Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
Samuel secretly anoints Saul as king, and confirms by three signs given to Saul that he does this by God's command. The first is the found donkeys. The second, three men going to Bethel. The third, a company of Prophets, with whom Saul also, moved by the Spirit of God, prophesies. Then, verse 17, Samuel publicly at Mizpah before all the people designates Saul, chosen by God as king through the lot.
Vulgate Text: 1 Kings 10:1-27
1. And Samuel took a small vessel of oil and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said: Behold, the Lord hath anointed thee over His inheritance to be prince, and thou shalt deliver His people out of the hands of their enemies that are round about them. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that God hath anointed thee to be prince. 2. When thou shalt have departed from me this day, thou shalt find two men by the sepulchre of Rachel in the borders of Benjamin, at midday, and they shall say to thee: The asses which thou wentest to seek are found; and thy father, ceasing to think of the asses, is concerned for you, and saith: What shall I do about my son? 3. And when thou shalt have departed from thence, and shalt have gone farther on, and shalt have come to the oak of Thabor, there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine. 4. And they shall salute thee, and shall give thee two loaves, and thou shalt receive them at their hands. 5. After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is; and when thou shalt have entered there into the city, thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place, and before them a psaltery and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp, and they shall be prophesying. 6. And the Spirit of the Lord shall come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be changed into another man. 7. When therefore all these signs shall have come upon thee, do whatsoever thy hand shall find to do, for the Lord is with thee. 8. And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal (for I will come down to thee), that thou mayest offer an oblation, and sacrifice victims of peace: seven days shalt thou wait, till I come to thee, and I will show thee what thou art to do. 9. So it was, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart, and all these signs came to pass that day. 10. And they came to the aforesaid hill, and behold a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he prophesied in the midst of them. 11. And all that had known him yesterday and the day before, seeing that he was with the prophets and prophesied, said to each other: What is this that hath happened to the son of Cis? Is Saul also among the prophets? 12. And one answered another, saying: And who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb: Is Saul also among the prophets? 13. And he ceased to prophesy, and came to the high place. 14. And the uncle of Saul said to him and to his servant: Whither went you? They answered: To seek the asses; and not finding them, we went to Samuel. 15. And his uncle said to him: Tell me what Samuel said to thee. 16. And Saul said to his uncle: He told us that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel had spoken to him, he told him not. 17. And Samuel called the people together to the Lord in Maspha; 18. and he said to the children of Israel: Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all the kings who afflicted you. 19. But you this day have rejected your God, who alone hath saved you out of all your evils and your tribulations; and you have said: Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore stand before the Lord by your tribes, and by your families. 20. And Samuel brought to him all the tribes of Israel, and the lot fell on the tribe of Benjamin. 21. And he brought the tribe of Benjamin and the kindreds thereof, and the lot fell upon the kindred of Matri; and it came to Saul the son of Cis. They sought him therefore, and he was not found. 22. And after this they consulted the Lord whether he would come thither. And the Lord answered: Behold he is hidden at home. 23. And they ran and fetched him thence; and he stood in the midst of the people, and he was higher than any of the people from the shoulders and upward. 24. And Samuel said to all the people: Surely you see him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people. And all the people cried out, and said: God save the king. 25. And Samuel told the people the law of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord; and Samuel sent away all the people, every one to his own house. 26. Saul also departed to his own house in Gibeah; and there went with him a part of the army, whose hearts God had touched. 27. But the children of Belial said: Shall this man be able to save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents; but he dissembled as though he heard not.
Verse 1: Samuel anoints Saul with oil
1. AND SAMUEL TOOK A FLASK OF OIL AND POURED IT OVER HIS HEAD. — This is the first king of Israel who is consecrated by anointing. The reasons why they were anointed were various. First, to signify the supreme dignity of the king in temporal matters, just as of the Pontiff in spiritual matters. Second, to signify that new strength and spirit were poured by God into the new king, to maintain the people of God in His true worship and to defend them against unbelievers. Third, to remind kings of the gentleness, kindness, clemency, mercy, charity, and beneficence to be exercised toward their subjects. Fourth, to be a type of Christ, who is the supreme priest, king, and prophet; for Christ was anointed by God with the oil of grace.
Hence this custom passed to the Christians, so that their Emperors and Kings are anointed, and indeed this was decreed by Canon Law. These ceremonies were observed among the Hebrews: "First, the king to be inaugurated was placed on a seat. Second, he was adorned with a diadem. Third, he was anointed. Fourth, the book of the law was given into his hands. Fifth, they swore to its observance. Sixth, sacrifices of every kind were offered. Seventh, various signs of joy and approval were displayed."
AND HE KISSED HIM. — This kiss signified the communication of grace, says Procopius, and the mutual harmony and cooperation of the royal and priestly offices. For a kiss is a symbol of friendship and peace.
Verse 2: The sign at Rachel's tomb
2. YOU SHALL FIND TWO MEN NEAR THE TOMB OF RACHEL IN THE BORDERS OF BENJAMIN. — This tomb was in Bethlehem, and therefore in the tribe of Judah, Genesis XXXV, 19; but the tribe of Benjamin bordered the tribe of Judah.
Verse 5: The hill of God and the company of prophets
5. AFTER THIS YOU SHALL COME TO THE HILL OF GOD — that is, to Gibeah, which was the homeland of Saul and was on a hill. For Gibeah in Hebrew means hill. In Gibeah there was a garrison of the Philistines.
YOU SHALL MEET A COMPANY OF PROPHETS. — These prophets were not properly so called, as those who foretell the future; but they were religious men who, withdrawing from the crowd, devoted themselves to God, and sang hymns and praises to Him, both with the voice and with musical instruments. Samuel seems to have established these. They are therefore the first religious, as it were, that we find in Sacred Scripture.
6. AND THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SHALL RUSH UPON YOU, AND YOU SHALL PROPHESY WITH THEM — that is, inspired by the spirit of God and moved as by an ecstasy, you will compose and sing hymns to God.
AND YOU SHALL BE CHANGED INTO ANOTHER MAN — a greater one: you will receive wisdom and magnanimity infused by God. From a rustic muleteer you will become civil, political, regal, for you will put on a liberal and royal spirit. From rude you will become wise, from harsh gentle, from boorish urbane, from a private man, kingly.
Verse 7: Do whatever your hand finds
7. WHEN THEREFORE ALL THESE SIGNS HAVE COME TO YOU, DO WHATEVER YOUR HAND FINDS TO DO. — As if to say: From these signs know with absolute certainty that you are a king chosen by God. Act therefore in a kingly manner and fight fearlessly for the people of God and your own.
FOR THE LORD IS WITH YOU — as your director and governor. Hear St. Jerome in the Questions: "By these signs you will be able to know that God willed you to be king: and therefore in all things you must do, act in a kingly manner, for the Lord is with you."
Verse 9: God changed his heart
9. GOD CHANGED HIS HEART INTO ANOTHER — meaning God changed the heart of Saul, which, while he was a private man, was small, abject, rustic, and servile; but now that he was made king, He made it magnanimous, lofty, ample, and royal, so that he would yield to no dangers, fear no enemies, and consider no burden too difficult. So Abulensis: "He changed his heart, which before was small and servile, into a royal heart."
So Tertullian, book On the Soul, ch. XI: "God's spirit first turned Saul into another man, that is, into a prophet, just as later an evil spirit overturned him into another man, that is, into an apostate."
Verse 10: Saul prophesied among the prophets
10. AND HE PROPHESIED IN THEIR MIDST — that is, inspired by the divine power, he sang the same praises to God which the other Prophets were singing.
11. IS SAUL ALSO AMONG THE PROPHETS? — From so sudden and great a change in Saul, this exclamation burst from the bystanders, which became a proverb similar to our saying: "A goose among swans, a donkey among bees, a crow among the Muses."
Morally, learn here how useful the company of good people is: for by this one rubs one's goodness off on others. Behold Saul, in the company of the Prophets, becomes a prophet and prophesies. For God, breathing His spirit on the Prophets, breathed it on Saul also, placed among them.
Verse 16: Saul's silence about the kingdom
16. BUT ABOUT THE MATTER OF THE KINGDOM HE DID NOT TELL HIM. — Why did Saul maintain such deep silence about his kingdom? Lyranus answers: "to avoid boastfulness and to preserve humility." Vatablus: "This is attributed to the modesty of Saul." The second reason was to avoid disclosing a secret. Third, lest he stir up his uncle's envy, as Joseph did when he told his dream to his brothers.
Verse 17: The assembly at Mizpah
17. AND SAMUEL CALLED THE PEOPLE TOGETHER TO THE LORD AT MIZPAH — not that the ark of the Lord was at Mizpah, but to the Lord, that is, to the assembly of the Lord; for where the Church of God is, there God Himself is and presides.
20. AND HE BROUGHT FORWARD ALL THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL — to the lot, that is, he cast lots for the twelve tribes, so that through it he might see which of them God would choose, to designate a king from it.
Verse 22: Saul hidden among the baggage
22. BEHOLD, HE IS HIDDEN AT HOME — among certain baggage; or he had fled to some hiding place, as Josephus says, and this from the humility by which he judged himself unworthy of the kingdom and dreaded the burden of ruling. See here how honor follows those who flee it, and flees those who pursue it, as it pursued Saul.
23. HE WAS TALLER THAN ALL THE PEOPLE FROM HIS SHOULDERS AND UPWARD — so that just as in body, so also in mind, virtue, and royal dignity he might stand above all his subjects. Tropologically St. Gregory: "The king excels in neck, excels also in head. For what is designated by the neck, except speech? What by the head, except the contemplation of the mind?"
Verse 25: The law of the kingdom
25. AND SAMUEL SPOKE THE LAW OF THE KINGDOM — that is, he prescribed the laws to be observed, both for the king regarding the people and for the people regarding the king. From this it is clear that the right of the king recounted by Samuel in ch. VIII, verse 11, is not legitimate, but unjustly usurped.
AND SAUL ALSO WENT TO HIS HOUSE AT GIBEAH. — Mystically St. Gregory: "The house of the king is said to be situated in Gibeah. For Gibeah means lofty. The house of the king is therefore shown to be in Gibeah, because the elect Doctor strives not to dwell by thinking on low and earthly things, but to meditate on high and heavenly things."
Verse 27: The sons of Belial
27. BUT THE SONS OF BELIAL SAID: SHALL THIS ONE BE ABLE TO SAVE US? — "This one," namely a lowly, common, ignoble, unknown, untried man.
BUT HE PRETENDED NOT TO HEAR. — In Hebrew, he became deaf, he acted as though deaf. Wisely St. Isidore, book III of Sentences, ch. L: "Usually a just prince knows how to overlook the faults even of the wicked, not because he consents to their iniquity, but because he waits for the right time for correction."
Allegorically Saul was a type of Christ, and this on account of three analogies which Bede recounts: First, because Saul descended from the tribe of Benjamin, that is, the son of the right hand: so the family of Christ the Lord is entirely on the right. Second, because Saul was taller than all the people: so Christ the Lord easily surpassed all in the glory of His holiness. Third, because Saul, about to be anointed king, was hidden at home; so also Christ the Lord, when they were about to come and seize Him and make Him their king, fled.
Tertullian adds the fruit of this patience: "Every injury, whether struck by tongue or hand, when it has encountered patience, will be blunted by the same blow as a weapon hurled against a rock of the hardest stone."
It is therefore kingly, indeed divine, to despise injuries, to overlook them, to pardon them, and to overwhelm them with kindnesses.