Commentary - 1 Samuel 10:17-27

Bird's-eye view

In this passage, we witness the public and formal installation of Israel's first king. The event, however, is anything but a simple political coronation. It is a profound covenantal moment, heavy with theological significance. Samuel, acting as God's prophet, convenes the nation at Mizpah, a place of solemn assembly. Before the king is revealed, Samuel delivers a sharp rebuke from Yahweh: in demanding a king, they have rejected God Himself, their true deliverer. This sets the tone for the entire affair. The selection process, guided by the divine lot, singles out Saul, son of Kish. But in a moment of high drama, the chosen king is nowhere to be found. He is discovered hiding among the baggage, a telling indicator of his character. When finally presented, his impressive physical stature wins over the crowd, who were seeking a king they could see. Samuel concludes the ceremony by establishing a constitutional monarchy, writing the laws of the kingdom in a book and placing it before the Lord. The chapter ends with a divided response: some valiant men rally to Saul, while certain "vile men" despise him, setting the stage for the conflicts to come.

The entire scene is a masterful depiction of God's sovereignty working through and in spite of man's sinful desires. Israel wants a king like the nations, and God gives them one who looks the part. Yet, from the very beginning, his inadequacy and the folly of the people's choice are made apparent. This is the king they asked for, not the king they truly needed. The whole event serves as a crucial object lesson, pointing forward to the necessity of a different kind of king, one after God's own heart.

Outline

Context In 1 Samuel

This public selection of Saul at Mizpah is the culmination of the process that began in chapter 8, where the elders of Israel demanded a king to judge them and fight their battles "like all the nations." Samuel was displeased, but God instructed him to grant their request while solemnly warning them about the nature of kingship. In chapter 9, God sovereignly led Saul to Samuel, and in the beginning of chapter 10, Samuel privately anointed Saul as prince over Israel. He then gave Saul three prophetic signs to confirm his calling, all of which came to pass. Now, in our text, the private anointing becomes a public spectacle. What was done in secret is now proclaimed on the housetops. This event formally transitions Israel from a loose confederation of tribes led by judges to a centralized monarchy. It is the official, though reluctant, birth of the kingdom.

Key Issues

The King from the Baggage Claim

There is a deep and abiding irony woven through this entire account. The people of Israel, tired of the unseen rule of their invisible God, demand a king they can see. They want a tangible, flesh-and-blood ruler who will look the part and lead them in battle. God, in His permissive will, grants their request. And how does this grand new era of visible leadership begin? It begins with a frantic search for a missing monarch who is discovered cowering behind the luggage. The king they can see has to be dragged out of hiding. This is not just a humorous historical detail; it is a divine commentary. You wanted a man to save you instead of God? Here he is. He's tall, but he's terrified. You have rejected the Rock of your salvation for a man who, at the first moment of public pressure, runs for cover. This is a picture of what happens when the church decides that the simple means of grace are not impressive enough, and opts for a more worldly, pragmatic, and visually appealing model of success. We often find that the leader we clamored for is hiding in the baggage when the real spiritual battles begin.

Verse by Verse Commentary

17-19 Then Samuel called the people together to Yahweh at Mizpah; and he said to the sons of Israel, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ But you have today rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses; yet you have said, ‘No, but set a king over us!’ So now, take your stand before Yahweh by your tribes and by your clans.”

Before the coronation comes the indictment. Samuel doesn't begin with pomp and circumstance, but with a covenant lawsuit. He summons them "to Yahweh," reminding them that this is a divine transaction, not a mere political election. God's message through Samuel follows a classic covenantal pattern. First, He recites His saving deeds: "I brought you up from Egypt... I delivered you." This is the basis of His claim on them. He has been their King, their Savior, their Deliverer. Then comes the charge: "But you have today rejected your God." Their demand for a human king was not an administrative adjustment; it was an act of apostasy. They were trading the God who actually saves for a man who they hoped would save. It was a rejection of the perfect for the problematic. Nevertheless, God commands them to proceed. "So now, take your stand." He is going to give them the king they demanded, but He wants them to receive him with the sting of this rebuke fresh in their ears.

20-21 Thus Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its families, and the Matrite family was taken. And Saul the son of Kish was taken; but they looked for him, and he could not be found.

The selection is made by lot, a process designed to remove human politics and reveal God's direct choice. The lot was a recognized means of discerning God's will in the Old Testament (Prov 16:33). The process is solemn and systematic, narrowing down from the twelve tribes to one, Benjamin; from the clans of Benjamin to one, the Matrites; and finally to one man, Saul. This demonstrates to everyone that despite the sinfulness of their request, God is still sovereignly orchestrating the outcome. He is the one choosing the man. And then, at the climactic moment of revelation, an anticlimax. The chosen one is missing. The man God has selected is a no-show for his own coronation. The silence and confusion must have been palpable.

22 Therefore they inquired further of Yahweh, “Has the man come here yet?” So Yahweh said, “Behold, he is hiding himself by the baggage.”

Their immediate response is to inquire of Yahweh, which shows that for all their rebellion, they still know where the answers are. They can't even find their new king without help from the old one they just rejected. God's answer is specific and, one imagines, delivered with a certain divine dryness: "Behold, he is hiding himself by the baggage." The word for baggage refers to the supplies, the equipment, the stuff. Saul has buried himself in the mundane things of the camp. This is not holy humility. Humility accepts God's calling, trusting in God's strength. This is fear. This is an abdication of responsibility. The man who is supposed to lead the armies of Israel is, at this moment, a draft dodger.

23 So they ran and took him from there, and he stood among the people. And he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.

They have to run and fetch him, dragging him out of his hiding place and into the spotlight. And when he finally stands among them, the people see what they were looking for. He is physically imposing, head and shoulders above everyone else. This is the image of a king, a warrior, a man of stature. His external appearance was precisely what satisfied their worldly criteria. They wanted a king like the nations, and the nations liked their kings big. His impressive height immediately papers over the embarrassing fact that he was just found hiding in the supply tent.

24 And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom Yahweh has chosen? Surely there is no one like him among all the people.” So all the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!”

Samuel presents him with a question that is layered with meaning. "Do you see him whom Yahweh has chosen?" On the surface, it is a simple presentation. But underneath, it is a challenge. "You wanted a king you could see. Well, look at him. Are you satisfied?" Samuel's follow-up, "there is no one like him," is a statement of fact regarding his height, but it is also a subtle reminder that their criteria for a king are superficial. The people, however, are not interested in subtlety. They see the height, they hear the proclamation, and they erupt in a unified shout: "Long live the king!" They have what they wanted, and for the moment, they are thrilled.

25 Then Samuel spoke with the people about the legal judgments of the kingdom and wrote them in the book and placed it before Yahweh. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his house.

This verse is of monumental importance. The celebration is immediately followed by a constitutional convention. Samuel does not establish an absolute monarchy. He lays out the mishpat, the rights, responsibilities, and legal judgments that will govern the king. This is not a new law, but rather an application of the Torah (specifically Deut 17:14-20) to this new office. The king is not to be a tyrant; he is to be a servant of God's law. By writing it in a book and placing it "before Yahweh," Samuel places the monarchy itself under the authority of the covenant. The king is not the ultimate authority; the written Word of God is. This is the foundation for limited government and the rule of law.

26-27 Saul also went to his house at Gibeah; and the valiant men whose hearts God had touched went with him. But certain vile men said, “How can this one save us?” And they despised him and did not bring him any present. But he kept silent.

The new kingdom begins on a fractured note. Saul doesn't go to a palace; he goes back to his house. He is a king without a court. God sovereignly provides an initial retinue, "valiant men whose hearts God had touched." God is gracious and gives Saul the support he needs to begin. But there is immediate opposition from "vile men," literally "sons of Belial" or sons of worthlessness. These are rebels and scoffers. They look at Saul's humble origins and his timid start and despise him. "How can this one save us?" They refuse to honor him or bring the customary tributary gift. Saul's response is noteworthy: "he kept silent." This is not the fear he showed in the baggage pile. This is prudence. He knows he does not yet have the authority or the political capital to crush this dissent. He waits for God to vindicate his kingship, which happens dramatically in the next chapter with the defeat of the Ammonites.

Application

This passage is a standing warning to the people of God against the temptation of worldliness. The Israelites rejected the invisible God for a tall, visible man. In the same way, churches are constantly tempted to reject the simple, unseen work of the Spirit through Word and Sacrament for something more impressive, more marketable, more... visible. We want the celebrity pastor, the massive budget, the slick presentation. We want a king we can see. But God's way is often the opposite. His true King was born in obscurity and had "no form or majesty that we should look at him" (Isa 53:2). We must learn to trust in the God who saves, not in the impressive leaders we choose for ourselves.

Furthermore, we see the absolute necessity of submission to God's Word. The first thing Samuel did was establish the kingship under the authority of God's written law. Any authority in the church, in the family, or in the state that is not submitted to the authority of Scripture is, by definition, tyrannical. The king is not the law; the law is king. For us, this means that our lives, our churches, and our societies must be brought into conformity with the Word of God. That is the only foundation for true order and liberty.

Finally, Saul's story is a cautionary tale. He was God's choice, but he was also the people's choice, and he embodied their flawed desires. He looked the part, but his heart was not right. He started with fear, and he would end in rebellion and ruin. This should drive us to the true King, the Lord Jesus. He is the king we need, not the king we would have chosen. He rules not by outward appearance but by righteous character. He did not hide from His calling, but set His face like flint toward Jerusalem to save us. Let us not shout for Saul, but bend the knee to Jesus, the only King who truly saves.