So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot.
Parallel translations
- WEB So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.
- KJV And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
- BSB Thus Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected.
- NKJV And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.
- NASB So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel forward; and the tribe of Benjamin was selected by lot.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Samuel brings the tribes near and Benjamin is chosen by lot. God Himself designates the tribe of the king.
Overview
The use of the lot signals that the selection is the Lord's doing, not human contrivance (cf. Proverbs 16:33). Benjamin, the smallest tribe, is chosen, fitting Saul's own sense of insignificance. God's sovereign hand directs the process so that Israel receives the king He appoints.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- 1 Sam 14:41Therefore Saul said to Yahweh, the God of Israel, “Show the right.” Jonathan and Saul were chosen, but the people escaped.
- Josh 7:16–18So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel near by their tribes. The tribe of Judah was selected.
- Acts 1:24–26They prayed, and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two you have chosen
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.
How 1 Samuel 10:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.