1 Samuel 10:12

And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) Who is their father?—As an instance of the extreme surprise with which the association of Saul with the sons of the prophets was witnessed by the inhabitants of Gibeah—an association apparently very foreign to his old habits and to the manner of life of his family—a short dialogue between two of the citizens of Gibeah is here related: a conversation important, owing to the words uttered by the second citizen in reply to the amazed question, “What is this that is come unto the son of Kish?” The reply gives us some insight into the deep conviction entertained by the ordinary Israelite of the days of Samuel that the invisible God was ever present, working in the midst of His chosen people.

The reply of the second citizen has been well explained by Von Bunsen:—“Is the son of Kish, then, a prophet?’ asks the first citizen, surprised, apparently, that one so undistinguished, that one so unlikely to train up a “son of the prophets,” should have a son associated in this peculiar and sudden manner with a chosen band of scholars and teachers. To this question the second citizen replied—no doubt, pointing to the honoured group from the prophet schools of Gibeah—“Do you wonder that the son of so rough and uncultivated a man as Kish should receive the Divine gift which we all love so well and admire so greatly? Who,” pointing to the group singing on the hill-side, “who is their father?” They owe their power of persuasive speech, their gift of holy song, to no accident of birth. Surely Saul, like them, may have received the same power as a gift of the Eternal, not as a patrimony. Owing to this obvious meaning not having occurred to them, the LXX., “Vulgate, and Syriac Versions alter the original into, “Who is his (instead of their) father?” in other words, “Who is Saul? and who is his father, Kish?” But the Hebrew text and the English Version, as explained above, gives an admirable sense, and teaches besides a great spiritual lesson.

Benson Commentary

1 Samuel 10:12. And one answered and said, But who is their father? — This wonder was presently satisfied by a prudent person among them asking, Who is the father of all those prophets among whom Saul was now one? Who is it that instructs and inspires them but God? They have not this gift from their parents, nor from their education, but by inspiration from God, who, when he pleases, can bestow it on Saul or any other man, and thereby make him a prophet without the help of any other master; as he did Amos, who was no prophet, nor prophet’s son, but a herdsman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit. And therefore wonder not at this matter, but give God the glory. Hence it became a proverb — Used when any strange or unexpected thing happened.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

10:9-16 The signs Samuel had given Saul, came to pass punctually; he found that God had given him another heart, another disposition of mind. Yet let not an outward show of devotion, and a sudden change for the present, be too much relied on; Saul among the prophets was Saul still. His being anointed was kept private. He leaves it to God to carry on his own work by Samuel, and sits still, to see how the matter will fall.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But who is their father - This is a very obscure phrase. If by "father" be intended the head or leader (compare 1 Chronicles 25:6; 2 Kings 2:12) of the prophets, the question means: "What kind of leader can they have to admit such a person as Saul into the company?" Some versions read "Who is his father?" in the sense: "Who would have expected Kish to have a son among the prophets?" (Compare Matthew 13:54-55.)

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

12. But who is their father?—The Septuagint reads, "Who is his father?" referring to Saul the son of Kish.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

One of the same place, Heb. one from thence, i.e. one of the company there present, or one of the prophets there prophesying.

Who is their father? who is the father of all these prophets of whom you speak, and among whom Saul now is one? who is it that instructs and inspires them with this holy art, but God? They have it not from their natural parents, nor from their civil education, but by inspiration from God, who, when he pleaseth, can inspire Saul, or any other man, with the same skill. And therefore wonder not at this matter, but give God the glory of it. Father is here put for teacher, or instructer, as it is used; as Genesis 4:20,21 Mt 23:9 1 Corinthians 4:15. And hence the scholars are called sons of the prophets. It became a proverb, used when any strange, unlikely, or unexpected thing happened.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And one of the same place answered, and said,.... One of the same city, and in the same company, that expressed their admiration at what was come to Saul, and at what he did, and wondering how he came into such company, and to have such a gift, who was of so mean an education:

but who is their father? the father of the prophets; their fathers were not prophets, no more than Saul's was; their Father that taught them is the Lord, and he was able to teach Saul, and bestow on him the gift of prophecy, as well as on them; and so the Targum, who is their master or teacher; for though they might have an undermaster or teacher, as Samuel, or another prophet, yet their chief teacher was God; who could and did give men the gift of prophecy, and even in the highest sense, who had neither prophets for their fathers, nor were indeed trained up in any of the schools of the prophets, which was the case of Amos:

therefore it became a proverb, is Saul also among the prophets? that when a person of a mean parentage, and of a low life and education, was raised up to any degree of dignity in sacred and civil things, they used to apply this proverbial expression to him, or speak of him in this manner, is Saul among the prophets?

Geneva Study Bible

And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their {e} father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the {f} prophets?

(e) Meaning, that prophecy comes not by succession, but is given to whom it pleases God.

(f) Noting by it him that from low degree comes suddenly to honour.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12. it became a proverb] Applied probably to the unexpected appearance of any person in a novel character alien to his former occupation and habits. The proverb received a fresh exemplification in the occurrence related in ch. 1 Samuel 19:24.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 12. - One of the same place - i.e. Gibeah - answered and said, But who is their father? The Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read, But who is his father? But this would be a foolish reply to the question, "What has happened to the son of Kish?" The meaning rather must be, You ask about the son of Kish; but what has birth to do with prophecy? None of these young men have inherited these gifts, and if Saul can take part in their prophesyings, why should he not? Kish, his father, is no worse than theirs. Is Saul also among the prophets? Under very different circumstances Saul once again took part in the exercises of these youthful prophets (1 Samuel 19:24), and evidently on both occasions with such skill and success as prove the readiness of his genius; and so struck were the people at the strange power which he thus evinced, that their expression of wonder became fixed in the national mind as a proverb. Saul was a man of great natural ability, and yet not the sort of person whom the people expected would be made king. He probably could neither read nor write, and from his extreme height was perhaps awkward and bashful; as he suffered afterwards from fits of insanity (1 Samuel 16:14), he may always have been flighty and wilful; and altogether, though possessed of marvellous gifts, was certainly the very opposite of Samuel's well trained and orderly scholars. 1 Samuel 10:12

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

And one from thence (i.e., from Gibeah, or from the crowd that was gathered round the prophets) answered, "And who is their father?" i.e., not "who is their president?" which would be a very gratuitous question; but, "is their father a prophet then?" i.e., according to the explanation given by Oehler (Herzog's Real. Enc. xii. p. 216), "have they the prophetic spirit by virtue of their birth?" Understood in this way, the retort forms a very appropriate "answer" to the expression of surprise and the inquiry, how it came to pass that Saul was among the prophets. If those prophets had not obtained the gift of prophecy by inheritance, but as a free gift of the Lord, it was equally possible for the Lord to communicate the same gift to Saul. On the other hand, the alteration of the text from אביהם (their father) into אביהוּ (his father), according to the lxx, Vulg., Syr., and Arab., which is favoured by Ewald, Thenius, and others, must be rejected, for the simple reason that the question, Who is his father? in the mouth of one of the inhabitants of Gibeah, to whom Saul's father was so well known that they called Saul the son of Kish at once, would have no sense whatever. From this the proverb arose, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" - a proverb which was used to express astonishment at the appearance of any man in a sphere of life which had hitherto been altogether strange to him.