1 Samuel 9:4

1 Samuel 9:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.
• New International Version (NIV)So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So he passed through the mountains of Ephraim and through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.

Context of 1 Samuel 9:4

2Kish had a son named Saul, a choice and handsome man; among the sons of Israel there was not a man more handsome than he. From his shoulders and up he was [a head] taller than any of the people. 3Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, had wandered off and were lost. Kish said to his son Saul, “Please take one of the servants with you and arise, go look for the donkeys.” And they passed through the hill country of Ephraim and the land of Shalishah, but did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there and the land of the Benjamites, but they [still] did not find them. 5When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let us return, otherwise my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and become anxious about us.” 6The servant said to him, “Look here, in this city there is a man of God, and the man is held in honor; everything that he says comes true. Now let us go there; perhaps he can advise us about our journey [and tell us where we should go].”

1 Samuel 9:4 word by word

וַיַּעֲבֹ֧ר בְּהַר־אֶפְרַ֛יִם וַיַּעֲבֹ֥ר בְּאֶֽרֶץ־שָׁלִ֖שָׁה וְלֹ֣א מָצָ֑אוּ וַיַּעַבְר֤וּ בְאֶֽרֶץ־שַׁעֲלִים֙ וָאַ֔יִן וַיַּעֲבֹ֥ר בְּאֶֽרֶץ־יְמִינִ֖י וְלֹ֥א מָצָֽאוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he passed throughעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• mountהַרhar · mountain: hill countryH2022
• Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
• the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of Shalishaשָׁלִ֫שָׁהshâlishâh · ShalishahH8031
• but they foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• of Shalimשַׁעֲלִיםsha‛ălîym · ShaalimH8171
• of the Benjamitesבֶּן־יְמִינִיben-yemîynîy ben-ha-yemînîy ben-'îysh yemîynîy · BenjaminiteH1145

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 9:4

• Judges 17:1There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah.
• Judges 19:1Now it happened in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that a certain Levite living [as an alien] in the most remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah.
• 2 Kings 4:42Now [at another time] a man from Baal-shalisha came and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and fresh ears of grain [in the husk] in his sack. And Elisha said, “Give it to the people [affected by the famine] so that they may eat.”
• Genesis 33:18When Jacob came from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely and in peace at the city of Shechem, in the land of Canaan, and camped in front of the [walled] city.
• John 3:23Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there; and people were coming and were being baptized—

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 9:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The land of Shalisha was somewhere near Gilgal, i. e., Jiljulieh. It is thought to derive its name from “three” (Shalosh) wadys which unite in the wady of Karawa. The situation of Shalim is not known: its etymology connects it more probably with the land of Shual 1 Samuel 13:17, apparently round Taiyibeh, which was about nine miles from Gibeah. Zuph - 1 Samuel 9:5, see 1 Samuel 1:1 note.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-27Saul became powerful through three main events: Samuel secretly anointed him (1 Samuel 9:1–10:16). He was chosen by casting lots (1 Samuel 10:17–27). He defeated the Ammonites (1 Samuel 11:1–15). See also study note on 1 Samuel 13:1–16:13.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-54-5. he passed through mount Ephraim--This being situated on the north of Benjamin, indicates the direction of Saul's journey. The district explored means the whole of the mountainous region, with its valleys and defiles, which belonged to Ephraim. Turning apparently southwards--probably through the verdant hills between Shiloh and the vales of Jordan (Shalisha and Shalim)--he approached again the borders of Benjamin, scoured the land of Zuph, and was…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 9:4

• Baal-Shalisha
• Shalim
• Shalisha

In the dictionaries

• Ephraim
• Ephraim, Ephraimite
• Mount Ephraim
• Herdsman
• Samuel, Books of
• Saul
• Shalim, Land of
• Shalisha, Land of
• Spring
• Israel, History of

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings