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Chapter 9 begins the story of Saul, the first king of Israel. Deut. 17:14-15 sets up the qualifications for a king. "When you come into the land which the Lord your God gives you, you may indeed set, as king over you, him who the Lord your God shall choose." So they have asked for a king and God is about to choose one.
A Benjaminite, named Kish, had a son whose name was Saul. He was tall and handsome and his father was a very wealthy man. Now it seems that some donkeys had strayed away and Kish sent his son and a servant to find them. They searched, to no avail, to find the donkeys when Saul suggests that they return home less his father become anxious about them. But the servant wants to go on to the next city and inquire of a "holy man" who lived there as to the location of the donkeys. Saul hesitated to go without a gift but the servant told him he had with him a ¬ shekel of silver, approx. 16 cents, that they could give to the holy man.
When they enter the city some young maidens tell them where they can fine the holy man. It turns out to be Samuel. Now the day before, the Lord had told Samuel that He was sending him a man from the land of Benjamin whom he was to anoint as Prince over Israel. When Samuel sees Saul, the Lord tells him that this is the man I told you about. Then Saul was invited to eat and spend the night with Samuel. The next morning Saul headed home and Samuel walked a short distance with him. Samuel told Saul to send the servant on ahead because he had some words from the Lord to tell him.
Some additional information about Kish, the father of Saul. Kish was of the Tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin was the favorite son of Jacob yet this tribe was forever getting into trouble. Back in Judges chapter 20, the tribe was almost completely wiped out because of the rape of a concubine at Gibeah. The forces of Israel attacked the tribe and all but 600 men were completely wiped out. Later, wives had to be obtained for these 600 men in order that the tribe continue. This event occurred some 60 years before the events in this chapter.
Thus Kish was a third generation Benjaminite who was well to do because the land of Benjamin was divided into 600 shares instead of 45,000 shares as it was originally. Kish is believed to have lived in Gibeath, a few miles north of Jerusalem.
Kish had a son named Saul. The New Testament Saul (Paul) mentions in Rom 11 that he to was a Benjaminite and was proud of it. This Saul of the Old Testament, is described as tall, graceful and well proportioned. Taller than any in Israel. They had asked for a king " like the other nations had" so God gave them one, tall of statue but short on brains.
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