John Gill Commentary 1 Samuel 9:1

John Gill Commentary

1 Samuel 9:1

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
John Gill
John Gill

John Gill Commentary

1 Samuel 9:1

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
SCRIPTURE

"Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor." — 1 Samuel 9:1 (ASV)

Now there was a man of Benjamin
Of the tribe of Benjamin, which has its name from the youngest son of Jacob, and one of this tribe was the first king of Israel:

whose name was Kish :
whom the apostle calls Cis, (Acts 13:21) , and Josephus F9 Cises; his name, according to Hillerus F11 , signifies "ensnared"; for what reason it was given him is not certain:

the son of Abiel ;
in (1 Chronicles 8:33) (9:39) , he is called Ner that begat Kish; and in this book, (1 Samuel 14:50 1 Samuel 14:51) Ner and Kish are represented as brethren, the sons of Abiel: to reconcile this, it may be observed, that Ner being the elder brother, on the death of his father Abiel, had the care and bringing up of his younger brother Kish; and therefore when he is said to beget him, the meaning is, not that he was the parent of him, but the bringer up of him; or rather, as Kimchi thinks, Abiel had two sons, one of which was Ner; and that he had two sons, one that was called after his own name Ner, who was the father of Abner; and the other Kish, the father of Saul:

the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite ;
of these persons we nowhere else read:

a mighty man of power ;
not a man of riches, or of authority, neither a wealthy man, nor a magistrate, for his family was mean and contemptible, (1 Samuel 9:21) (10:27) but a man of great strength, an able bodied man, and of great natural fortitude, and courage of mind.


FOOTNOTES:

  • F9: Antiqu. l. 6. c. 4. sect. 1.
  • F11: Onomastic. Sacr. p. 405.