1 Samuel 9:21 Meaning and Explanation
“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?”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Saul responds with surprise, protesting that he is from the smallest tribe and the least family in it.
What Does 1 Samuel 9:21 Mean?
Saul's reply is full of astonishment and humility. He is a Benjamite, of the smallest tribe in Israel, and his family is the least within that tribe. Why, then, does Samuel speak to him in such weighty terms? He cannot imagine that the desire of all Israel could rest on someone so insignificant.
Saul's sense of smallness echoes a pattern woven through Scripture, where God repeatedly chooses the least and lifts up the lowly. The Lord does not call the great because they are great; he often calls the humble and makes them able. A person's low estimate of himself is no barrier to God's purpose, for the Lord delights to use the small and the overlooked, that the strength may plainly be his and not their own.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Samuel 9:21
What does 1 Samuel 9:21 mean?
Saul responds with surprise, protesting that he is from the smallest tribe and the least family in it.