1 Samuel 9:10 kjv
Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of God was.
1 Samuel 9:10 nkjv
Then Saul said to his servant, "Well said; come, let us go." So they went to the city where the man of God was.
1 Samuel 9:10 niv
"Good," Saul said to his servant. "Come, let's go." So they set out for the town where the man of God was.
1 Samuel 9:10 esv
And Saul said to his servant, "Well said; come, let us go." So they went to the city where the man of God was.
1 Samuel 9:10 nlt
"All right," Saul agreed, "let's try it!" So they started into the town where the man of God lived.
1 Samuel 9 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Prv 16:9 | The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. | God's ultimate direction of human paths. |
| Prv 3:5-6 | Trust in the Lord with all your heart... he will make straight your paths. | Divine guidance through reliance on God. |
| Psa 37:23 | The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way. | God orders the steps of the righteous. |
| Jer 10:23 | O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man... to direct his own steps. | Humanity's inability to fully direct itself. |
| Act 17:26 | And he made from one man every nation of mankind... determining their appointed times and the boundaries of their dwelling place. | God's sovereign control over circumstances. |
| Rom 8:28 | And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. | Divine purpose in all circumstances. |
| Gen 24:27 | And he said, "Blessed be the Lord... who has led me in the way..." | God's active leading in Abraham's servant's search. |
| Gen 24:48 | ...who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. | God directs specific actions for His will. |
| Exo 3:1 | Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro... And he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness... | God's leading Moses to the burning bush. |
| Psa 23:3 | He restores my soul; he leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. | God's restorative and guiding hand. |
| 1 Sam 9:6 | His servant said to him, "Here now, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor..." | The servant's timely suggestion aligning with God's plan. |
| 1 Sam 9:15 | Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel... | God's foreknowledge and pre-ordination. |
| 1 Sam 9:16 | "Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him prince over my people Israel." | Direct prophecy of Saul's arrival to Samuel. |
| Isa 55:8-9 | For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. | God's wisdom and ways surpass human understanding. |
| Php 2:13 | for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. | God's enabling and directing the human will. |
| Pro 20:24 | A man’s steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand his own way? | Human paths are ordered by God. |
| Pro 19:21 | Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. | God's ultimate plan prevails over human plans. |
| Psa 32:8 | I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. | God promises personal instruction and guidance. |
| Judg 14:4 | His parents did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. | God uses human actions, even opposition, for His plan. |
| Hos 12:13 | By a prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt, and by a prophet he was kept. | God's use of prophets as instruments of guidance and deliverance. |
1 Samuel 9 verses
1 Samuel 9 10 Meaning
In this verse, Saul responds to his servant's suggestion to visit the man of God, acknowledging what he perceives as a divine re-direction of their path. It conveys his belief that the Lord, God of Israel, has supernaturally intervened to change the course of their journey, guiding them specifically to the place where they are, ostensibly to seek the man of God. This marks a pivotal moment, as Saul unknowingly assents to a divinely orchestrated encounter that will lead to his anointing as Israel's first king.
1 Samuel 9 10 Context
Chapter 9 of 1 Samuel begins with Saul, a tall and handsome young man from the tribe of Benjamin, being sent by his father Kish to find lost donkeys. This mundane task sets in motion a journey of seemingly fruitless searching across various towns. As they are about to give up and return home, Saul's servant suggests consulting a "man of God," or seer, known for his prophetic abilities and accurate insights, who resides in a nearby town. This suggestion, unbeknownst to Saul, is a divinely guided pivot point. Verse 10 captures Saul's immediate and crucial agreement to this proposal, explicitly attributing their redirection to the Lord. This aligns perfectly with God's prior revelation to Samuel in the very same city (verses 15-16), indicating that Saul's "lost donkeys" quest was, in fact, God's providential means to bring him directly to Samuel for his anointing as king. The verse therefore sits at the cusp of a significant transition, marking Saul's unwitting step into his national destiny under God's sovereign direction.
1 Samuel 9 10 Word analysis
- Then: Waw consecutive. It indicates an immediate succession of action, marking Saul's prompt agreement following the servant's suggestion in the previous verse. It emphasizes the quick shift in their plans.
- Saul: Sha'ul (שָׁאוּל). The future king of Israel. At this point, he is a private individual seeking lost donkeys, unaware of his impending divine appointment. His name means "asked (of God)" or "prayed for."
- said: A simple declaration, but crucial as it seals the decision to follow the servant's unexpected advice.
- to his servant: Reflects Saul's reliance on his servant's wisdom at a critical moment. The servant plays a key role as an unwitting agent of God's providence.
- Come, let us go: Hebrew lekha neleka (לְכָה נֵלֵכָה). A command and cohortative. "Come" (imperative) followed by "let us go" (first-person plural cohortative). It signifies a definite decision and initiation of action. It carries an immediacy and resolution.
- for: Ki (כִּי). A causal conjunction, meaning "because" or "for this reason." Saul attributes their situation and change of course to the direct action of God.
- the Lord: Adonai (אֲדֹנָי). This is a solemn and majestic title for the God of Israel, emphasizing His absolute sovereignty and mastery, especially over His covenant people. Its use here indicates a recognition of divine agency rather than mere coincidence or luck. It points to a deep theological understanding by the biblical author that God is actively involved in orchestrating seemingly mundane events for His greater purposes.
- has brought our way about again: Hebrew heshiv Adonai et darkenu (הֵשִׁיב אֲדֹנָי אֶת דַּרְכֵּנוּ). This is the theological core of the verse.
- has brought... about again: Heshiv (הֵשִׁיב) is the Hiphil perfect form of the verb shuv (שׁוּב), meaning "to turn," "to return," or "to bring back." In the Hiphil, it means "to cause to return," "to bring back," or "to restore." It explicitly states divine causation and deliberate re-direction. The sense of "again" is embedded in shuv conveying a change from a previous course. It's not just a change, but a return or a turning towards a destined path after a detour.
- our way: darkenu (דַּרְכֵּנוּ). Refers to their current journey or path. Metaphorically, it can encompass their circumstances and the course of their lives at that moment. God's intervention is specific to their immediate circumstances.
- to the place: al hamekom (אֶל הַמָּקוֹם). Literally "to the place." This indicates a specific, divinely ordained destination. While ambiguous in a general sense, in the context of the servant's earlier remarks, it clearly refers to the town where the man of God resides, implying that God specifically orchestrated their journey to converge at this exact location for a momentous purpose.
1 Samuel 9 10 Bonus section
The seemingly mundane quest for lost donkeys highlights a biblical principle: God often uses ordinary or even troublesome situations to position individuals for His extraordinary purposes. The specific language of "the Lord has brought our way about again" points to a concept known as "divine serendipity" or "providential irony," where apparent misfortune (lost donkeys) leads to unexpected blessing or revelation (meeting Samuel and becoming king). The contrast between Saul's immediate concern (donkeys) and God's larger agenda (king for Israel) underscores the vast difference between human perception and divine foresight. This passage strongly affirms God's active sovereignty over human affairs, showing that He is not merely observing from a distance but actively shaping destinies, even when those being guided are oblivious to His greater design.
1 Samuel 9 10 Commentary
1 Samuel 9:10 serves as a crucial moment in the narrative, subtly unveiling the unseen hand of divine providence. Saul, on a routine and rather unsuccessful search for donkeys, accepts his servant's suggestion to visit a man of God. His acknowledgment that "the Lord has brought our way about again" is significant. It's an intuitive recognition that their journey's twists and turns are not random but part of a higher, divine plan, though Saul is completely unaware of its grand implications—his imminent anointing as king. This verse beautifully illustrates how God uses ordinary circumstances and the seemingly inconsequential decisions of individuals (like searching for lost donkeys or agreeing to a servant's idea) to orchestrate His sovereign will and fulfill His predetermined purposes, particularly the establishment of His covenant plan for Israel through their first king. It foreshadows God's active involvement in the unfolding events of Israel's monarchy, a theme that will continue throughout 1 Samuel.