English Standard Version
1 Samuel 10:2
2When you depart from me today, you will meet two men by Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, 'The donkeys that you went to seek are found, and now your father has ceased to care about the donkeys and is anxious about you, saying, "What shall I do about my son?"'
1 Samuel 10:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel’s sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?
- New International Version (NIV)When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel’s tomb, at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried about you. He is asking, “What shall I do about my son?” ’
- New King James Version (NKJV)When you have departed from me today, you will find two men by Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. And now your father has ceased caring about the donkeys and is worrying about you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?” ’
- New Living Translation (NLT)When you leave me today, you will see two men beside Rachel’s tomb at Zelzah, on the border of Benjamin. They will tell you that the donkeys have been found and that your father has stopped worrying about them and is now worried about you. He is asking, ‘Have you seen my son?’
Context of 1 Samuel 10:2
1Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, "Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies. And this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you to be prince over his heritage. When you depart from me today, you will meet two men by Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, 'The donkeys that you went to seek are found, and now your father has ceased to care about the donkeys and is anxious about you, saying, "What shall I do about my son?"' 3Then you shall go on from there farther and come to the oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. 4And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept from their hand.
Read all of 1 Samuel 101 Samuel 10:2 word by word
בְּלֶכְתְּךָ֤ הַיּוֹם֙ מֵעִמָּדִ֔י וּמָצָאתָ֩ שְׁנֵ֨י אֲנָשִׁ֜ים עִם־קְבֻרַ֥ת רָחֵ֛ל בִּגְב֥וּל בִּנְיָמִ֖ן בְּצֶלְצַ֑ח וְאָמְר֣וּ אֵלֶ֗יךָ נִמְצְא֤וּ הָאֲתֹנוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָלַ֣כְתָּ לְבַקֵּ֔שׁ וְהִנֵּ֨ה נָטַ֤שׁ אָבִ֙יךָ֙ אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֣י הָאֲתֹנ֔וֹת וְדָאַ֤ג לָכֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר מָ֥ה אֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה לִבְנִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- When thou art departedיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- from meעִמָּדִי‛immâd · with meH5978
- to dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- then thou shalt findמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- by Rachel’sרָחֵלrâchêl · RachelH7354
- sepulchreקְבֻרָהqebûrâh qebûrâh · tombH6900
- in the borderגְּבוּלgebûl gebûl · border: areaH1366
- of Benjaminבִּנְיָמִיןbinyâmîyn · BenjaminH1144
- at Zelzahצֶלְצַחtseltsach · ZelzahH6766
- and they will sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto thee, The assesאָתוֹן'âthôn · she-assH860
- which thou wentestהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
- to seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
- and, lo, thy fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- hath leftנָטַשׁnâţash · to leaveH5203
- the careדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
- and sorrowethדָּאַגdâ'ag · be anxiousH1672
- What shall I doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- for my sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 10:2
- Genesis 35:19So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem),
- Jeremiah 31:15Thus says the Lord: "A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more."
- Joshua 18:28Zela, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah and Kiriath-jearim—fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the people of Benjamin according to its clans.
- 1 Samuel 10:16And Saul said to his uncle, "He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found." But about the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel had spoken, he did not tell him anything.
- 1 Samuel 9:3Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, 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."
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 10:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Rachel's sepulcher - This was nigh to Bethlehem. See Genesis 35:19. At Zelzah - If this be the name of a place, nothing is known of it. The Hebrew בצלצח betseltsach is translated by the Septuagint ̔ , dancing greatly: now this may refer to the joy they felt and expressed on finding the asses, or it may refer to those religious exultations, or playing on instruments of music, mentioned in the succeeding verses.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2How should Saul know that what Samuel said was the word of the Lord? Samuel gives him a sign, “Thou shalt find two men,” etc. (Compare Judges 6:36-40; Isaiah 7:11-14; John 6:30; Mark 11:2; Mark 14:13, etc.) Zelzah - A place absolutely unknown.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Rachel's tomb in Zelzah: See Genesis 35:16–20; the exact location is not known.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. When thou art departed from me to-day--The design of these specific predictions of what should be met with on the way, and the number and minuteness of which would arrest attention, was to confirm Saul's reliance on the prophetic character of Samuel, and lead him to give full credence to what had been revealed to him as the word of God. Rachel's sepulchre--near Beth-lehem (see on Ge 35:16). Zelzah--or Zelah, now Bet-jalah, in the neighborhood of that…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 10:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 10
- 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries