Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Samuel 9:17

"And when Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah said unto him, Behold, the man of whom I spake to thee! this same shall have authority over my people." — 1 Samuel 9:17 (ASV)

Behold the man. — This verse, it must be remembered, follows closely on 1 Samuel 9:14, with the statements of 1 Samuel 9:15–16 being parenthetical.

The young Saul and his servant came up to address the seer on his way to the sacred height; Samuel, at once impressed by the great stature and splendid beauty of the stranger coming towards him, asks his Master silently, “Lord, is this then he of whom You whispered to me yesterday, to whom the destinies of Your people were to be entrusted?” The words “Behold the man,” and so on, were the silent answer of God to the silent prayer of His old servant.

Shall reign. — The word “shall reign,” which was whispered by the “Spirit” to the listening heart of the seer, should rather have been translated “shall control” or “shall restrain.” It was a word that—looking ahead to Saul’s future reign—represented it as a stern, severe rule.