1 Samuel 9:21
New International Version
Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?”

New Living Translation
Saul replied, “But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?”

English Standard Version
Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”

Berean Standard Bible
Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of Benjamin? So why would you say such a thing to me?”

King James Bible
And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?

New King James Version
And Saul answered and said, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?”

New American Standard Bible
Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjaminite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”

NASB 1995
Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me in this way?”

NASB 1977
And Saul answered and said, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me in this way?”

Legacy Standard Bible
And Saul answered and said, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me in this way?”

Amplified Bible
Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And is not my family the smallest of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken this way to me [as if I were very important]?”

Christian Standard Bible
Saul responded, “Am I not a Benjaminite from the smallest of Israel’s tribes and isn’t my clan the least important of all the clans of the Benjaminite tribe? So why have you said something like this to me? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Saul responded, “Am I not a Benjaminite from the smallest of Israel’s tribes and isn’t my clan the least important of all the clans of the Benjaminite tribe? So why have you said something like this to me?”

American Standard Version
And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou to me after this manner?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Shaul answered and said to Shemueil: “Behold, I am a son of Benjamin from a small one of the tribes of Israel, and my family is least of all families of the tribe of Benyamin, and why have you spoken this word to me?”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Saul answered and said, Am not I the son of a Benjamite, the least tribe of the people of Israel? and of the least family of the whole tribe of Benjamin? and why hast thou spoken to me according to this word?

Contemporary English Version
"Why are you telling me this?" Saul asked. "I'm from Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my clan is the least important in the tribe."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Saul answering, said: 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?

English Revised Version
And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou to me after this manner?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Saul replied, "I am a man from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe of Israel. My family is the most insignificant of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin. So why are you saying such things to me?"

Good News Translation
Saul answered, "I belong to the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important one in the tribe. Why, then, do you talk like this to me?"

International Standard Version
Saul answered: "Am I not a descendant of Benjamin from the least of the tribes of Israel? Isn't my family the least important of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why have you spoken to me like this?"

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Saul answered and said: 'Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou to me after this manner?'

Literal Standard Version
And Saul answers and says, “Am I not a Benjamite—of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? And why have you spoken to me according to this word?”

Majority Standard Bible
Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of Benjamin? So why would you say such a thing to me?”

New American Bible
Saul replied: “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and is not my clan the least among the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why say such things to me?”

NET Bible
Saul replied, "Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel's tribes, and is not my family clan the smallest of all the tribes of Benjamin? Why do you speak to me in this way?"

New Revised Standard Version
Saul answered, “I am only a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel, and my family is the humblest of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin. Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”

New Heart English Bible
Saul answered, "Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me like this?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjaminite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then speakest thou so to me?

World English Bible
Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me like this?”

Young's Literal Translation
And Saul answereth and saith, 'Am not I a Benjamite -- of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? and why hast thou spoken unto me according to this word?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Saul Chosen as King
20As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them, for they have been found. And upon whom is all the desire of Israel, if not upon you and all your father’s house?” 21Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of Benjamin? So why would you say such a thing to me?” 22Then Samuel took Saul and his servant, brought them into the hall, and seated them in the place of honor among those who were invited—about thirty in all.…

Cross References
Judges 20:46
That day 25,000 Benjamite swordsmen fell, all men of valor.

1 Samuel 9:22
Then Samuel took Saul and his servant, brought them into the hall, and seated them in the place of honor among those who were invited--about thirty in all.

1 Samuel 14:51
Saul's father Kish and Abner's father Ner were sons of Abiel.

1 Samuel 15:17
And Samuel said, "Although you were once small in your own eyes, have you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel

1 Samuel 18:18
And David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my family or my father's clan in Israel, that I should become the son-in-law of the king?"

Psalm 68:27
There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them, the princes of Judah in their company, the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.


Treasury of Scripture

And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? why then speak you so to me?

a Benjamite

Judges 20:46-48
So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour…

Psalm 68:27
There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

my family

1 Samuel 10:27
But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

1 Samuel 15:17
And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?

1 Samuel 18:18,23
And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king? …

so to me [heb] according to his word.

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Benjamin Benjaminite Benjamite Clans Humblest Israel Least Manner Saul Smallest Speak Speakest Tribe Tribes Wherefore Word
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Benjamin Benjaminite Benjamite Clans Humblest Israel Least Manner Saul Smallest Speak Speakest Tribe Tribes Wherefore Word
1 Samuel 9
1. Saul despairing to find his father's donkeys
6. by the counsel of his servant
11. and direction of young maidens
15. according to God's revelation
18. comes to Samuel
19. Samuel entertains Saul at the feast
25. Samuel, after secret communication, brings Saul on his way














Verse 21. - Wherefore then speakest thou so to me? Though Samuel's words contained the promise of supreme power, - for to whom less than a king could all that was desirable in Israel belong? - yet Saul probably regarded them as a high-flown compliment, such as Orientals love to use, and gave a modest and proper answer. Benjamin, already the smallest tribe, had been so crushed that its power must have been very small, and Soul's house, though opulent, was not a leading one; how then could one of its members expect so high a dignity? For families of the tribe of Benjamin the Hebrew has "tribes," probably owing to some confusion with the words "tribes of Israel" just before.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Saul
שָׁא֜וּל (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites

replied,
וַיַּ֨עַן (way·ya·‘an)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6030: To answer, respond

“Am I
אָ֙נֹכִי֙ (’ā·nō·ḵî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 595: I

not
הֲל֨וֹא (hă·lō·w)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

a Benjamite
יְמִינִ֤י (yə·mî·nî)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1145: Benjamite -- a Benjaminite

from the smallest
מִקַּטַנֵּי֙‪‬ (miq·qa·ṭan·nê)
Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6996: Small, young, unimportant

tribe
שִׁבְטֵ֣י (šiḇ·ṭê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 7626: Rod, staff, club, scepter, tribe

of Israel,
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

and is not my clan
וּמִשְׁפַּחְתִּי֙ (ū·miš·paḥ·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4940: A family, circle of relatives, a class, a species, sort, a tribe, people

the least
הַצְּעִרָ֔ה (haṣ·ṣə·‘i·rāh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 6810: Little, insignificant, young

of all
מִכָּֽל־ (mik·kāl)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the clans
מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת (miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 4940: A family, circle of relatives, a class, a species, sort, a tribe, people

of Benjamin?
בִנְיָמִ֑ן (ḇin·yā·min)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1144: Benjamin -- 'son of the right hand', youngest son of Jacob, also the name of two other Israelites

So why
וְלָ֙מָּה֙ (wə·lām·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

would you say
דִּבַּ֣רְתָּ (dib·bar·tā)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

such a thing
כַּדָּבָ֖ר (kad·dā·ḇār)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

to me?”
אֵלַ֔י (’ê·lay)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to


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OT History: 1 Samuel 9:21 Saul answered Am I not a Benjamite (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 9:20
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