Saul

the first king of Israel

Who was Saul?

From the tribe of Benjamin, son of Kish. He was so tall that he stood head and shoulders above everyone. 1 Samuel 9:1-2
Samuel anointed him, and he was the first king of Israel. 1 Samuel 10:1, 24
He disobeyed the Lord, and the Lord rejected him as king. He was jealous of David and pursued him. 1 Samuel 15:23; 1 Samuel 18:8-9; 1 Samuel 24:3

The name: Saul means “asked for.” NAB note on 1 Sam 1, 20
From: Gibeah, in the land of Benjamin. He was the son of Kish 1 Samuel 9:1; 1 Samuel 10:26
Occupation: King of Israel 1 Samuel 10:24

What the Bible says

1 Samuel 9:1-2

¹Now I there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Cis, the son of Abiel, the son of Seror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphia, the son of a man of Jemini, valiant and strong. ²And he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and goodly man, and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he appeared above all the people.

1 Samuel 10:1, 24

¹And Samuel took a little vial of oil and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said: Behold, the Lord hath anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance, 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. ²⁴And 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 and said: God save the king.

1 Samuel 15:23; 1 Samuel 18:8-9; 1 Samuel 24:3

Because it is like the sin of witchcraft, to rebel: and like the crime of idolatry, to refuse to obey. Forasmuch therefore as thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord hath also rejected thee from being king.

Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.

The path of Saul

Before Jesus. His father sent him to look for some lost donkeys. That is how he came to Samuel. 1 Samuel 9:3, 18
Before Jesus. Samuel poured oil on his head: the Lord was anointing him as leader of his people. 1 Samuel 10:1
With Jesus. When he was chosen before all the people, he had hidden among the baggage. 1 Samuel 10:21-22
With Jesus. At Gilgal he did not wait for Samuel and offered the sacrifice himself. Samuel told him his kingdom would not last. 1 Samuel 13:8-9, 13-14
With Jesus. Against the Lord’s command, he kept the best of the plunder from Amalek. For that reason the Lord rejected him as king. 1 Samuel 15:9, 23
With Jesus. David played the harp for him, and Saul felt better. 1 Samuel 16:23
With Jesus. He grew jealous of David and wanted to kill him. David had to flee. 1 Samuel 18:8-9; 1 Samuel 19:10
Afterward. He died with three of his sons in the battle of Mount Gilboa, against the Philistines. 1 Samuel 31:1-6

Words of Saul

“Am not I a son of Jemini of the least tribe of Israel, and my kindred the last among all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then hast thou spoken this word to me?” 1 Samuel 9:21

When Samuel let him know that Israel was waiting for him.

“I have sinned because I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words, fearing the people, and obeying their voice.” 1 Samuel 15:24

When Samuel told him that the Lord had rejected him as king.

“Is this thy voice, my son David?” 1 Samuel 24:17

After David spared his life in the cave.

“Thou art more just than I: for thou hast done good to me, and I have rewarded thee with evil.” 1 Samuel 24:18

In the same meeting with David, weeping.

What they were like

At first he saw himself as small: he said his tribe and his family were the least in Israel. 1 Samuel 9:21
He feared the people: he did what the people asked of him. 1 Samuel 15:24
David’s music calmed him. 1 Samuel 16:23

The greatest thing they did

God changed his heart when he left Samuel. 1 Samuel 10:9
When David spared his life, Saul admitted that David was more just than he was. 1 Samuel 24:18

Not to be confused with

Saint Paul was also called Saul and was from the tribe of Benjamin, like King Saul. He lived about a thousand years later. Acts 13:9; Philippians 3:5

What people ask

Why did the Lord reject Saul?

Because he disobeyed what the Lord had commanded him. Samuel told him that obedience is better than offering sacrifices. 1 Samuel 15:22-23

How many years did Saul reign?

In 1 Samuel 13:1 the numbers were lost, and the NAB leaves them blank. Saint Paul speaks of forty years. 1 Samuel 13:1; Acts 13:21

Why did Saul chase David?

He became jealous when the women sang that Saul had killed thousands, and David tens of thousands. 1 Samuel 18:7-9

How did Saul die?

In the battle of Mount Gilboa. Wounded by the archers, he fell on his own sword. 1 Samuel 31:3-4

What did David do when Saul died?

He mourned, fasted and wrote a song for Saul and for Jonathan. 2 Samuel 1:11-12, 17

His falls He offered the sacrifice without waiting for Samuel. 1 Samuel 13:9-13 He disobeyed the Lord’s command about Amalek, and told Samuel he had carried it out. 1 Samuel…

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Who Saul is connected to

Samuel · anointed him king
Jonathan · father and son
David · the king and his successor
Benjamin · his tribe

More people

All the people of the Bible · The Twelve Apostles · Women of the Bible

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