1 Samuel 10:27

My Notes

What Does 1 Samuel 10:27 Mean?

1 Samuel 10:27 records the first opposition to Israel's first king — and Saul's response reveals a quality he would later lose entirely: the ability to absorb contempt without reacting.

"But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us?" — the Hebrew bĕney-bĕliyya'al (sons of Belial, worthless men, men of wickedness) is the Bible's label for people who have rejected moral order. Their question — "How shall this man save us?" — is pure contempt. They're not asking for Saul's credentials. They're declaring his inadequacy. A newly anointed king, before he's done anything, is publicly dismissed by his own people.

"And they despised him" — the Hebrew vayyivzuhu (and they despised/disdained him) uses bazah — to hold in contempt, to regard as worthless, to treat as beneath consideration. The same word is used in Genesis 25:34 for Esau despising his birthright. The sons of Belial look at God's chosen king and see nothing worth respecting.

"And brought him no presents" — the Hebrew vĕlo'-hevi'u lo minchah (and they did not bring him a gift/tribute). In the ancient Near East, bringing a gift to a new king was the standard gesture of recognition and submission. Withholding the gift was a public declaration: we don't recognize your authority. We won't submit.

"But he held his peace" — the Hebrew vayĕhi kĕmacharish (and he was as one being silent/deaf). The marginal note gives "was as though he had been deaf" — Saul pretended not to hear. He absorbed the contempt. He didn't retaliate. He didn't punish the dissenters. He didn't defend himself. He was silent.

This is the Saul who will later fly into murderous rages, hurl spears at David, and massacre the priests of Nob. The contrast between this early restraint and his later volatility is one of the saddest character arcs in Scripture. The king who could absorb contempt in chapter 10 will be consumed by jealousy by chapter 18. The silence that was strength here will be replaced by the noise of insecurity.

Reflection Questions

• 1.Saul absorbed contempt in silence — the most impressive thing he ever did. What happens inside you when you're publicly disrespected? Can you hold your peace?
• 2.He later lost this capacity entirely — consumed by jealousy and rage. What erodes the ability to absorb insults graciously? What protected it in chapter 10 that was gone by chapter 18?
• 3.The 'sons of Belial' despised God's anointed before he'd done anything. Have you been dismissed before you had a chance to prove yourself? How did you respond?
• 4.The marginal note says Saul 'was as though he had been deaf.' Is there a time when pretending not to hear is the wisest response — and how do you distinguish that from avoidance?

Devotional

They despised him. He said nothing.

Saul has just been publicly anointed as Israel's first king. And before he's done a single thing, a group of worthless men look at him and say: how is this going to save us? They brought no gifts. They offered no recognition. They looked at God's anointed and saw someone beneath their respect.

And Saul's response was silence. He held his peace. The marginal note says he "was as though he had been deaf" — he pretended not to hear. The insult landed. He didn't react. He absorbed it and moved on.

This is the most impressive thing Saul ever did. And it makes the rest of his story unbearably sad. Because this ability — to absorb contempt, to let insults pass, to be despised and not need to retaliate — is exactly the quality he would lose. Within a few chapters, Saul will be so consumed by jealousy that he hunts David across the wilderness. He'll hurl spears at the man who plays music for him. He'll massacre eighty-five priests because one of them helped his rival. The king who could be silent before contempt will become the king who explodes at every perceived slight.

Something happened between chapter 10 and chapter 18. The security that enabled silence was replaced by the insecurity that demands violence. The man who could absorb an insult became the man who couldn't absorb a song ("Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands" — 18:7).

If you have the ability to absorb contempt right now — to be despised and not need to react — protect that capacity. It's rarer and more valuable than you realize. And it's more fragile than it feels. The strength to be silent before insult is a quality that, once lost, rarely returns.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture