1 Samuel 9:13

1 Samuel 9:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)As soon as ye be come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that be bidden. Now therefore get you up; for about this time ye shall find him.
• New International Version (NIV)As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)As soon as you enter the city you will find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat till he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now go up, for you will meet him immediately."
• New King James Version (NKJV)As soon as you come into the city, you will surely find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now therefore, go up, for about this time you will find him.”

Context of 1 Samuel 9:13

11As they were going up the hill to the city, they met girls coming out to get water. They asked the girls, “Is the seer here?” 12The girls answered, “He’s there ahead of you. Hurry! He ⌞just⌟ went into the city today since the people are offering a sacrifice on the worship site. As you go into the city, you can find him before he goes to the worship site to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, since he blesses the sacrifice. Then those who are invited may eat. Go. You should be able to find him now.” 14So Saul and his servant went to the city. As they entered it, Samuel was coming toward them on his way to the worship site. 15Now, the Lord had revealed the following message to Samuel one day before Saul came:

1 Samuel 9:13 word by word

כְּבֹאֲכֶ֣ם הָעִ֣יר כֵּ֣ן תִּמְצְא֣וּן אֹת֡וֹ בְּטֶרֶם֩ יַעֲלֶ֨ה הַבָּמָ֜תָה לֶאֱכֹ֗ל כִּ֠י לֹֽא־יֹאכַ֤ל הָעָם֙ עַד־בֹּא֔וֹ כִּֽי־הוּא֙ יְבָרֵ֣ךְ הַזֶּ֔בַח אַחֲרֵי־כֵ֖ן יֹאכְל֣וּ הַקְּרֻאִ֑ים וְעַתָּ֣ה עֲל֔וּ כִּֽי־אֹת֥וֹ כְהַיּ֖וֹם תִּמְצְא֥וּן אֹתֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• As soon as ye be comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• into the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• ye shall straightwayכֵּןkên · soH3651
• findמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• him, before he go upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• to the high placeבָּמָהbâmâh · high placeH1116
• to eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• for the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• because he doth blessבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
• the sacrificeזֶ֫בַחzebach · sacrificeH2077
• afterwardsאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• that be biddenקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• for about this timeיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 9:13

• Matthew 26:26While they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it. He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take this, and eat it. This is my body.”
• Mark 6:41After he took the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed the food. He broke the loaves apart and kept giving them to the disciples to give to the people. He also gave pieces of the two fish to everyone.
• Luke 24:30While he was at the table with them, he took bread and blessed it. He broke the bread and gave it to them.
• John 6:11Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to the people who were sitting there. He did the same thing with the fish. All the people ate as much as they wanted.
• 1 Corinthians 10:30If I give thanks to God for the food I eat, why am I condemned for that?
• 1 Timothy 4:4Everything God created is good. Nothing should be rejected if it is received with prayers of thanks.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 9:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13He doth bless the sacrifice - He alone can perform the religious rites which are used on this occasion. Afterwards they eat that be bidden - Among the Arabs, often a large feast is made of sacrificed camels, etc., and then the people of the vicinity are invited to come and partake of the sacrifice. This is the custom to which allusion is made here.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Before he go up - By this phrase we see that the high place was in the highest part of the city. Like the “house of the god Berith” Judges 9:46, it was probably the citadel of Ramah. There was connected with the altar a room large enough for thirty people to dine in 1 Samuel 9:22.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. 13To eat: During worship, part of a sacrifice was burned on the altar. The rest was eaten in a ceremonial feast by the guests (see also 1 Samuel 1:4). To bless the food: As a Levite, Samuel's role as a priest included offering blessings (see Deuteronomy 10:8; 21:5).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 9:13

• Offerings
• Prayer

In the dictionaries

• High place
• Entertain
• Herdsman
• Samuel, Books of
• Saul
• Spring
• Bidden
• Judges, Period of
• Sacrifice
• Samuel

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