Synopsis of the Chapter
Saul, seeking donkeys, finds a kingdom. For consulting Samuel about them, he is received at a banquet and placed at the head of the table; the next morning Samuel announces to Saul the oracle of the kingdom received from God.
Here therefore the deeds of the Judges end (for Eli and Samuel were Judges, and the last ones) and the deeds of the Kings begin; for here the aristocratic state of the Republic is changed to a monarchical one; therefore this is the second part of the book, and here properly begin the books of Kings.
Verse 1: Kish, a mighty man of Benjamin ¶
1. NAMED KISH. — He was the father of Saul. Kish in Hebrew signifies hard; which, although St. Gregory at first interprets in a bad sense regarding the hardness of Saul's heart, he afterwards takes in a good sense. "The father of the king, he says, is called Kish, that is, hard; because indeed those whose holy Preachers are imitators are not lax in life and zeal; for they are hard because they do not speak soft words to sinners."
MIGHTY IN STRENGTH — the Septuagint reads, powerful in strength; Vatablus, a strong hero, that is, warlike and distinguished in military discipline. Such therefore was Kish, father of Saul, and consequently Saul himself: for it was fitting that such a man be chosen as king of Israel, to fight for them against the Philistines and other enemies.
Verse 2: Saul, chosen and good ¶
2. AND HE HAD A SON NAMED SAUL. — In Hebrew, Saul means the same as asked for. This name therefore seems to have been given him by divine omen and, as it were, presage; that he was to be called forth by God to the kingdom at the people's request for a king.
CHOSEN AND GOOD — both physically, as if to say: Saul was of distinguished bodily form and appearance, which, as Euripides says, is worthy of command; and morally, because he was an upright man endowed with virtue. Moreover, "the goodness of Saul, says Abulensis, was especially in his humility: which was very admirable in him; for he himself was a man excelling in virtues, of admirable bodily stature, which tends to make men proud; yet he, having all these things, was very humble."
AND THERE WAS NO MAN AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BETTER THAN HE — namely among the common people; for Samuel the judge and prophet was certainly better and holier than Saul. See now, and pity the fall of Saul, who from so good became so bad that, rejected by God, he was stripped of both life and kingdom.
Allegorically Saul was a type of Christ the King of kings. For, as Bede says, the name Saul, which means desired or sought after, most fittingly applies to Christ, who was the desire of nations.
Verse 3: Seek the donkeys ¶
3. SEEK THE DONKEYS. — Donkeys in Syria are finer than European ones; hence the sons of princes rode on donkeys, Judges ch. X, verse 4. The donkey therefore among the Hebrews was a royal beast of burden. This therefore was for Saul a kind of omen of the kingdom, that seeking donkeys he would find a kingdom. Hence Christ also, when He was to be inaugurated as the Messiah King of Israel, rode on a donkey, Matthew ch. XXI, 5.
Morally, see here how all nobility has its origin in lowliness. For from donkeys Saul was raised to the kingdom, and from a muleteer he was made king. So David from a shepherd was made king.
Verse 7: Gifts for the man of God ¶
7. IN OUR BAGS. — Saul therefore wanted to offer this to Samuel for the oracle about the donkeys, not as a payment (for that would have been the sin of simony, namely buying and selling prophecy, which is a spiritual thing, for a temporal price), but as a gift of gratitude, or for his sustenance, offered freely.
Verse 9: Prophet and Seer ¶
9. FOR HE WHO IS CALLED A PROPHET TODAY WAS FORMERLY CALLED A SEER — from the prophetic vision which he received from God. For prophecy is called a vision; hence the vision of Isaiah is the title of his prophecy.
13. BEFORE HE GOES UP TO THE HIGH PLACE TO EAT — for Samuel as a priest offered a sacrifice here: for such offerings were customarily made on a high place. This was a peace offering: for from such a sacrifice a banquet was prepared, such as Samuel prepared here when he received Saul.
Verse 15: The Lord revealed it to Samuel ¶
15. NOW THE LORD HAD REVEALED IT IN THE EAR OF SAMUEL — as if to say: The Lord had secretly revealed to Samuel that on the following day Saul would come to him, whom He Himself had designated as king, just as if He had spoken it in his ear.
19. GO UP BEFORE ME. — Why, asks Dionysius the Carthusian, "did he not say: Follow me, or come with me to the high place; but go up before me: was it to prefigure that Saul was to be placed above him and others as king?"
Verse 20: The best things of Israel ¶
20. AND FOR WHOM SHALL BE ALL THE BEST THINGS OF ISRAEL? SHALL THEY NOT BE FOR YOU? — "The best things," that is, the kingdom or royal power and dignity: for nothing is more excellent in the Republic.
21. AM I NOT A SON OF JEMINI, OF THE SMALLEST TRIBE OF ISRAEL? — "Smallest," both because the tribe of Benjamin was almost wiped out on account of the outrage, and reduced to six hundred men, Judges ch. XX, verse 35; and because on account of this outrage it was greatly defamed and disgraced.
Moreover Saul by this humility of his merited to be exalted and raised to the kingdom, which he later lost through pride.
Verse 22: The banquet and the shoulder ¶
22. HE BROUGHT THEM INTO THE DINING HALL — to this sacred banquet, prepared from the peace offering. HE GAVE THEM A PLACE AT THE HEAD — to indicate that Saul, by God's decree, was to be the head and leader of Israel.
24. AND THE COOK LIFTED UP THE SHOULDER AND PLACED IT BEFORE SAUL. — The shoulder was kept for Saul, to distinguish him as the future king from the rest of the people. "The shoulder, say Theodoret and Procopius, is kept for Saul, as one who would reign and face danger for the people." For the shoulder is a symbol of military fortitude, which was required in a king.
Morally, learn here the frugality of the ancient age. Behold, to a king he serves not partridges, not pheasants, not various dishes, but a single shoulder.
Verse 25: Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof ¶
25. AND HE SPOKE WITH SAUL ON THE ROOF. — About what? The Rabbis, according to Lyranus and Abulensis: "About the fear of God and the keeping of the law;" Abulensis: "About matters pertaining to the instruction of a king, how he should conduct himself toward his subjects, and how toward God."
AND HE SPREAD SAUL'S BED ON THE ROOF — namely on the flat roof exposed to the sun. For in Palestine the roofs are flat, so that one can walk, dine, and sleep on them.