Bible Strands
1 Samuel 10:21
Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the clan of Matri was selected. Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they looked for him, they could not find him.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Samuel conducts a lot-drawing procedure to narrow the national selection down to a single individual during the public consecration of Saul. This occurs at 1 Samuel 10:21, immediately after the tribe of Benjamin was chosen and just before the people discover the chosen man's location.
The words — The verb וַיַּקְרֵב (va.yakrev) means he brought near, describing the act of presenting the tribe of Benjamin by its families. The verb וַתּלָכֵד (va.tilakhed) means it was taken by lot, indicating the mechanism used to isolate the clan of Matri.
The thread — The passage records a deliberate narrowing of selection from the whole nation to one tribe, one clan, and finally one man. This sequential filtering for leadership appears elsewhere in the division of the land by lot and the appointment of judges and kings.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to acknowledge that authority originates from a discerned process rather than personal ambition, particularly when the chosen figure is initially absent. It asks the reader to trust the selection mechanism even when the outcome is not immediately visible or accessible.
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
When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found.