Bible Strands
1 Samuel 10:15
“Tell me,” Saul’s uncle asked, “what did Samuel say to you?”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Saul’s uncle directly questions his nephew about Samuel’s private instructions immediately after Saul returns from searching for the lost donkeys. The inquiry occurs at the precise moment before Saul withholds the prophetic revelation about his future kingship.
The words — The phrase הַגִּידָה נָּא (ha.gidāh nāʾ) literally commands “tell, please,” while אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל (ʾāmar šəmūʾēl) asks “did Samuel say.” These terms frame the uncle’s direct demand for the prophet’s exact words.
The thread — The demand to disclose a prophet’s message recurs in 1 Samuel 9:9 when earlier prophetic communication is described, and in 1 Kings 17:13 when the widow of Zarephath questions Elijah. Both instances mirror the tension between withheld revelation and the need for disclosure.
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to notice how human curiosity clashes with divine timing, as Saul’s uncle seeks immediate answers while Saul strategically omits the kingship announcement. It forces a sober examination of when and why spiritual information is shared or concealed.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Saul’s uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you.