Kish

1There was a man named Kish. He came from the family group called Benjamin. His father was Abiel. Before Abiel came Zeror, then Bechorath, then Aphiah. Kish was a strong and important man.

Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.

NoteIsrael was made of twelve big family groups called tribes. Benjamin was one of them. Each tribe came from one of Jacob's sons. The list of names here shows Kish's father, grandfather, and older grandfathers.

2Kish had a son named Saul. Saul was a fine young man, and handsome. No one in Israel looked better than he did. He was taller than everyone else, head and shoulders above them.

And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

NoteIsrael is the name of God's people, and also their land.

3One day the donkeys of Saul's father Kish wandered off. Kish said to Saul, "Take one of the servants with you. Go and look for the donkeys."

And the asses of Kish Saul’s father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.

NoteDonkeys were like a truck for a family. They carried heavy loads and people rode them. Losing them was losing something worth a lot of money.

4Saul went through the hills of Ephraim and the land of Shalisha. No donkeys. He went through the land of Shalim. Not there either. He went through the land of Benjamin. Still nothing.

And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.

NoteEphraim, Shalisha, and Shalim are places near Saul's home. Saul and the servant walked for days looking in each one.

5They came to the land of Zuph. Saul said to his servant, "Let's go home. My father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us."

And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us.

9Saul turned to leave Samuel. God gave Saul a new heart. All the signs came true that very day.

And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.

NoteA new heart does not mean the heart inside his chest. In this book, the heart means the way a person thinks and feels.

10Saul and his servant came to the hill. A group of prophets met him there. The Spirit of God came on Saul with power. He spoke God's words along with them.

And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

11People who had known Saul before saw this happen. They watched him speaking God's words with the prophets. They asked each other, "What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul a prophet now too?"

And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?

NotePeople often named someone by his father, like Saul son of Kish. Everyone knew Saul as a farmer's son. Nobody expected him to speak God's words.

12A man who lived there answered, "And who is their father?" That is how the saying began: "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?

NoteThe man's question is a puzzle. He seems to mean that prophets do not get the job from their fathers. God can choose anyone, even Saul.

17Then Samuel called all the people to meet with the LORD at Mizpeh.

And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh;

NoteMizpeh was a town where the people of Israel gathered for big meetings.

18He said to the people of Israel, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says. 'I brought Israel out of Egypt. I saved you from the Egyptians. I saved you from every kingdom that treated you badly.'"

And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you:

NoteLong before this, the people of Israel were slaves in Egypt. God brought them out and made them free.

19"But today you have said no to your God. He is the one who saves you from all your troubles. You told him, 'No. Give us a king instead.' So now come and stand before the LORD. Come tribe by tribe."

And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.

NoteA tribe is one big family group. All of Israel was twelve tribes together.

20Samuel had every tribe of Israel come forward. The tribe of Benjamin was picked.

And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.

NoteTo pick a tribe, they drew lots. It worked a little like drawing straws. People believed God guided which one came out.

21Then the families of Benjamin came forward. The family of Matri was picked. Then Saul, the son of Kish, was picked. But when they looked for him, they could not find him.

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.

22So they asked the LORD again, "Has the man come here yet?" The LORD answered, "He is hiding among the bags and supplies."

Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.

23They ran and brought him out. He stood among the people. He was taller than everyone else, by a whole head.

And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.

NoteBeing tall mattered to people then. They wanted a king who looked strong enough to lead them into battle.

24Samuel said to all the people, "Look at the man the LORD has chosen. No one else is like him." All the people shouted, "Long live the king!"

And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.

NoteThe King James says, "God save the king." That is old English for "May the king live a long time."

49Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishui, and Melchishua. He had two daughters. The older one was Merab, and the younger one was Michal.

Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchishua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal:

50Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. The leader of his army was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.

And the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.

51Saul's father was Kish. Abner's father was Ner, and Ner's father was Abiel.

And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

12Then David went and got the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan. He got them from the men of Jabesh-gilead. Those men had taken the bodies from the town square of Beth-shan. The Philistines had hung them there after they killed Saul at Mount Gilboa.

And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabeshgilead, which had stolen them from the street of Bethshan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa:

NoteThe Philistines were a people who lived near the sea. They fought against Israel again and again. Long before this they had killed Saul and hung his body up in a town so everyone would see. The men of Jabesh-gilead took it down because Saul had once saved their town.

13David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan back from that place. They also gathered the bones of the seven men who had been hanged.

And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged.

14They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan in the land of Benjamin, at a town called Zelah. They laid them in the grave of Kish, Saul's father. They did everything the king had told them to do. After that, God answered the prayers for the land.

And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was intreated for the land.

NoteA grave like this was a small cave where one family laid their dead. Being buried with your father and grandfather was a way of coming home.

20After that he gave them judges to lead them, for about 450 years. This lasted until Samuel the prophet.

And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

NoteA judge here was a leader who rescued Israel from its enemies. It does not mean a judge in a courtroom.

21Then the people asked for a king. God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, from the family group of Benjamin. Saul was king for forty years.

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.

NoteIsrael was made up of twelve family groups called tribes. Benjamin was one of them. The King James spells the father's name Cis; today we say Kish.

22God took Saul away and made David their king. God said about him, "I have found David, the son of Jesse. He is a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want."

And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

Note"A man after mine own heart" means someone who wants what God wants. Jesse was David's father.