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

10Then Saul said to his servant, “Good idea; come, let’s go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was. 11As they went up the slope to the city, they found young women going out to draw water, and they said to them, “Is the seer here?” They answered them and said, “He is; see, he is ahead of you. Hurry now, for he has come into the city today, because the people have a sacrifice on the high place today. 13As 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 until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now then, go up, for you will find him about this time.” 14So they went up to the city. As they came into the city, behold, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the high place.

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

• They answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• them and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• seeהִנֵּהhinnêh · beholdH2009
• aheadפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• of you. Hurryמָהַרmâhar · to hastenH4116
• nowעַתָּ֫ה‛attâh · nowH6258
• for he has comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• into the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• todayיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117
• becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
• the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• have a sacrificeזֶ֫בַחzebach · sacrificeH2077
• the highבָּמָהbâmâh · high placeH1116

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 9:12

• 1 Samuel 16:2But Samuel said, “How can I go? When Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’
• Genesis 31:54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his relatives to the meal; and they ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.
• Deuteronomy 12:6You shall bring there your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your vowed offerings, your voluntary offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.
• 1 Corinthians 5:7Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
• 1 Kings 3:2The people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days.
• 1 Chronicles 16:39He left Zadok the priest and his relatives the priests before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place which was at Gibeon,

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