1 Samuel 10:5

1 Samuel 10:5 . Thou shalt come to the hill of God — So called, either because they were wont to sacrifice here; or, because here was a school of the prophets, who were called men of God. A company of prophets — By prophets here, he understands persons that wholly devoted themselves to religious studies and exercises. For the term of prophesying is not only given to the most eminent act of it, foretelling things to come, but also to preaching, and to the making or singing of psalms, or songs of praise to God. And they that wholly attended upon these things are called sons of the prophets, who were commonly combined into companies or colleges, that they might more conveniently assist one another in God’s work. This institution God was pleased so far to honour and bless, that sometimes he communicated unto those persons the knowledge of future things. Coming down from the high place — Probably from a sacrifice which they had offered in the high place: and now they praised God for his benefits in the following manner: With a psaltery — Such instruments being then used by the prophets and other persons, to compose their minds, and render them fit to receive divine communications, as well as to raise their affections to God, and to the contemplation of things spiritual and heavenly. They shall prophesy — Either sing God’s praises, as the word sometimes signifies, ( Exodus 15:21 ; 1 Chronicles 25:3 ,) or speak of the things of God by a peculiar repulse of his Spirit.

Verse 5. - The third sign was to be his taking part with the prophets in their religious exercises in the hill of God - really Gibeah, his own home. Gibeah is strictly a rounded hill, while Ramah is a height. This Gibeah ha-Elohim was probably that part of the hill on which the "high place" was situated, and which was evidently outside the city; for Saul, on his route homeward, met the troop of prophets descending from it. For "Gibeah of Saul" see 1 Samuel 9:1 ; but, as Conder remarks, this name was given to a district as well as to a town, inasmuch as Ramah is described as situated within it - 1 Samuel 22:6 ('Tent Work,' 2:111). The garrison of the Philistines was probably on some height in this district, and, coupled with the mention of similar military posts elsewhere ( 1 Samuel 13:3 ; 1 Samuel 14:4 ), shows that most of the tribe of Benjamin was subject to that nation, and disarmed ( 1 Samuel 13:19 ); but probably, as long as the tribute was paid, its internal administration was not interfered with A company of the prophets. At Gibeah Samuel had established one of his "schools of the prophets," by means of which he did so much to elevate the whole mental and moral state of the Israelites. The word rendered company literally means a cord or line, and so a band of people. These prophets were descending from the Bamah (see on 1 Samuel 9:12), where they had been engaged in some religious exercise, and were chanting a psalm or hymn to the music of various instruments.

Music was one of the great means employed by Samuel in training his young men; and not only is its effect at all times elevating and refining, but in semi-barbarous times, united, as it is sure to be, with poetry, it is the chief educational lever for raising men's minds, and giving them a taste for culture and intellectual pleasures. The musical instruments mentioned are the psaltery , Hebrew, nebel, a sort of harp with ten strings stretched across a triangle, the longest string being at its base, and the shortest towards its apex; the tabret , Hebrew toph , a tambourine struck by the hand; the pipe , Hebrew, chalil, i.e. "bored" or "pierced," so called from the holes bored in it to make the notes, and being probably a sort of flute; and, lastly, the harp , Hebrew, cinnor , a sort of guitar, chiefly used for accompanying the voice, and sometimes played with the fingers, and sometimes with a plectrum or quill. There is nothing to indicate that there was only one of each of these instruments, so that the articles would be better omitted. No doubt every prophet was playing some one or other of them. And they shall prophesy. The conjugation used here is not that employed for the prediction of future events, but means, literally, and they will be acting the prophet, the right word for men who were in training for the prophetic office (see 'Prophecy a Preparation for Christ,' 2nd ed. p. 50).

5 . the hill of God ] Or, Gibeah of God. Gibeah is the term used to denote ‘the bald rounded hills of central Palestine.’ This eminence was distinguished as Gibeah of God , or God’s hill , from the place of worship on its summit. It is probably to be identified with ( a ) Gibeah of Benjamin , which was a place of considerable importance ( Jdg 19:20 , compare 1 Samuel 13:2 , &c.); and ( b ) Gibeah of saul , saul’s residence ( 1 Samuel 10:26 , 1 Samuel 11:4 ). Its site is supposed by Dr Robinson to be the conspicuous hill called Tell el Fûl ( hill of the bean ), about 3 miles N. of Jerusalem; but Lieut. Conder inclines to the view that Saul’s city was Geba , and that the district round was first called Gibeah of Benjamin , afterwards Gibeah of Saul . Tent Work , II. 111. Geba is no doubt to be identified with Jeba , about 3 miles N. E. of Tell el Fûl . the garrison of the Philistines ] A military post established by the Philistines to maintain their hold upon the Israelites. See note on 1 Samuel 7:14 . Cp. 1 Samuel 13:3-4 and 2 Samuel 8:6 ; 2 Samuel 8:14 . The word has been otherwise explained to mean ( a ) a pillar , set up to mark the Philistine conquest, or ( b ) an officer for the collection of taxes; but 1 Chronicles 11:16 seems to require the sense “ garrison .” a company of prophets ] A band of the organized society of prophets established by Samuel. See Introd. p. 33, and cp. 1 Samuel 19:20 . and they shall prophesy ] Better, prophesying.

The word has nothing to do with prediction here, but denotes the expression of religious feeling under the influence of inspiration in hymns and otherwise. See the notes on 1 Samuel 9:9 and 1 Samuel 18:10 . In 1 Chronicles 25:1-3 the word is used of chanting psalms and set services. Such a procession of prophets was naturally accompanied by musical instruments. Cp. Exodus 15:20 ; 1 Chronicles 13:8 ; 2 Kings 3:15 . The psaltery (Heb. nebel ) and harp (Heb. kinnôr ) were stringed instruments, the exact form of which is unknown: the tabret or timbrel (Heb. tôph ) was a tambourine or hand drum: the pipe (Heb. châlîl ) a kind of flute.

After that thou shalt come to the {c} hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: (c) Which was a high place in the city Kirjath-jearim, where the ark was, 1Sa 7:2.

Hill of God - Rather, "Gibeah" of God, and so in 1 Samuel 10:10 . Two things are clear; "one" that Saul had got home when he got to Gibeah of God, for there he found his uncle, and no further journeying is so much as hinted at, and the same word "Gibeah" describes his home at 1 Samuel 10:26 . The "other" that there was a high place at Gibeah just above the city, from which he met the company of prophets "coming down." Hence, it is obvious to conclude that the name "Gibeah of God" (which occurs nowhere else) was sometimes given to Gibeah of Saul on account of the worship on its high place, or, possibly, that the name "Gibeah of God" described the whole hill on a part of which the city Gibeah stood. Where is the garrison of the Philistines - It seems strange that Samuel should give this description of Gibeah to Saul, who must have been so well acquainted with it. Possibly they may be explanatory words inserted by the narrator with reference to 1 Samuel 13:2. Musical instruments were the accompaniments of the prophetic song 1 Chronicles 13:8; 1 Chronicles 25:3. The "Psaltery" is a kind of lyre with ten strings, in the shape of an earthen wine bottle (נבל nebel, whence νάβλα nabla) which was something like a sugar-loaf or a delta. The tabret is a kind of drum or tambourine, or timbrel, usually played by dancing women (Exodus 15:20; Judges 11:34. Compare Jeremiah 31:4).

The pipe חליל châlı̂yl, literally the "bored" or "pierced" instrument) is a kind of flute used on occasions of joy and mirth Isaiah 5:12; 1 Kings 1:40; Psalm 68:25. The "harp" כנור kı̂nnôr, whence the Greek κινύρα kinura was a stringed instrument, and that played upon by David 1 Samuel 16:16; 1 Samuel 19:9; Psalm 43:4; Psalm 57:8.

(5) After that thou shalt come to the hill of God. —These words should be rendered to the Gibeah of God. The writer here is alluding to Saul’s own city, afterwards known as “Gibeah of Saul.” The name of Gibeah, or Hill of God, was given to it on account of a well-known high place or sacrificial height in or hard by the town. We know that this sacred place was chosen by Samuel as the site of one of his “schools of the prophets.” Where is the garrison of the Philistines.—These warlike Phœnician tribes seem gradually, after their great defeat at Mizpeh, to have again established themselves in various stations of the land, whence they harried the Israelites. A parallel to these marauding soldiers, so long the plague of Israel, might be found in the countless freebooters’ strongholds which, in the Middle Ages, were the curse especially of Germany, the terror of the peaceful trading folk of the rich countries of Central Europe. A company of prophets.—These evidently belonged to one of those seminaries termed “schools of the prophets,” founded by Samuel for the training of young men. The foundation of these schools in different parts of the country was one of the greatest of the works of this noble and patriotic man. These schools seem to have flourished during the whole period of the monarchy, and in no small measure contributed to the moral and mental development of the people.

Some of the youth of Israel who received in these schools their training became public preachers of the Word; for after all, this, rather than foretelling future events, was the grand duty of the prophet’s calling. It is a grave mistake to conclude that all, or even the greater part, of these young men trained in the “schools of the prophets” were inspired in the usual sense of the word. The aim of these institutions, beside high mental culture, seems to have been to train the youth of Israel to love, and then live, noble pure lives. Dean Payne Smith calls attention to the remarkable fact that at David’s court all posts which required literary skill were held by “prophets.” He considers that it was owing to these great educational institutions which Samuel founded that the Israelites became a highly trained and literary people. “Prophets,” in the awful sense of the word as used by us—men who, as compared with their fellows, stood in a different relation to the Most High, who heard things which other men heard not, and saw visions unseen by any save themselves—men before whose eyes the veil which hid the dark future now and again was raised—were, after all, even among the people of God, very rare. In the course of a generation, one or two, or perhaps three, appeared, and were listened to, and their words in many cases, we know, preserved.