Commentary - 1 Samuel 9:25-27

Bird's-eye view

This short passage marks a crucial transition in the narrative of Israel's first king. Having been publicly honored by the prophet Samuel at a feast, Saul is now taken aside for private instruction and divine revelation. The movement is from the public spectacle on the "high place" to a private conversation on a rooftop, and finally to a secluded spot at the edge of the city for the anointing. This is the quiet before the storm, the personal preparation for a public office. Samuel, acting as God's authoritative representative, is ensuring that Saul understands the true source of his coming authority. It is not from the people, though they asked for it, nor is it in himself, for he was just looking for donkeys. The authority is from God, and it will be communicated by the "word of God." This section sets the stage for the formal anointing in the next chapter, emphasizing that a king's first duty is not to lead, but to listen.

The entire scene is orchestrated by Samuel to strip away all distractions. The public feast is over, the morning comes with a sense of divine purpose, and even Saul's own servant is sent away. The point is to isolate Saul so that he can have an unmediated encounter with the direct word of God through God's prophet. This is the foundation of true authority. Before any crown is placed on his head, Saul must be placed before the living God and His authoritative word. His future success or failure as king will hinge on whether he remembers this foundational moment.

Outline

Context In 1 Samuel

In the preceding chapters, Israel has sinned by demanding a king "like all the nations" (1 Sam 8:5), effectively rejecting Yahweh as their direct ruler. God, in His sovereign wisdom, grants their request but determines to choose the man Himself. Saul, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, is introduced not as a seeker of thrones, but as a man on a mundane errand to find his father's lost donkeys. His search, orchestrated by divine providence, leads him directly to the prophet Samuel. In the verses immediately before our text, Samuel has shown Saul great public honor, seating him in the place of honor at a sacrificial feast and setting aside a special portion for him. This public honor was a sign, but now the substance must be delivered. This passage serves as the bridge between the public identification of Saul and his private, sacred anointing. It is the moment where the political reality of kingship is grounded in the spiritual reality of God's direct command.

Key Issues

The Private Word for the Public Man

There is a divine pattern here that we must not miss. God prepares a man for public service through private dealings. Saul was singled out and honored before about thirty people at a feast, a public affair. But the essential communication, the foundational word upon which his entire reign was to be built, was delivered in private. The conversation begins on a rooftop, a place of privacy, and concludes at the edge of the city, with even the last remaining companion sent away.

This is because the word of God is not a political manifesto to be debated or a press release to be spun. It is a direct, authoritative, and personal command to be received and obeyed. Before Saul can be king of Israel, he must first learn to be a servant of Yahweh. Before he can command armies, he must learn to obey a command to "remain standing now." All legitimate human authority flows from a prior submission to divine authority. Samuel, in his wisdom, orchestrates this entire encounter to impress this one central lesson upon the mind of the king-elect. The throne of Israel does not belong to Saul; it belongs to God. Saul is to be a steward, a vicegerent, and his stewardship begins here, in quiet submission to the word of his Sovereign.

Verse by Verse Commentary

25 Then they came down from the high place into the city, and Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof.

The movement from the "high place" is significant. The high place was the location of the public, religious ceremony and feast. Now they descend into the common life of the city. But their conversation is not in the street; it is elevated again, this time to the roof. A flat roof in that culture was an extension of the house, a place for work, for sleeping in the cool of the evening, and for private, important conversations. It was separate from the hustle and bustle below. Here, Samuel begins the process of instructing Saul. We are not told the content of this conversation, but we can surmise that Samuel was preparing him, explaining the state of the nation, the nature of the kingship God was establishing, and the responsibilities that would soon be his. This was the beginning of the king's discipleship.

26 And they arose early; and at the breaking of dawn Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, “Get up, that I may send you away.” So Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out into the street.

Important business in Scripture often happens early in the morning. Abraham, Jacob, and Moses all rose early to meet with God or do His will. The timing here signifies the gravity and urgency of the moment. Samuel is the one who initiates; he calls to Saul. He is the one in charge, acting as God's emissary. His words, "Get up, that I may send you away," are the words of a superior. Samuel is not asking, he is commanding. He is "sending" Saul, which is the language of commissioning. Saul's immediate obedience is noted. He doesn't question or delay. At this point, he is a model of submission. They then go out together, leaving the privacy of the rooftop to begin Saul's journey home, a journey that will be interrupted for the most important event of his life.

27 As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Say to the young man that he might pass before us and pass onwards, but you remain standing now, that I may cause you to hear the word of God.”

As they reach the outskirts of the city, the final step of preparation is taken. The servant, who has been a faithful companion on this whole providential journey, must now be dismissed. The word Saul is about to receive is not for public consumption; it is not even for his closest attendant. It is for the king-elect alone. This separation is crucial. It removes the final distraction and underscores the sacred, personal nature of the communication. Samuel's command to Saul is sharp and direct: "but you remain standing now." This is a call to attention. Stop walking. Stop thinking about the journey home. Stop everything. Be still and prepare yourself. What is about to happen? Samuel will "cause you to hear the word of God." Samuel is merely the mouthpiece, the conduit. The message itself is from God Almighty. This is the foundation. Saul is not being appointed king based on his resume or a popular vote; he is being appointed by a direct, divine, and authoritative word.

Application

This passage is a profound reminder that all true spiritual authority and all effective public service are born in private encounters with the word of God. We live in an age of spectacle, of platform-building, of cultivating a public persona. But God's method is the opposite. He prepares us in the quiet places, on the "rooftops" of private prayer and study, away from the crowds.

Before we can presume to lead anyone or accomplish anything of worth in the kingdom, we must first learn to heed the command to "remain standing now." We must learn to dismiss the distractions, to send the servant of our worldly cares on ahead, so that we can be alone to hear what God has to say. The Bible is that "word of God" for us. It is not a collection of helpful hints for a better life; it is the authoritative, life-giving, world-shaping word of our King. When we open it, we should do so with the same sense of gravity as Saul at the edge of the city. We are being caused to hear the word of God. Our response should be the same as Saul's was initially: to stand, to listen, and to obey.

Furthermore, those who are in positions of leadership, whether in the church, the home, or the community, must remember that their authority is delegated. Like Saul, they are "sent." They are stewards of a trust given to them by God. The moment they forget this, the moment they stop having those early morning appointments to hear the word of God, is the moment they begin to fail. The path to Saul's later apostasy began when he started listening to other voices more than the one he was commanded to hear in this foundational moment.