Bible Strands
Acts 13:21
Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — This verse appears within a historical review delivered to a Jewish audience, positioned chronologically after the era of judges and before the rise of David. It marks the institutional shift from prophetic-judicial leadership to a centralized monarchy.
The words — ᾐτὴσαντο (ētēsanto) = they asked for, and ἔδωκεν (edōken) = gave. The text states the people made a direct request and God responded by providing Saul son of Kish, a Benjaminite, who reigned for forty years.
The thread — The demand for a ruler echoes 1 Samuel 8:5, where the elders request a king to govern them like surrounding nations. God's provision of Saul connects to the anointing narrative in 1 Samuel 10:1 and the subsequent royal judgment in 1 Samuel 15:1.
Why it lands — It requires the reader to acknowledge that human desire for centralized, visible authority can trigger divine permission, and that God's granting of a request does not guarantee the requested leader's fidelity.
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 Greek words
King James Version
And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 10:1 Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?
- 1 Samuel 15:1 Then Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people Israel. Now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 8:5 “Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.”
- 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.
- 1 Samuel 11:15 So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king in the presence of the LORD. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly.
- 1 Samuel 12:12 But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king to rule over us’—even though the LORD your God was your king.