1 Samuel 10:9

THE SIGNS WERE ALL FULFILLED THAT DAY

"When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all these signs came to pass that day. When they came to Gibeah, behold a band of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came mightily upon him, and he prophesied among them. And when all who knew him before saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another, "What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul among the prophets"? And a man of the place answered, And who is their father"? Therefore, it became a proverb, "Is Saul also among the prophets"? When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place."

"Is Saul among the prophets?" (1 Samuel 10:12). Some scholars view the remarks of the citizens of Saul's home town as complimentary, and they might well have been so intended. However, it seems to this writer that there is pure derision and bitter criticism in what they said. The key to this impression is that question asked by one of the men of that place, "And who is their father"? This is a sneering remark carrying the implication that the band of prophets was a group of nobodies and that Saul, the son of a wealthy and respectable citizen had lowered himself socially by associating with them. Payne received the same impression. "The twin proverbs were plainly discourteous to Saul. What was he, a respectable citizen, doing in the presence of these roaming madmen of unknown and dubious antecedents"?[11]

"He came to the high place" (1 Samuel 10:13). John Willis recommended that this should be translated, "He went home, as in the New English Bible and in the Jerusalem Bible."[12] Certainly the conversation with Saul's uncle would seem to have taken place in a residence.