1 Samuel 10:27

“But the children of Belial said, etc.] Wicked, dissolute, lawless persons; men without a yoke, as the word signifies, who did not care to be under the yoke of government, at least not under the yoke of Saul; and these might be men of wealth, and of larger tribes, and better families than Saul was of, and therefore envied him, and thought themselves better for government than he was; and in a jeering scornful manner said, how shall this man save us? whose family is so mean, and whose tribe is so small, that they can give but little assistance to deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, the Philistines and Ammonites; intimating, that a king ought to have been of a rich family, and a large…”

“the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents--In Eastern countries, the honor of the sovereign and the splendor of the royal household are upheld, not by a fixed rate of taxation, but by presents brought at certain seasons by officials, and men of wealth, from all parts of the kingdom, according to the means of the individual, and of a customary registered value. Such was the tribute which Saul's opponents withheld, and for want of which he was unable to set up a kingly establishment for a while. But "biding his time," he bore the insult with a prudence and magnanimity which were of great use in the beginning of his government.…”

“Presents - The מנחה mı̂nchāh was the token of homage and acknowledgment from the subject to the sovereign, and from the tributary nation to their suzerain. (See 2 Samuel 8:2, 2 Samuel 8:6; Jdg 3:17-18; 1 Kings 4:21; 2 Kings 17:4, etc.; Psalms 72:10; Isaiah 16:1.) Saul dissembled his resentment, and waited for the favorable tide which soon came with the invasion of Nahash. return to 'Top of Page' Footnotes: Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliographical Information Barnes, Albert. "Commentary on 1 Samuel 10". "Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/1-samuel-10.html. 1870. StudyLight.org © 2001-2026 Powered by…”

“No presents - As subjects in those times used to do to their kings. This was an evidence both of his humility, and the mercifulness of his disposition. So Christ held his peace, in the day of his patience. But there is a day of recompense coming. Next: 1 Kings (1 Samuel) Chapter 11”

“10:27 These men were scoundrels (cp. 2:12) because they scorned God’s chosen king. • Gifts were given to show homage (Gen 32:13, 18, 20), political friendship (2 Kgs 20:12), or submission (Judg 3:15, 17). • ignored them: Saul’s self-restraint while being insulted was a sign of maturity. In contrast, Proverbs 16:14 speaks of a king’s potentially explosive rage when somebody crosses him. See also 1 Sam 11:12-13. • [Nahash . . . Jabesh-gilead]: See NLT note. Whether this paragraph was part of the original text is uncertain, but it provides historical context for 11:1-15 (e.g., 11:2).”

“children: Sa1 2:12, Sa1 11:12; Deu 13:13; Sa2 20:1; Ch2 13:7; Act 7:35, Act 7:51, Act 7:52 brought him: Sa2 8:2; Kg1 4:21, Kg1 10:25; Ch2 17:5; Psa 72:10; Mat 2:11 he held his peace: or, he was as though he had been deaf, Psa 38:13; Isa 36:21; Mat 27:12-14 Next: 1 Kings (1 Samuel) Chapter 11”