PERSON · KING

Saul

Saul was the first king over the united tribes of Israel, anointed by Samuel at God's direction in response to the people's request for a king (1 Samuel 9:16–17; 1 Samuel 10:1). His rejection by God and the transfer of kingship to David from the tribe of Judah are presented as consequential turning points in Israel's monarchic history (1 Samuel 15:26–28; 1 Samuel 16:1). The New Testament references his forty-year reign in summarizing Israel's history before David (Acts 13:21).

1 Samuel 9:1–2

Capital: Gibeah
Reign: 40 years

The Story

He came from Benjamin, the smallest of the tribes, and he stood a head taller than any man in Israel. That is how Scripture introduces him — handsome, impressive, the son of a man named Kish, a Benjaminite of some standing. There was nothing in his appearance that would have led anyone to say the moment was wrong. Everything about Saul, at the beginning, looked like a beginning.

Israel had asked for a king. The elders had come to Samuel and pressed the point, and God had heard them — not with pleasure, but with permission. He told Samuel to anoint a man from Benjamin, that this man would save Israel from the Philistines, and that the timing was His own. When Saul arrived, still unaware of what was about to happen to him, Samuel anointed him privately first, pouring oil on his head and telling him that the Lord had appointed him leader over His inheritance.

¹Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?
1 Samuel 10:1·KJV

Then came the public moment: the lot was cast before all Israel, tribe by tribe, clan by clan, man by man, until Saul the son of Kish was taken. They found him hiding among the baggage. He was brought out, and the people shouted: God save the king.

That hiding place is worth pausing over. Scripture does not explain what Saul felt in that moment, and it would be wrong to invent it. But the image is lodged in the text — the tallest man in Israel, the newly anointed king, found among the luggage. Whether it was humility or fear or something else entirely, Scripture does not say. What Scripture records is what followed: early victories, a people rallying to their king, and a reign that began with genuine promise.

Life & Legacy

Death

Scripture

Saul was mortally wounded by Philistine archers at the battle of Mount Gilboa and, fearing abuse by the uncircumcised, fell upon his own sword (1 Samuel 31:3–4). His armor-bearer, seeing him dead, likewise fell on his sword (1 Samuel 31:5). The Philistines fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan, but the men of Jabesh-gilead retrieved and buried his bones at Jabesh (1 Samuel 31:10–13).

1 Samuel 31:1–13

Legacy

Scripture

Saul was Israel's first anointed king, selected by God through Samuel and publicly confirmed by lot (1 Samuel 10:20–24). His reign ended in rejection by God because of disobedience at Gilgal and against the Amalekites, and his dynasty was not established as a lasting house (1 Samuel 13:13–14; 1 Samuel 15:28). His armor and head were displayed by the Philistines in their temples as a trophy, and his story is summarized as one of unfaithfulness in 1 Chronicles 10:13–14.

1 Chronicles 10:13–14

Character

Scripture

Saul is described at his introduction as a handsome, physically impressive man from the tribe of Benjamin, a head taller than the rest of the people (1 Samuel 9:2). He is shown acting out of fear of the people at Gilgal (1 Samuel 13:11–12) and later seeking to kill David out of jealousy when the people praised David more than himself (1 Samuel 18:8–9). He also consulted a medium at En-dor, which Scripture records as a violation of his own earlier prohibition (1 Samuel 28:7–8).

1 Samuel 9:2; 1 Samuel 13:11–12; 1 Samuel 18:8–9; 1 Samuel 28:7–8

Significance

Scripture

1 Samuel 9:16–17; 1 Samuel 15:26–28; Acts 13:21

DeathScripture

1 Samuel 31:1–13

LegacyScripture

1 Chronicles 10:13–14

CharacterScripture

1 Samuel 9:2; 1 Samuel 13:11–12; 1 Samuel 18:8–9; 1 Samuel 28:7–8

SignificanceScripture

1 Samuel 9:16–17; 1 Samuel 15:26–28; Acts 13:21

Roles

KingWarrior

In Scripture

1 Samuel 9:1–2key

¹Now 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. ²And 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.

KJV

1 Samuel 31:1–13key

¹Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. ²And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi–shua, Saul’s sons. ³And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers. ⁴Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. ⁵And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him. ⁶So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together. … (7 more)

KJV

1 Samuel 10:1

¹Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?

KJV

1 Samuel 13:8–14

⁸And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. ⁹And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. ¹⁰And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. ¹¹And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; ¹²Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. ¹³And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. … (1 more)

KJV

1 Samuel 15:1–35

¹Samuel also said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord. ²Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. ³Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. ⁴And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. ⁵And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley. ⁶And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. … (29 more)

KJV

1 Samuel 16:14–23

¹⁴But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. ¹⁵And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. ¹⁶Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. ¹⁷And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. ¹⁸Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth–lehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him. ¹⁹Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep. … (4 more)

KJV

1 Samuel 18:1–30

¹And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. ²And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house. ³Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. ⁴And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. ⁵And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. ⁶And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. … (24 more)

KJV

1 Samuel 28:3–25

³Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. ⁴And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa. ⁵And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. ⁶And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. ⁷Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En–dor. ⁸And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. … (17 more)

KJV

Artist's impression