Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version He said to them, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? New Living Translation “Listen here, you men of Benjamin!” Saul shouted to his officers when he heard the news. “Has that son of Jesse promised every one of you fields and vineyards? Has he promised to make you all generals and captains in his army? English Standard Version And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, people of Benjamin; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, Berean Standard Bible Then Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Is the son of Jesse giving all of you fields and vineyards and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds? Berean Literal Bible And Saul said to his servants who stood around him, “Listen now, sons of Benjamin! Even to all of you⁺ will the son of Jesse give fields and vineyards, and make you⁺ all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds? King James Bible Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds; New King James Version then Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds? New American Standard Bible Saul said to his servants who were standing in front of him, “Hear now, you Benjaminites! Will the son of Jesse really give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? NASB 1995 Saul said to his servants who stood around him, “Hear now, O Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse also give to all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? NASB 1977 And Saul said to his servants who stood around him, “Hear now, O Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse also give to all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? Legacy Standard Bible And Saul said to his servants who were standing around him, “Hear now, O Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse also give to all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? Amplified Bible Saul said to his servants who were standing around him, “Listen now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse also give every one of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all commanders of thousands and hundreds? Berean Annotated Bible Then Saul (desired) said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Is the son of Jesse (I possess) giving all of you⁺ fields and vineyards and making you⁺ commanders of thousands or hundreds? Christian Standard Bible Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin: Is Jesse’s son going to give all of you fields and vineyards? Do you think he’ll make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? Holman Christian Standard Bible Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin: Is Jesse’s son going to give all of you fields and vineyards? Do you think he’ll make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? American Standard Version And Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, Contemporary English Version He told them: Listen to me! You belong to the Benjamin tribe, so if that son of Jesse ever becomes king, he won't give you fields or vineyards. He won't make you officers in charge of thousands or hundreds as I have done. English Revised Version And Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds; GOD'S WORD® Translation He said to his officials, "Listen here, men of Benjamin! Will Jesse's son give every one of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all officers over a regiment or a battalion of soldiers? Good News Translation and he said to his officers, "Listen, men of Benjamin! Do you think that David will give fields and vineyards to all of you, and make you officers in his army? International Standard Version Saul told his officials who were standing around him, "Listen, men of Benjamin! Will Jesse's son also give fields and vineyards to all of you? Will he make all of you officers over thousands and officers over hundreds? NET Bible Saul said to his servants who were stationed around him, "Listen up, you Benjaminites! Is Jesse's son giving fields and vineyards to all of you? Or is he making all of you commanders and officers? New Heart English Bible And he said to them, "Hear now, you Benjamites. Will the son of Jesse give everyone of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, Webster's Bible Translation Then Saul said to his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjaminites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds; Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleThen Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Is the son of Jesse giving all of you fields and vineyards and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds? World English Bible Saul said to his servants who stood around him, “Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give everyone of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds? Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd Saul says to his servants who are standing by him, “Now hear, sons of Benjamin; does the son of Jesse also give fields and vineyards to all of you? Does he appoint all of you [to be] heads of thousands and heads of hundreds? Berean Literal Bible And Saul said to his servants who stood around him, “Listen now, sons of Benjamin! Even to all of you⁺ will the son of Jesse give fields and vineyards, and make you⁺ all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds? Young's Literal Translation And Saul saith to his servants who are standing by him, 'Hear, I pray you, ye Benjamites; also to all of you doth the son of Jesse give fields and vineyards! all of you he doth appoint heads of thousands and heads of hundreds! Smith's Literal Translation And Saul will say to his servants standing by him, Hear now, ye sons of my right hand; also to you all will the son of Jesse give fields and vineyards, to you all will he set chiefs of thousands and chiefs of hundreds; Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleHe said to his servants that stood about him: Hear me now, ye sons of Jemini: will the son of Isai give everyone of you fields, and vineyards, and make you all tribunes, and centurions: Catholic Public Domain Version he said to his servants who were assisting him: “Listen now, you sons of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give to all of you fields and vineyards, and will he make all of you tribunes or centurions, New American Bible So he said to them: “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he appoint any of you an officer over a thousand or a hundred men? New Revised Standard Version Saul said to his servants who stood around him, “Hear now, you Benjaminites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThen Saul said to his servants who stood about him, Hear now, you Benjamites, will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all commanders of thousands and captains of hundreds; Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And Shaul said to his Servants who stood over by him: “Hear sons of Benjamin, behold, the son of Iyshay will give all of you fields and vineyards, and all of you shall he make Commanders of thousands and hundreds OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And Saul said unto his servants that stood about him: 'Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds; Brenton Septuagint Translation And Saul said to his servants that stood by him, Hear now, ye sons of Benjamin, will the son of Jessae indeed give all of you fields and vineyards, and will he make you all captains of hundreds and captains of thousands? Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Saul Slays the Priests of Nob6Soon Saul learned that David and his men had been discovered. At that time Saul was in Gibeah, sitting under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with his spear in hand and all his servants standing around him. 7Then Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Is the son of Jesse giving all of you fields and vineyards and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds? 8Is that why all of you have conspired against me? Not one of you told me that my own son had made a covenant with the son of Jesse. Not one of you has shown concern for me or revealed to me that my son has stirred up my own servant to lie in wait against me, as is the case today.”… Cross References Then Saul said to his servants, 1 Samuel 28:7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.” “There is a medium at Endor,” his servants replied. 1 Samuel 19:1 Then Saul ordered his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Jonathan delighted greatly in David, 1 Samuel 18:22 Then Saul ordered his servants, “Speak to David privately and tell him, ‘Behold, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become his son-in-law.’” “Listen, men of Benjamin! 1 Samuel 10:20-21 Thus Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected. / Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the clan of Matri was selected. Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they looked for him, they could not find him. 1 Samuel 9:21 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?” Judges 20:14-17 And from their cities they came together at Gibeah to go out and fight against the Israelites. / On that day the Benjamites mobilized 26,000 swordsmen from their cities, in addition to the 700 select men of Gibeah. / Among all these soldiers there were 700 select left-handers, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair without missing. … Is the son of Jesse 2 Samuel 20:1 Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there, and he blew the ram’s horn and shouted: “We have no share in David, no inheritance in Jesse’s son. Every man to his tent, O Israel!” 1 Kings 12:16 When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So the Israelites went home, 2 Chronicles 10:16 When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So all the Israelites went home, giving all of you fields and vineyards 1 Samuel 8:14-17 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his servants. / He will take a tenth of your grain and grape harvest and give it to his officials and servants. / And he will take your menservants and maidservants and your best cattle and donkeys and put them to his own use. … 1 Kings 21:1-16 Some time after these events, Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. / So Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to use as a vegetable garden, since it is next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in its place—or if you prefer, I will give you its value in silver.” / But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” … Micah 2:2 They covet fields and seize them; they take away houses. They deprive a man of his home, a fellow man of his inheritance. and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds? 1 Samuel 8:11-12 He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to serve his own chariots and horses, and to run in front of his chariots. / He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and of fifties, and others to plow his ground, to reap his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 1 Samuel 18:13 Therefore Saul sent David away and gave him command of a thousand men. David led the troops out to battle and back, Exodus 18:21-25 Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. / Have these men judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you any major issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you. / If you follow this advice and God so directs you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people can go home in peace.” … 1 Samuel 10:27 But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it. Treasury of Scripture Then Saul said to his servants that stood about him, Hear now, you Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds; the son of Jesse 1 Samuel 22:9,13 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub… 1 Samuel 18:14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. 1 Samuel 20:27,30 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day? … give 1 Samuel 8:14,15 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants… captains 1 Samuel 8:11,12 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots… Jump to Previous Benjamites Captains Hear Hundreds Jesse Saul Servants Stood Thousands VineyardsJump to Next Benjamites Captains Hear Hundreds Jesse Saul Servants Stood Thousands Vineyards1 Samuel 22 1. Companies resort unto David at Adullam3. At Mizpeh he commends his parents unto the king of Moab 5. Admonished by Gad, he comes to Hareth, 6. Saul going to pursue him, complains of his servants' unfaithfulness 9. Doeg accuses Ahimelech 11. Saul commands to kill the priests 17. The footmen refusing, Doeg executes it 20. Abiathar escaping, brings David the news Then Saul said to his servants, This phrase sets the scene with King Saul addressing his inner circle, highlighting his authority and the hierarchical structure of his court. Saul's servants were likely his military and administrative officials, reflecting the centralized power typical of ancient Near Eastern monarchies. This moment occurs during a period of increasing paranoia and instability in Saul's reign, as he perceives threats to his kingship. “Listen, men of Benjamin! Is the son of Jesse giving all of you fields and vineyards and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds? Persons / Places / Events 1. SaulThe first king of Israel, anointed by Samuel, who later becomes increasingly paranoid and jealous of David. 2. Servants of Saul These are the men who serve King Saul, likely including his military leaders and advisors. 3. Benjamites Members of the tribe of Benjamin, Saul's own tribe, whom he addresses in this passage. 4. David (Son of Jesse) The future king of Israel, anointed by Samuel, who is currently on the run from Saul. 5. Fields and Vineyards Symbols of wealth and prosperity, which Saul uses to question the loyalty of his men. Teaching Points The Danger of JealousySaul's jealousy of David leads him to irrational behavior and paranoia. Jealousy can cloud judgment and lead to destructive actions. Misplaced Trust in Material Rewards Saul attempts to secure loyalty through promises of wealth and power. True loyalty and leadership are not built on material incentives but on integrity and righteousness. Tribal Loyalty vs. God's Anointing Saul appeals to tribal loyalty, but God's anointing of David shows that divine purpose transcends human affiliations and biases. The Cost of Leadership Saul's question highlights the cost of leadership and the sacrifices leaders may demand. It challenges us to consider what we are willing to give or compromise for power and position. God's Sovereignty in Leadership Despite Saul's attempts to control and manipulate, God's plan for David's kingship prevails, reminding us of God's ultimate authority over human affairs. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 22:7?2. How does Saul's jealousy in 1 Samuel 22:7 affect his leadership decisions? 3. What does Saul's question reveal about his trust in God and others? 4. How can we guard against envy as seen in 1 Samuel 22:7? 5. Compare Saul's attitude here with Philippians 2:3. What lessons can we learn? 6. How can we ensure our leadership aligns with God's will, unlike Saul's? 7. Why does Saul accuse his servants of conspiring against him in 1 Samuel 22:7? 8. How does 1 Samuel 22:7 reflect Saul's mental state and leadership? 9. What historical context explains Saul's distrust in 1 Samuel 22:7? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from 1 Samuel 22? 11. If Psalm 52 is specifically about Doeg the Edomite, where is the archaeological or textual proof confirming these events? 12. Are there historical or logistical issues with Doeg, a single Edomite, carrying out the massacre of so many priests (1 Samuel 21:7 - 22:18-19)? 13. Why does God forbid David from building the temple in 1 Chronicles 22:8 but never give that explicit reason in the parallel accounts (e.g., 2 Samuel 7)? 14. How do we reconcile 1 Samuel 16:7's emphasis on God looking at the heart with David's 'handsome' description in 16:12, suggesting external attributes mattered? What Does 1 Samuel 22:7 Mean Then Saul said to his servants• Saul is on the defensive; David’s rising favor with the people (1 Samuel 18:6-9) has ignited the king’s jealousy. • Instead of seeking God for direction as he once did (1 Samuel 11:6-15), Saul now turns to political maneuvering. • This shift reveals a heart drifting from the Lord—echoing the earlier warning that a king who rejects God’s voice will oppress rather than bless (1 Samuel 15:23; Proverbs 29:2). Listen, men of Benjamin! • Saul appeals to tribal loyalty; he himself is a Benjamite (1 Samuel 9:1-2). • By addressing only “men of Benjamin,” Saul subtly pits his own tribe against David, a Judahite (1 Samuel 17:12). • Scripture often shows the danger of factionalism in Israel—think of Judges 20:12-14 and, later, 2 Samuel 2:8-9—highlighting how earthly alliances fracture when God’s purposes are sidelined. Is the son of Jesse giving all of you fields and vineyards • Saul offers material incentives to secure loyalty, echoing the very warning Samuel once gave: kings would seize fields and vineyards for themselves (1 Samuel 8:14-15). • Ironically, Saul inverts that warning—now promising to hand out land he likely acquired by royal prerogative. • Greed and fear often travel together (Ecclesiastes 5:10; James 4:1-2); Saul’s question exposes both motives. and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds? • Military rank was David’s earlier pathway to prominence (1 Samuel 18:5, 13), so Saul dangles similar titles to keep his officers from defecting. • The king turns God-given structures of leadership (Exodus 18:21; Deuteronomy 1:15) into bargaining chips. • When authority is wielded to maintain power rather than serve God’s people, chaos follows (Matthew 20:25-26). summary 1 Samuel 22:7 captures a tragic moment: Saul, once humble, now manipulates his own tribe with promises of land and rank to block David’s ascent. The verse exposes a heart ruled by fear, factionalism, and materialism—contrasting sharply with God’s design for leadership that trusts Him and blesses others. (7) Hear now, ye Benjamites.--We have here a fair specimen of Saul's manner of ruling in his later years. It is no wonder that the heart of the people gradually was estranged from one of whom in earlier years they had been so proud. The suspicious and gloomy king had evidently--we have it here from his own mouth--gradually given all the posts of honour and dignity to men of his own tribe and family, or to strangers like Doeg. "Hear now, ye Benjamites"--so the "fideles" were evidently men of his own favoured tribe; indeed, he refers to his own weak partiality as the reason why they of all men should be loyal. "Who but a Benjamite," he says, "would only honour Benjamites?" Such a sovereign had surely forfeited his kingdom. The consequences of such a weak and shortsighted policy were plainly visible in the thin array he was able in his hour of bitter need to muster together on the fatal field of Mount Gilboa against his sleepless Philistine enemies. (See 1 Samuel 31)Verses 7, 8. - Ye Benjamites. Saul had evidently failed in blending the twelve tribes into one nation. He had begun well, and his great feat of delivering Jabesh Gilead by summoning the militia of all Israel together must have given them something of a corporate feeling, and taught them their power when united. Yet now we find him isolated, and this address to his officers seems to show that he had aggrandised his own tribe at the expense of the rest. Moreover, he appeals to the worst passions of these men, and asks whether they can expect David to continue this favouritism, which had given them riches and all posts of power. And then he turns upon them, and fiercely accuses them of banding together in a conspiracy against him, to conceal from him the private understanding which existed between his own son and his enemy. Hath made a league. Hebrew, "hath cut." This use of the formal phrase forsaking a covenant seems to show that Saul was at length aware of the solemn bond of friendship entered into by Jonathan with David. To lie in wait. To Saul's mind, diseased with that suspicion which is the scourge of tyrants, David is secretly plotting his murder. As at this day. I.e. as today is manifest (see ver. 13).Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Then Saulשָׁא֗וּל (šā·’ūl) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 7586: Saul -- first king of Israel, also an Edomite and two Israelites said וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say to his servants, לַֽעֲבָדָיו֙ (la·‘ă·ḇā·ḏāw) Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 5650: Slave, servant “Listen, שִׁמְעוּ־ (šim·‘ū-) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently men בְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê) Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 1121: A son of Benjamin! יְמִינִ֑י (yə·mî·nî) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3227: On the right hand Is the son בֶּן־ (ben-) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 1121: A son of Jesse יִשַׁי֙ (yi·šay) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3448: Jesse -- father of David giving יִתֵּ֤ן (yit·tên) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 5414: To give, put, set all לְכֻלְּכֶ֗ם (lə·ḵul·lə·ḵem) Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every of you fields שָׂד֣וֹת (śā·ḏō·wṯ) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 7704: Field, land and vineyards וּכְרָמִ֔ים (ū·ḵə·rā·mîm) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 3754: A garden, vineyard [and] making יָשִׂ֔ים (yā·śîm) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set you לְכֻלְּכֶ֣ם (lə·ḵul·lə·ḵem) Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every commanders שָׂרֵ֥י (śā·rê) Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 8269: Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince of thousands אֲלָפִ֖ים (’ă·lā·p̄îm) Number - masculine plural Strong's 505: A thousand [or] וְשָׂרֵ֥י (wə·śā·rê) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 8269: Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince hundreds? מֵאֽוֹת׃ (mê·’ō·wṯ) Number - feminine plural Strong's 3967: A hundred Links 1 Samuel 22:7 NIV1 Samuel 22:7 NLT 1 Samuel 22:7 ESV 1 Samuel 22:7 NASB 1 Samuel 22:7 KJV 1 Samuel 22:7 BibleApps.com 1 Samuel 22:7 Biblia Paralela 1 Samuel 22:7 Chinese Bible 1 Samuel 22:7 French Bible 1 Samuel 22:7 Catholic Bible OT History: 1 Samuel 22:7 Saul said to his servants who stood (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa) |
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