1 Samuel 10:1

Then Samuel took a vial of oil,.... Out of his pocket very probably, which he brought along with him on purpose for the use he made of it: this, as the Jews (y) say, was not the anointing oil that

Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance? Then Samuel took a vial of oil.

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 10 Samuel anointeth Saul, ; confirms him by prediction of three signs, . Saul prophesies, . He cometh to his uncle; telleth him what Samuel had said concerning the asses, but concealeth the matter of the kingdom, . Samuel assembleth the people at Mizpeh, . Saul is chosen king by lot; but hideth himself; is discovered by God. His stature, . Samuel presents him to the people, who receive him with shouting, . Samuel writeth the manner of the kingdom in a book, . God inspires the people with reverence towards Saul; but the children of Belial despise him, ,27. This was the usual rite in the designation, as of priests and prophets, so also of kings, as 13 ,3,6; whereby was signified the pouring forth of the gifts of God’ s Spirit upon him, to enable him for the administration of his office, which he might expect, and should receive upon the discharge of his duty. And kissed him; partly in token of that reverence which he did owe, and that subjection which he and all the people were shortly to perform to him, whereof kissing was a sign, as ; and partly as a testimony of his sincere friendship and affection to him, and how far he was from envying his successor in the supreme dignity. Over his inheritance, i.e. over his own peculiar people; whereby he admonisheth Saul that this people were not so much his as God’ s; and that he was not to rule and manage them according to his own will and pleasure, but according to the will and mind of God.

1 Samuel 10:1 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured [it] upon his head, and kissed him, and said, [Is it] not because the LORD hath anointed thee [to be] captain over his inheritance?Ver. 1. Then Samuel took a vial of oil.] Not a horn, as when David and his posterity were anointed, but a vial made of earth, or glass; brittle matter, to signify, say some, the short continuance of his kingdom. He was anointed with oil, as to set forth his superiority and eminency above his subjects, - oil will ever be on the top of other liquors, - so to admonish him of lenity, clemency, and bounty - whereof oil is a symbol - to be exercised toward them. And kissed him.] In token of congratulation and subjection. And said, Is it not because the Lord, &c.] What else is the import of these ceremonies used by me? Some render it, And said, Should I not do thus? for Jehovah hath anointed thee, &c., for it seemeth that Saul, in modesty, had used some resistance: refusing to be anointed, till Samuel persuaded and pacified him with these words: likens afterwards, when our Saviour came to be baptized of John, he flatly forbade him, and kept him out of the water, till Christ said, "Suffer it so to be: for thus it behoveth us to fulfil all righteousness." Consentaneum est iniecta manu Ioan. conatum vetare Iesum. - Erasm.

(1) Then-Samuel took a vial of oil.—The vial was a narrow-necked vessel, from which the oil flowed in drops. It was, of course, no common oil which the prophet used on this momentous occasion, but the oil of holy ointment, the sacred anointing oil which was used at the consecration of the priests, and also of the Tabernacle and the sacred vessels. (See Exodus 29:7; Exodus 30:23-33, &c.) The solemn anointing took place in the ceremony of consecration in the case of some, but not of all, the Hebrew sovereigns. We hear of it at the accession of David, Absalom, Solomon, Joash, Jehoahaz, And Jehu. In cases of regular succession the anointing was supposed to continue its effect—that is, the regular succession needed no new anointing. Hence it is that only the above named kings are mentioned as having been anointed, all founders of dynasties or irregularly advanced to the throne. (See Erdman in Lange here.) And kissed him.—Rather as a customary sign of reverential homage than as a mark of affection, which at that early date of their acquaintance it was hardly possible to assume that the old man felt for the younger. (Compare Psalms 2:12 : “Kiss the son, lest he be angry”: that is, “Do homage, O ye kings of the earth, to Him who is your anointed King.”) The Lord hath anointed thee.—Samuel replies to the look and gesture of extreme astonishment with which the young Saul received the anointing and the kiss with these words: “Do you mutely ask me why I pay you this formal homage? why I salute you with such deep respect? Is it not because you are the chosen of the Eternal? Are you still incredulous respecting your high destiny? See now, as you go on your way home, you will meet with three signs; they will prove to you that what I do, I do not of myself, but in obedience to a higher power.”

CHAPTER X Samuel anoints Saul captain of the Lord's inheritance, 1. Instructs him concerning his return home, whom he should meet, and what he should do, 2-8. Saul meets a company of prophets, the Spirit of the Lord comes on him, and he prophesies among them, 9-13. He meets his uncle, and converses with him, 14-16. Samuel calls the people together to Mizpeh, and upbraids them for having rejected the Lord as their king, 17-19. Lots are cast to find out the person proper to be appointed king; Saul is chosen, 20-24. Samuel shows the manner of the king, and writes it in a book, 25. Saul goes to Gibeah; and certain persons refuse to acknowledge him as king, 26, 27. NOTES ON CHAP. X Verse 1. Took a vial of oil] The reasons of this rite the reader will find largely stated in Clarke's note on "Exodus 29:7". The anointing mentioned here took place in the open field. See the preceding chapter, 1 Samuel 9:26-27. How simple was the ancient ceremony of consecrating a king! A prophet or priest poured oil upon his head, and kissed him; and said, Thus the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance. This was the whole of the ceremony. Even in this anointing, Saul is not acknowledged as king, but simply נגיד nagpid, a captain - one who goes before and leads the people.

1 Samuel 10:1. a vial of oil] Rather, “the vial of oil.” The word rendered vial (i.e. phial or flask) occurs again only in the account of the coronation of Jehu, in 2 Kings 9:1; 2 Kings 9:3 (E. V. box). The definite article in the original may perhaps indicate the holy anointing oil used for the consecration of priests (Exodus 30:23-33). and kissed him] In token of reverence and homage to his royal dignity. Cp. Psalms 2:12. Is it not because the Lord] Lit., “Is it not the case that Jehovah” = Surely Jehovah, &c. hath anointed thee] The rite of anointing (a) signified the consecration of the king to the service of God; (b) was the outward sign of the gift of the Spirit to qualify him for his office (1 Samuel 10:9-10, 1 Samuel 16:13, cp. Acts 10:38); (c) marked his person as sacred and inviolable (ch. 1 Samuel 26:9; 2 Samuel 1:14). The title “the Lord’s anointed” (Sept. ΧριστὸςΚυρίου, cp. Luke 2:26), designating the theocratic King as the Vicegerent of Jehovah, is characteristic of the books of Samuel and the Psalms. It never occurs in Kings, when the true idea of the kingdom had been lost. Priests (Exodus 40:15; Leviticus 8:12), prophets in some cases (1 Kings 19:16), and kings, were consecrated by anointing, and formed partial types and foreshadowings of The Messiah (derived from the Hebrew word Mβshξach = anointed, through the Greek form Μεσσίας), i.e. the Anointed one, the Christ, who united in Himself all three offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. According to Jewish tradition, anointing was only necessary when a new dynasty came to the throne or the succession was disputed. Hence we only find mention of it in the case of Saul; David (ch. 1 Samuel 16:3; 2 Samuel 2:4; 2 Samuel 5:3); Absalom (2 Samuel 19:10); Solomon (1 Kings 1:39); Joash (2 Kings 11:12); Jehoahaz, who was not the eldest son of Josiah (2 Kings 23:30); Jehu (2 Kings 9:3). The ceremonies of this first recorded coronation are still observed in England. The anointing is performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the kiss of homage is given by the Archbishop, bishops, and premier peer of each rank for the rest of his order. The Sept. reads “Hath not the Lord anointed thee to be ruler over his people Israel? And thou shalt rule the people of the Lord, and thou shalt save them out of the hand of their enemies. And this shall be the sign unto thee that the Lord hath anointed thee to be ruler over his inheritance. When, &c.” The Vulgate also contains the greater part of this addition, which seems to be required to connect 1 Samuel 10:1-2. Its omission in the Hebrew may be accounted for by what is called Homoeoteleuton. When two sentences end with the same words, the scribe’s eye is liable to catch the second instead of the first, so that he omits the intervening words. his inheritance] Cp. Deuteronomy 32:9; Psalms 78:71, &c.

Is it not because ... - Samuel answers Saul’s tacit or expressed wonder, by telling him why he did as he did. (Compare 1 Samuel 9:21.)

1. A vial of oil — The Hebrew is emphatic — the flask of the oil; probably the holy anointing oil described Exodus 30:23-33, which Samuel had prepared for this express purpose.