1 Samuel 9:11 And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here? (KJV)

This verse segways from a donkey hunt to the anointing of a king. Chapters 9 and 10 should not be just a Sunday School story, but a lantern lighting our minds to the power and glory of Father God. There is a lot of geography, customs, and additional characters in this story. So, please do not impose modern paradigms on the ancient peoples in this tale that is proclaiming God’s sovereignty.

The Main Participants  

• Servant – I did a post on Saul’s unnamed servant because he is the clear-minded God-aware light early in this story. He is used by God to get Saul into position for his anointing.
• Saul – He was a complex person. In his introduction, we see him as an obedient son who accepts God’s plan for his life. The end of his story is another thing altogether. Saul | The amazing name Saul: meaning and etymology (abarim-publications.com)   One form of the Hebrew word for Saul means grave, that is just extra:)
• Samuel – The last Judge of Israel was also a seer/prophet. He had many great accomplishments in his long life.

Seer – This is the gem I found in this Bible 911 study. Verse 9 gives a cultural change in Israel. Seer or ro’eh is part of the word for a shepherd. The prophet or navi carries the idea as “a source” of God’s words. If Samuel is a transition figure, we can see him leading and caring for the people and he starts to write the story of Israel. (It makes you think who compiled the Book of Judges?) I found these sites to help with the study, I do not always use Christian sites and I have no connection with any of these. They are just informative.

IsraelBiblicalStudies.com

Ro’eh – Shepherd – En-Gedi Resource Center (engediresourcecenter.com)

Ra’ah: The LORD is my SHEPHERD – Hebrew Word Lessons

What Is the Meaning of Navi? – The Jewish Link

The Tribe of Benjamin

The progenitor of this tribe is the second-born son of Rachel and the thirteen child of Jacob. He is the only son who was born in the Land of Promise. He also had his name changed, which in the Bible is important. Benjamin, the Tribe, stays with Judah after Rehoboam divides Israel in 1 Kings 12. Esther is a member of the Tribe that was deported out of Israel, she is also a granddaughter of Saul.

The last event in the Book of Judges plays a part in the life of Saul and his children. Lo Debar is in the region where some of the wives for Benjamin came from, which may explain why Jonathan had Mephibosheth sent there. The story of Barzillai (2 Samuel 17:27) is a part of this connection with Jonathan and David. I can not prove this, but I think Barzillai was related to Mephibosheth through his mother’s side of the family.

Many cities and sites in Samuel are located in the territory of Benjamin. Jerusalem is in this area of inheritance and the Prophet Jeremiah’s hometown is a city allotted to the priest in the land of Benjamin. 

The City

Please use these as points of study.

• “Drinking Water” – In this story the girls were out of the town going to draw water for the day. Why might wells or springs be outside of the city walls? Key words here will be springs, wells, and cisterns; these may change with your favorite translation.
• City on a Hill – Major towns may have had walls, but they were also on top of hills. Can you find other towns or cities that were on a hill?
• High Places – These definitely have a pagan connection; groves are another term associated with pagan worship. Since Samuel was sacrificing here it seems not all were pagan. At the time of this story, there was no Temple, but Shiloh was where the Ark was. Abraham, Elijah, and Solomon, and others have stories set around hilltop sites. In your study, please note that God found many of these places a snare to His people, why?
• A Roof – This is in 9:25. Find the times that roofs were part of the action for people in the Bible.