1 Samuel 9 15

1 Samuel 9:15 kjv

Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,

1 Samuel 9:15 nkjv

Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, saying,

1 Samuel 9:15 niv

Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed this to Samuel:

1 Samuel 9:15 esv

Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed to Samuel:

1 Samuel 9:15 nlt

Now the LORD had told Samuel the previous day,

1 Samuel 9 verses

1 Samuel 9 15 Meaning

The Lord, the covenant God of Israel, had explicitly informed Samuel a full day prior to Saul's arrival about his coming and his specific purpose. This statement from the narrator reveals God's divine foreknowledge and His active, sovereign involvement in meticulously orchestrating the selection and anointing of Israel's first king, positioning seemingly coincidental events under His direct control.

1 Samuel 9 15 Context

1 Samuel 9:15 is strategically placed within the narrative to provide the reader with a divine perspective on the unfolding events. Chapter 8 describes Israel's rejection of God's direct rule and their demand for a king "like all the nations." Despite their flawed motivations, God accedes, directing Samuel to proceed with anointing a king. Chapter 9 introduces Saul, seemingly by chance, embarking on a quest to find lost donkeys. His journey coincidentally leads him to the very town where Samuel resides. Verse 15 intercepts this "coincidental" plotline, revealing to the audience that this seemingly chance encounter is, in fact, entirely orchestrated by God. It prepares the reader for Samuel's pre-knowledge and confident actions when he meets Saul, establishing divine sovereignty as the underlying force behind the human drama of the first king's selection.

1 Samuel 9 15 Word analysis

• "Now": (Hebrew: וְ - ve, a simple conjunction). This functions as a narrative connector, shifting focus to reveal crucial behind-the-scenes information, thereby providing the divine interpretation of the events that follow. It signals a critical revelation about divine preparation.
• "the Lord": (Hebrew: יְהוָה - YHWH, the Tetragrammaton). Refers to the personal, covenant God of Israel. Its use here underscores that the initiation and execution of the monarchy's establishment are a direct act of His personal will and sovereign authority, not a mere historical accident or human contrivance.
• "had revealed": (Hebrew: גָּלָה - galah, 'to uncover', 'to make bare', 'to disclose'). This verb implies an intentional act of unveiling something previously hidden. The pluperfect tense emphasizes that this revelation to Samuel occurred and was completed before the subsequent events of Saul's arrival. It highlights God's proactive initiative in communicating His divine plan.
• "unto Samuel": Clearly designates the specific recipient of this critical divine intelligence. It reinforces Samuel's unique and trusted role as God's principal prophet, through whom the divine will for Israel is communicated and executed. This underscores Samuel's prophetic legitimacy.
• "a day before": (Hebrew: הַיּוֹם לִפְנֵי - hayyom liphney 'the day before'). This precise temporal detail underscores God's meticulous timing and foresight. It removes any notion of randomness, emphasizing that the meeting between Saul and Samuel was precisely scheduled and prepared for, down to the exact timing.
• "Saul came": Identifies the subject of God's pre-disclosure and the destined recipient of the anointing. This seemingly simple statement refers to Saul's arrival for the 'accidental' meeting that was in fact divinely ordained, building anticipation for the meeting.
• "saying": (Hebrew: לֵאמֹר - leʼmor, an infinitive used to introduce direct speech). This indicates that the revelation was specific and verbal, introducing the direct divine instructions and foretelling about Saul's identity and mission, which are elaborated in the following verses (1 Sam 9:16-17).

• "the Lord had revealed unto Samuel": This phrase establishes a direct cause-and-effect. Saul's encounter with Samuel is entirely within God's control, orchestrated by a prior divine communication. It accentuates God's purposeful direction in establishing the monarchy and Samuel's role as a pre-informed instrument of His will.
• "a day before Saul came": This precise time frame explicitly removes any hint of coincidence from the narrative. It demonstrates God's perfect providence, meticulously planning and scheduling key events to bring about His sovereign will, despite the seemingly ordinary human circumstances (Saul searching for donkeys).

1 Samuel 9 15 Bonus section

• The very specificity of "a day before" emphasizes the pre-meditated nature of God's plan, countering any worldview that attributes significant historical events to random chance or mere human ambition.
• This verse portrays an intimate and active working relationship between God and His prophet. Samuel is not merely a messenger but a trusted recipient of privileged, future-determining information, indicative of the high esteem and authority he holds before God.
• From a literary standpoint, this is a masterful use of narrative omniscience, providing the reader with key information that the characters (Saul) are unaware of. This builds dramatic irony and deepens the understanding of divine agency in the unfolding story.
• The theological message here is one of comfort and control: even amidst Israel's disobedience (in demanding a king like the nations), God's overarching plan for His people remained firmly on course, steered by His omniscient foresight.

1 Samuel 9 15 Commentary

1 Samuel 9:15 is the theological lens through which the ensuing events of Saul's selection must be viewed. It is the narrator's crucial interpretive comment, revealing divine oversight in what might otherwise appear as a serendipitous encounter. The verse asserts God's sovereignty over human history and political processes. God's "revealing" to Samuel beforehand means that Saul's "chance" arrival in Ramah, prompted by a mundane search for donkeys, was not coincidental but precisely designed. This not only authenticates Samuel's prophetic office but, more importantly, confirms that the installation of Israel's first king was fundamentally a divine appointment, despite the people's questionable motives for desiring a king. It underscores God's meticulous providence, working through seemingly ordinary events to fulfill His ultimate purposes.