1 samuel 10:20 - So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.

Generated Verse: 1 samuel 10:20

What does "1 samuel 10:20" mean?


This verse is part of the process by which Samuel is attempting to identify who God has chosen to be the first king of Israel, Saul. Let's break down what it means:

"So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near...": Samuel, acting as a prophet and leader, gathered representatives from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. This was done to determine which tribe God had selected.
"...and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.": Through some form of divinely guided selection process (likely involving casting lots, a common practice in ancient Israel for seeking God's will), the tribe of Benjamin was singled out from all the other tribes. This meant that the person to be king would come from the tribe of Benjamin.

Significance:

Narrowing the Search: This verse is a crucial step in finding Saul. By identifying Benjamin as the tribe, Samuel has significantly reduced the number of people he needs to search amongst.
Divine Selection: The method of choosing the tribe (presumably by lots or some similar method) emphasizes the belief that God was the one making the selection, not Samuel or the people. This was important because the establishment of a monarchy was a contentious issue, and it needed to be seen as divinely ordained to have legitimacy.
Irony: The tribe of Benjamin was one of the smallest and least significant tribes in Israel. This highlights a potential theme of God choosing the unlikely or unexpected. Also, in later accounts, Saul, the king to be found from this tribe, brought significant problems.
Following verses: The following verses in 1 Samuel 10 continue the narrowing process. After the tribe of Benjamin is chosen, Samuel brings the clans of Benjamin near, and then the family of Matri is chosen. Finally, Saul, son of Kish, from the family of Matri, is identified.

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