1 Samuel 9:2
New International Version
Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.

New Living Translation
His son Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land.

English Standard Version
And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.

Berean Standard Bible
And he had a son named Saul, choice and handsome, without equal among the Israelites—a head taller than any of the people.

King James Bible
And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

New King James Version
And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.

New American Standard Bible
He had a son whose name was Saul, a young and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome man than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.

NASB 1995
He had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.

NASB 1977
And he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.

Amplified Bible
Kish had a son named Saul, a choice and handsome man; among the sons of Israel there was not a man more handsome than he. From his shoulders and up he was [a head] taller than any of the people.

Christian Standard Bible
He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man. There was no one more impressive among the Israelites than he. He stood a head taller than anyone else.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man. There was no one more impressive among the Israelites than he. He stood a head taller than anyone else.

American Standard Version
And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a young man and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

Contemporary English Version
Kish had a son named Saul, who was better looking and more than a head taller than anyone else in all Israel.

English Revised Version
And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a young man and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He had a son named Saul, a handsome, young man. No man in Israel was more handsome than Saul. He stood a head taller than everyone else.

Good News Translation
He had a son named Saul, a handsome man in the prime of life. Saul was a foot taller than anyone else in Israel and more handsome as well.

International Standard Version
he had a son named Saul, who was a choice and handsome young man. There was no one among the Israelis as handsome as he, and he was a head taller than any of the other people.

Majority Standard Bible
And he had a son named Saul, choice and handsome, without equal among the Israelites?a head taller than any of the people.

NET Bible
He had a son named Saul, a handsome young man. There was no one among the Israelites more handsome than he was; he stood head and shoulders above all the people.

New Heart English Bible
He had a son, whose name was Saul, a handsome young man; and there was no one among the children of Israel more handsome than he was. From his shoulders and upward he was taller than any of the people.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a more handsome person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

World English Bible
He had a son whose name was Saul, an impressive young man; and there was not among the children of Israel a more handsome person than he. From his shoulders and upward he was taller than any of the people.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and he has a son, and his name [is] Saul, a choice youth and handsome, and there is not a man among the sons of Israel more handsome than he—from his shoulder and upward, higher than any of the people.

Young's Literal Translation
and he hath a son, and his name is Saul, a choice youth and goodly, and there is not a man among the sons of Israel goodlier than he -- from his shoulder and upward, higher than any of the people.

Smith's Literal Translation
And to him was a son and his name Saul, a young man and good: and not a man of the sons of Israel good above him: from his shoulder and from above, high above all the people.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and goodly man, and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he appeared above all the people.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he had a son called Saul, an elect and good man. And there was not a man among the sons of Israel better than he was. For he stood head and shoulders above all the people.

New American Bible
He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man. There was no other Israelite more handsome than Saul; he stood head and shoulders above the people.

New Revised Standard Version
He had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders above everyone else.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice young man and a goodly; and there was not among the children of Israel a more attractive person than he; he was head and shoulders higher than any of the people.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he had a son and his name, Shaul, a mighty man and fine, and there was not a man of the sons of Israel that was finer than he, and from his shoulders and above he was taller than all the people
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he had a son, whose name was Saul, young and goodly, and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And this man had a son, and his name was Saul, of great stature, a goodly man; and there was not among the sons of Israel a goodlier than he, high above all the people from his shoulders and upward.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Saul Chosen as King
1Now there was a Benjamite, a powerful man, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. 2And he had a son named Saul, choice and handsome, without equal among the Israelites a head taller than any of the people. 3One day the donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants and go look for the donkeys.”…

Cross References
1 Samuel 10:23-24
So they ran and brought Saul, and when he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of the others. / Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.”

1 Samuel 17:4-7
Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span in height, / and he had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a bronze coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels, / and he had armor of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. ...

2 Samuel 14:25
Now there was not a man in all Israel as handsome and highly praised as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the top of his head, he did not have a single flaw.

Judges 8:18
Next, Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” “Men like you,” they answered, “each one resembling the son of a king.”

1 Kings 1:6
(His father had never once reprimanded him by saying, “Why do you act this way?” Adonijah was also very handsome, born next after Absalom.)

1 Kings 9:22
But Solomon did not consign any of the Israelites to slavery, because they were his men of war, his servants, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and cavalry.

1 Chronicles 8:33
Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the father of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.

1 Chronicles 9:39
Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the father of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.

2 Chronicles 26:16-21
But when Uzziah became powerful, his arrogance led to his own destruction. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. / Then Azariah the priest, along with eighty brave priests of the LORD, went in after him. / They took their stand against King Uzziah and said, “Uzziah, you have no right to offer incense to the LORD. Only the priests, the descendants of Aaron, are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully; you will not receive honor from the LORD God.” ...

Isaiah 53:2
He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him.

Daniel 1:4
young men without blemish, handsome, gifted in all wisdom, knowledgeable, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace—and to teach them the language and literature of the Chaldeans.

Matthew 23:27-28
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. / In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Luke 1:15
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.

Luke 2:52
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.


Treasury of Scripture

And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

choice

1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Genesis 6:2
That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

2 Samuel 14:25,26
But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him…

from his shoulders

1 Samuel 10:23
And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.

1 Samuel 17:4
And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

Numbers 13:33
And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

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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














He had a son named Saul
The name "Saul" in Hebrew is "Sha'ul," which means "asked for" or "prayed for." This name is significant as it reflects the Israelites' desire for a king, which they had asked of God through the prophet Samuel. Saul's very name embodies the fulfillment of Israel's request, highlighting the divine orchestration in the narrative. Saul's introduction as the son of Kish, a man of standing, sets the stage for his role in Israel's history, emphasizing the importance of lineage and heritage in the biblical context.

an impressive young man
The Hebrew word for "impressive" is "bachur," which can also mean "chosen" or "selected." This description of Saul not only refers to his physical appearance but also suggests a divine selection or favor. In the ancient Near Eastern context, physical appearance was often seen as a reflection of one's suitability for leadership. Saul's impressive stature and presence would have made him a natural choice for a leader in the eyes of the people, aligning with cultural expectations of kingship.

without equal among the Israelites
This phrase underscores Saul's uniqueness and superiority among his peers. The Hebrew word "tov" is often translated as "good" or "better," indicating that Saul was considered the best among the Israelites. This sets a high expectation for his leadership and foreshadows the significant role he will play in the unfolding narrative. It also reflects the biblical theme of God raising individuals from among His people to fulfill His purposes.

a head taller than any of the others
The physical description of Saul being "a head taller" than others is not merely about his height but symbolizes his elevated status and the authority he would wield as king. In the ancient world, height was often associated with power and dominance, making Saul an ideal candidate for kingship in the eyes of the Israelites. This detail also serves to highlight the contrast between Saul's outward appearance and his inner character, a recurring theme in his story. The emphasis on physical stature invites readers to consider the deeper qualities that God values in a leader, as later exemplified in David, Saul's successor.

(2) A choice young man, and a goodly.--The Hebrew word which is rendered in English by "a choice young man" cannot signify both these epithets. The translators were probably influenced by the Vulg. (Latin) Version, which translates the Hebrew word by electus, "chosen, or choice," the more common signification of the Hebrew word being avoided, owing to the fact that at this time Saul appears to have had a son (Jonathan) who must have well-nigh reached his maturity. But the term young was not inappropriate to Saul, who was still in the full vigour of manhood as contrasted with the old age of Samuel, being about forty to forty-five years old. Translate then simply, "a young man," &c. In the childhood of nations heroic proportions were highly valued, and the gigantic stature and the remarkable beauty of the king, no doubt contributed to the ready acceptance on the part of the still semi-barbarous Israel of the young man Saul. (Comp. Herodotus, 3:20, 7:187; Aristotle, Polit., 4:29; and Virgil's description of Turnus, 'neid, 7:650, 783; and Homer's words about Ajax, Iliad, iii. 226.)

The asses.--Literally, And the she-asses. At this period of Jewish history asses were much used by the people. The horse was forbidden by the Law. Asses were used not only for purposes of agriculture, but also for riding; so in the song of Deborah we find, "Speak, ye that ride on white asses" (Judges 5:10); and again we read of the thirty sons of Jair, the Gileadite judge, each one ruler of a city, who rode on thirty ass colts (Judges 10:4). These belonging to the farm of Kish, being probably kept for breeding purposes, were untethered, and so strayed from the immediate neighbourhood, and were lost.

The whole of this chapter and part of the following is full of picturesque details of the pastoral life of the people. In many of the little pictures we see how strongly at this early period the religion of the Eternal coloured almost all parts of the every-day life of Israel.

One of the servants.--The "servant," not "slave;" the Hebrew word for the latter would be different. The servant was evidently a trusty dependant of the house of Saul's father, and was on familiar terms with his young master. We hear of his giving wise advice in the course of the search (1Samuel 9:6); he was the one in charge of the money (1Samuel 9:8); and this servant, we are especially told, was treated by Samuel the judge as an honoured guest at the sacrificial feast at Ramah. He was traditionally believed to have been Doeg the Edomite, afterwards so famous as one of the most ruthless of the great captains of King Saul. (See 1Samuel 22:18.) . . .

Verse 2. - He had a son, whose name was Saul. I.e. asked, a name usually given to a firstborn son. A choice young man. This is a double translation of the Hebrew word, and consequently one half or other must be wrong. It may either be a participle, elect or choice, and is so rendered by the Syriac and Vulgate; or an adjective, young, the rendering of the Chaldee, and virtually of the Septuagint, which gives well grown. This is the preferable translation; for the word constantly occurs coupled with virgin (Deuteronomy 32:25; Isaiah 62:5, etc.), for one in the full flower of manhood. Saul could not, therefore, have been the runner of 1 Samuel 5:12, though, as we read that Jonathan his son was a grown man two or three years afterwards (1 Samuel 13:2), he must have been at least thirty-five years of age, after making allowance for the early period at which the Jews married. His noble appearance and gigantic stature were well fitted to impress and overawe a semi-barbarous people, who were better able to form an estimate of his physical qualities than of the high mental and moral gifts possessed by Samuel.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And
וְלוֹ־ (wə·lōw-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

he had
הָיָ֨ה (hā·yāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a son
בֵ֜ן (ḇên)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

named
וּשְׁמ֤וֹ (ū·šə·mōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8034: A name

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

choice
בָּח֣וּר (bā·ḥūr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 970: Selected, a youth

and handsome,
וָט֔וֹב (wā·ṭō·wḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

without equal
וְאֵ֥ין (wə·’ên)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

among
מִמֶּ֑נּוּ (mim·men·nū)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

the Israelites—
מִבְּנֵ֥י (mib·bə·nê)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

a head
מִשִּׁכְמ֣וֹ (miš·šiḵ·mōw)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7926: The neck, as the place of burdens, the spur of a, hill

taller
גָּבֹ֖הַּ (gā·ḇō·ah)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1364: Elevated, powerful, arrogant

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

of the people.
הָעָֽם׃ (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock


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OT History: 1 Samuel 9:2 He had a son whose name was (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
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