New International Version
1 Samuel 9:7
7Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?”
1 Samuel 9:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Saul said to his servant, "But if we go, what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Saul said to his servant, “But look, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread in our vessels is all gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?”
- New Living Translation (NLT)“But we don’t have anything to offer him,” Saul replied. “Even our food is gone, and we don’t have a thing to give him.”
Context of 1 Samuel 9:7
5When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, “Come, let’s go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.” 6But the servant replied, “Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let’s go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.” Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?” 8The servant answered him again. “Look,” he said, “I have a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take.” 9(Formerly in Israel, if someone went to inquire of God, they would say, “Come, let us go to the seer,” because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.)
Read all of 1 Samuel 91 Samuel 9:7 word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל לְנַעֲר֗וֹ וְהִנֵּ֣ה נֵלֵךְ֮ וּמַה־נָּבִ֣יא לָאִישׁ֒ כִּ֤י הַלֶּ֙חֶם֙ אָזַ֣ל מִכֵּלֵ֔ינוּ וּתְשׁוּרָ֥ה אֵין־לְהָבִ֖יא לְאִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים מָ֖ה אִתָּֽנוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
- to his servantנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
- we goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- what shall we bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- the manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- for the breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
- is spentאָזַל'âzal · be goneH235
- in our vesselsכְּלִיkelîy · article/utensilH3627
- not a presentתְּשׁוּרָהteshûrâh · presentH8670
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 9:7
- Judges 6:18Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.” And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.”
- Judges 13:15Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “We would like you to stay until we prepare a young goat for you.”
- 1 Kings 14:3Take ten loaves of bread with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.”
- 2 Kings 4:42A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said.
- 2 Kings 5:5“By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing.
- 2 Kings 8:8he said to Hazael, “Take a gift with you and go to meet the man of God. Consult the Lord through him; ask him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’ ”
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 9:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7There is not a present to bring to the man of God - We are not to suppose from this that the prophets took money to predict future events: Saul only refers to an invariable custom, that no man approached a superior without a present of some kind or other. We have often seen this before; even God, who needs nothing, would not that his people should approach him with empty hands. "It is very common in Bengal for a person, who is desirous of asking a favor…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Presents of bread or meat were as common as presents of money. (Compare Ezekiel 13:19; Hosea 3:2.)Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7no gift to take to the man: It was common to bring a gift when asking for a prophet's help (see 1 Kings 14:2–3; 2 Kings 5:5, 15; 8:8). Some false prophets asked for gifts in exchange for their services (Micah 3:11). Saul's concern might show a misunderstanding, thinking he could buy advice from a prophet of God (Acts 8:20).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. Saul said to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man?--According to Eastern notions, it would be considered a want of respect for any person to go into the presence of a superior man of rank or of official station without a present of some kind in his hand, however trifling in value. the bread is spent in our vessels--Shepherds, going in quest of their cattle, put up in a bag as much flour for making bread as will last sometimes…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 9:7
In the dictionaries
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
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