits that make him seem safe and reluctant at the beginning may become sources of hesitancy and fear later.
By introducing Saul this way, the narrative allows us to sympathize with him even as it prepares us for the tragedy to come. The first anointed king is not a caricature of evil; he is a complex, very human figure whom God genuinely chooses and uses.
4.4 King as Gift and as Question
Chapter 8 framed the request for a king as a rejection. Chapter 9 reframes the king himself as a gift. Yahweh says he has “seen” his people and is giving them a leader who will restrain their enemies (9:16). The king is both the embodiment of the people’s desire and the expression of God’s compassion.
This duality runs through the whole Samuel narrative. Kingship is not simply bad—nor is it simply good. It is a good gift that can go bad, a necessary structure that can become a rival trust. God will work through it, but never relinquish his own kingship.
Saul’s story becomes, therefore, a question put to Israel and to us: what happens when God grants our requests—even the flawed ones—by giving us real responsibilities, real leaders, real structures? Will we let them remain under his word, or will we make them ultimate?
4.5 Hidden Anointing, Hidden Hopes
The chapter ends before the oil flows, but everything points toward a hidden anointing. The monarchy will begin not with a trumpet blast but with a quiet act on a city outskirts, witnessed only by a prophet and a hesitant young man.
In the wider biblical story, this pattern of hidden beginnings recurs. The child Samuel hears God before anyone else does. The boy David will be anointed in the middle of his brothers. Much later, in another small town, a carpenter’s son will be hailed as king on a donkey, not a warhorse.
1 Samuel 9 gently trains us to recognize God’s habit of hiding crowns in unlikely places.
5.0 Life Application — When Your Donkeys Go Missing
5.1 Trusting God in the Everyday Errands
Most of our days are more “lost donkey” than “thunder at Mizpah.” This chapter invites us to believe that God’s purposes are often woven into the errands, frustrations, and detours we would never put on a spiritual résumé.
Where in your life right now are you simply trying to solve a practical problem? Is it possible that, without romanticizing everything, God may be using that very situation to lead you toward conversations, relationships, or decisions you cannot yet see?
5.2 Listening to the Servant Voices
Saul would have turned back if not for his servant’s suggestion. It was the subordinate, not the son of the house, who remembered the man of God.
Many times, the people who point us toward God’s voice are not the obvious authorities: a child with a disarming question, a friend who suggests prayer, a quiet member of the community who has been paying attention. Faithful leadership learns to listen down the hierarchy as well as up.
5.3 Letting God’s Word Re‑Name You
Saul sees himself as a small man from a small clan. Samuel speaks to him as the one for whom “all that is desirable in Israel” is reserved (9:20–21).
We too often live by the names given us by our history, our failures, our tribe size, or our inner scripts. The call of God does not ignore these realities, but it does not bow to them. Part of discipleship is allowing God’s word to speak a truer identity over us—an identity that comes with responsibility, not just affirmation.
5.4 Receiving Honor as Stewardship, Not Entitlement
At the feast, Saul is honored without having earned it. The best portion has been kept for him, not because of his résumé, but because Yahweh has chosen him.
In a culture hungry for recognition, this scene quietly reminds us that honor in God’s economy is a trust, not a trophy. When we are given visibility, influence, or affirmation, the proper response is neither false modesty nor grasping entitlement, but sober gratitude and a willingness to serve.
6.0 Reflection Questions
How does seeing the ordinary details of 1 Samuel 9 (donkeys, servants, meals) as part of God’s guidance reshape the way you look at the “ordinary” in your own life?
Where have you experienced a “servant voice”—someone in an unexpected position—drawing your attention back to God’s presence or word?
In what ways do you relate to Saul’s sense of smallness? In what ways might God be inviting you into a larger calling there while still grounding you in humility?
Which “kings” in your life—roles, systems, or leaders—started as gracious gifts from God yet now risk becoming your primary source of security?
As you look back over the past year, can you spot a “lost donkey” moment that, only later, you recognized as woven into a larger work of grace?
7.0 Response Prayer
God who sees wandering donkeys and wandering hearts,
You are the King we cannot see,yet you walk our dusty roads,weave our errands into your purposes,and send us toward meetings we did not plan.
We confess that we oftenmeasure ourselves by tribe size and stature,by what others admireor by what we fear we ourselves lack.
Teach us to trustthe quiet providence of your hand.
Where our paths feel aimless,open our eyes to the prophets you have placed nearby.Where we feel too small,speak your calling over usin words we can bear.
Guard us from making kingsout of your gifts—from resting our hope in systems, strategies, or leadersmore than in you.
When you set us at tables of honor,remind us that the best portionwas never meant to inflate our pridebut to strengthen our service.
Lead us, like Saul on that long road,to the moments when your wordmeets us in the outskirts of our plans,and anoints us, quietly,for the work you have prepared.
In the name of the Onewho walked unseen among usand wore a hidden crownbefore any human eyes could recognize it.
Amen.
8.0 Window into the Next Chapter
The young man from Benjamin has eaten the honored portion,spent the night on the prophet’s roof,and now stands with Samuel on the edge of the city,waiting for the word of God.
In the next chapter, oil will flow on Saul’s head, signs will confirm his calling, and the Spirit of God will rush upon him.
1 Samuel 10 — Oil, Signs, and a Spirit‑Rushed Heart: When the Anointed One Hides Among the Baggage. We will watch a private anointing, follow Saul through three prophetic signs, and see how the man chosen by God responds when public recognition finally comes.
9.0 Bibliography
Baldwin, Joyce G. 1 and 2 Samuel. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Leicester: Inter‑Varsity, 1988.
Firth, David G. 1 & 2 Samuel: A Kingdom Comes – An Introduction and Study Guide. T&T Clark Study Guides to the Old Testament. London: T&T Clark, 2019.
McCarter, P. Kyle Jr. I Samuel: A New Translation with Introduction, Notes and Commentary. Anchor Bible 8. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1980.
Nichol, Francis D., ed. The Seventh‑day Adventist Bible Commentary. Vol. 2. Washington, DC: Review and Herald, 1954.
Comments