1 Samuel 9:12

1 Samuel 9:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, he is before you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place:
• New International Version (NIV)“He is,” they answered. “He’s ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place.
• English Standard Version (ESV)They answered, "He is; behold, he is just ahead of you. Hurry. He has come just now to the city, because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And they answered them and said, “Yes, there he is, just ahead of you. Hurry now; for today he came to this city, because there is a sacrifice of the people today on the high place.

Context of 1 Samuel 9:12

10Saul said to his servant, ‘That is a good idea. We should go now and see him.’ So they went to the town where the servant of God lived. 11They went up the hill to the town. Some young women came out of the town to get some water at a well. Saul and his servant asked them, ‘Is the seer here?’ They said, ‘Yes, he is here. Go straight along this road. You must hurry. The seer came to the town today because the people will offer a sacrifice. He will go with them to the altar on the hill. 13When you go into the town, you will find him before he goes up there. The people will not start to eat until he comes. First, he must bless the sacrifice. Then he will eat with the people who are there. Go up into the town now and you will find him.’ 14Saul and his servant went up towards the town. When they arrived there, Samuel came towards them. He was going up to the altar on the hill.

1 Samuel 9:12 word by word

וַתַּעֲנֶ֧ינָה אוֹתָ֛ם וַתֹּאמַ֥רְנָה יֵּ֖שׁ הִנֵּ֣ה לְפָנֶ֑יךָ מַהֵ֣ר׀ עַתָּ֗ה כִּ֤י הַיּוֹם֙ בָּ֣א לָעִ֔יר כִּ֣י זֶ֧בַח הַיּ֛וֹם לָעָ֖ם בַּבָּמָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And they answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• them, and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• He isיֵשׁyêsh · thereH3426
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• you: make hasteמָהַרmâhar · to hastenH4116
• now, for he cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to dayיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117
• to the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• a sacrificeזֶ֫בַחzebach · sacrificeH2077
• of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• in the high placeבָּמָהbâmâh · high placeH1116

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 9:12

• 1 Samuel 16:2Samuel said, ‘If I go to do that, people will tell Saul about it. Then he will kill me.’ The Lord said, ‘Take a calf with you. Tell the people that you have come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord.
• Genesis 31:54He offered a sacrifice to God there in the hill country. He asked his relatives to eat a meal with him. After they had eaten, they stayed the night there.
• Deuteronomy 12:6That is where you must take your burnt offerings and other sacrifices to offer to the Lord. Take your tithes and offerings to him there. Take the gifts that you have promised to give, and the gifts that you choose to give. Take the firstborn animals from your cows, sheep and goats.
• 1 Corinthians 5:7The yeast in the flour is like one person who does wrong things. You must remove this old yeast from among you. Then you will be like a new loaf of bread. You are really like a loaf which has no yeast in it. You are pure, because Christ died as a sacrifice on our behalf. He is like the lamb that the Israelites killed for their Passover meal.
• 1 Kings 3:2Because there was not yet a temple where people could give honour to the Lord, they offered sacrifices at altars in other places.
• 1 Chronicles 16:39Zadok and the other priests served the Lord at the tabernacle in Gibeon. That was still the place where the Israelites worshipped God.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 9:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12He came to - day to the city - Though Samuel lived chiefly in Ramah, yet he had a dwelling in the country, at a place called Naioth, where it is probable there was a school of the prophets. See 1 Samuel 19:18-24. A sacrifice of the people - A great feast. The animals used were first sacrificed to the Lord; that is, their blood was poured out before him; and then all the people fed on the flesh. By high place probably Samuel's altar is alone meant; which…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-17Verses 11-17 The very maid-servants of the city could direct to the prophet. They had heard of the sacrifice, and could tell of the necessity for Samuel's presence. It is no small benefit to live in religious and holy places. And we should always be ready to help those who are seeking after God's prophets. Though God had, in displeasure, granted Israel's request for a king, yet he sends them a man to be captain over them, to save them out of the hand of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12Community leaders usually met for business at the town gates (see Ruth 4:1–2). have a sacrifice on the high place: Samuel is one of the few people who combined prophetic and priestly roles (others include Moses, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Jesus). the high place: An open-air altar or platform on a hill near the city gate. High places often became sites for pagan idolatry (see Numbers 33:52; 1 Kings 15:14; 22:43; 2 Kings 12:3; 14:4; 15:4, 35).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 11-1311-13. as they went up the hill--The modern village, Er-Rameh, lies on an eminence; and on their way they met a band of young maidens going out to the well, which, like all similar places in Palestine, was beyond the precincts of the town. From these damsels they learned that the day was devoted to a festival occasion, in honor of which Samuel had arrived in the city; that a sacrifice had been offered, which was done by prophets in extraordinary…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 9:12

• High Places

In the dictionaries

• High place
• Herdsman
• Samuel, Books of
• Saul
• Spring
• City
• Criticism
• Judges, Period of
• Palestine
• Sacrifice

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