Is Saul Too among the Prophets?

1 Samuel 10:9–12|19:19–24

Biblical Period

9As [Saul] turned around to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart; [ . . . ]. 10And when they came there, to the Hill, he saw a band of prophets coming toward him. Thereupon the spirit of God gripped him, and he a-spoke in ecstasy-aamong them. 11When all who knew him previously saw him speaking in ecstasy together with the prophets, the people said to one another, “What’s happened to b-the son of Kish?-bIs Saul too among the prophets?” [ . . . ] Thus the proverb arose: “Is Saul too among the prophets?”

19Saul was told that David was at Naioth in Ramah, 20and Saul sent messengers to seize David. They saw a band of prophets speaking in ecstasy, with Samuel standing by as their leader; and the spirit of God came upon Saul’s messengers and they too began to speak in ecstasy. 21When Saul was told about this, he sent other messengers; but they too spoke in ecstasy. Saul sent a third group of messengers; and they also spoke in ecstasy. 22So he himself went to Ramah. When he came to the great cistern at Secu, he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” and was told that they were at Naioth in Ramah. 23He was on his way there, to Naioth in Ramah, when the spirit of God came upon him too; and he walked on, speaking in ecstasy, until he reached Naioth in Ramah. 24Then he too stripped off his clothes and he too spoke in ecstasy before Samuel; and he lay naked all that day and all night. That is why people say, “Is Saul too among the prophets?”

Notes

Others: “prophesied.”

To refer to a person merely as “the son [ben] of . . .” is slighting.

Credits

Reprinted from Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures by permission of the University of Nebraska Press. Copyright 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 1.

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