But some rebels said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.
Parallel translations
- WEB But certain worthless fellows said, “How could this man save us?” They despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace.
- KJV But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.
- BSB But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.
- NASB But certain useless men said, “How can this one save us?” And they despised him and did not bring him a gift. But he kept silent about it.
- NLT But there were some scoundrels who complained, “How can this man save us?” And they scorned him and refused to bring him gifts. But Saul ignored them. [Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the people of Gad and Reuben who lived east of the Jordan River. He gouged out the right eye of each of the Israelites living there, and he didn’t allow anyone to come and rescue them. In fact, of all the Israelites east of the Jordan, there wasn’t a single one whose right eye Nahash had not gouged out. But there were 7,000 men who had escaped from the Ammonites, and they had settled in Jabesh-gilead.]
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
Some worthless men despise Saul and bring no gift, doubting he can save them. Saul wisely holds his peace.
Overview
Opposition arises immediately, exposing the divisions a king cannot fully heal. Saul's restraint shows initial patience and good judgment, qualities his reign will later lack. The doubt 'How could this man save us?' will be answered in the next chapter, where God grants Saul a decisive victory through which his kingship is confirmed.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Deut 13:13certain base fellows have gone out from among you, and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods,” which you have not known;
- 2 Chr 17:5Therefore Yahweh established the kingdom in his hand. All Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had riches and honor in abundance.
- 1 Kgs 10:25Year after year, every man brought his tribute, vessels of silver, vessels of gold, clothing, armor, spices, horses, and mules.
- Acts 7:35“This Moses, whom they refused, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ — God has sent him as both a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
- Matt 27:12–14When he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
- 2 Chr 13:7Worthless men were gathered to him, base fellows who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender hearted, and could not withstand them.
- 1 Kgs 4:21Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
- 1 Sam 2:12Now the sons of Eli were wicked men. They didn’t know Yahweh.
- Isa 36:21But they remained silent, and said nothing in reply, for the king’s commandment was, “Don’t answer him.”
- 2 Sam 20:1There happened to be there a base fellow, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite; and he blew the trumpet, and said, “We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, Israel!”
- 2 Sam 8:2He struck Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. The Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute.
- Ps 72:10The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
- Acts 7:51–52“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do.
- Matt 2:11They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
- 1 Sam 11:12The people said to Samuel, “Who is he who said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring those men, that we may put them to death!”
- Ps 38:13But I, as a deaf man, don’t hear. I am as a mute man who doesn’t open his mouth.
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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 10:27 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
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