1 Samuel 10 · Verse 27

1 Samuel 10:27

But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.
1 Samuel 10:27, King James Version

1 Samuel 10:27 in other translations

BSBBut some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.
WEBBut certain worthless fellows said, “How could this man save us?” They despised him, and brought him no tribute. But he held his peace.
ASVBut certain worthless fellows said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace.
YLTand the sons of worthlessness have said, ‘What! this one doth save us!' and they despise him, and have not brought to him a present; and he is as one deaf.
DARBYBut the children of Belial said, How should this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no gifts. But he was as one deaf.
BBEBut certain good-for-nothing persons said, How is this man to be our saviour? And having no respect for him, they gave him no offering.
WebsterBut the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

What does 1 Samuel 10:27 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
27. the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents--In Eastern countries, the honor of the sovereign and the splendor of the royal household are upheld, not by a fixed rate of taxation, but by presents brought at certain seasons by officials, and men of wealth, from all parts of the kingdom, according to the means of the individual, and of a customary registered value. Such was the tribute which Saul's opponents withheld, and for want of which he was unable to set up a kingly establishment for a while. But "biding his time," he bore the insult with a prudence and magnanimity which were of great use in the beginning of his government.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 27 Brought him no presents - They gave him no proofs that they acknowledged either the Divine appointment or his authority. The Arab chiefs are, to this day, when on a march or excursion of any kind, supplied with every necessary by the free-will offerings or presents of the people in the villages or places where they encamp. Saul was now a public character, and had a right to support from the public. These sons of Belial refused to bear their part; they brought him no presents. He marked it, but at present held his peace; he was as if he were deaf: so says the text. He was prudent, and did not immediately assume all the consequence to which his office entitled him. It is probable, however, that tribute is meant by the word present. The people in general finding they had now a king, took it for granted that they must pay tribute or taxes to him. This was a part of the manner of the king which Samuel had shown them; the great majority had done so, but certain refractory people refused to pay any thing, on the pretense that such a person as Saul could not be a deliverer of Israel. How, say they, shall this man save us?

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 10:17-27

Samuel tells the people, Ye have this day rejected your God. So little fond was Saul now of that power, which soon after, when he possessed it, he could not think of parting with, that he hid himself. It is good to be conscious of our unworthiness and insufficiency for the services to which we are called; but men should not go into the contrary extreme, by refusing the employments to which the Lord and the church…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 10:17-27 →

1 Samuel 10:27 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וּבְנֵ֧יu.ve.Neiand sons ofH1121
בְלִיַּ֣עַלve.li.Ya.'alworthlessnessH1100
אָמְר֗וּ'a.me.Ruthey saidH559
מַה\־mah-what?H4100
יֹּשִׁעֵ֙נוּ֙yo.shi.'E.nuwill he deliver usH3467
זֶ֔הZehthis oneH2088
וַיִּבְזֻ֕הוּvai.yiv.Zu.huand they despised himH959
וְלֹֽא\־ve.lo'-and notH3808
הֵבִ֥יאוּhe.Vi.'uthey broughtH935
ל֖וֹloto <the> him
מִנְחָ֑הmin.Chaha giftH4503
וַיְהִ֖יvay.Hiand he wasH1961
כְּמַחֲרִֽישׁ\׃\ \פke.ma.cha.Rishlike [one who] kept silentH2790

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 10:27

  • Deuteronomy 13:13

    Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;

  • 2 Chronicles 17:5

    Therefore the Lord stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance.

  • 1 Kings 10:25

    And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

  • 1 Samuel 2:12

    Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord.

  • 1 Kings 4:21

    And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

  • Acts 7:35

    This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.

  • Matthew 27:12-14

    And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.

  • 2 Chronicles 13:7

    And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.

  • Psalms 72:10

    The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

  • 2 Samuel 8:2

    And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts.

  • Isaiah 36:21

    But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

  • 2 Samuel 20:1

    And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
children.
2:12; 11:12; De 13:13; 2Sa 20:1; 2Ch 13:7; Ac 7:35,51,52
brought him.
2Sa 8:2; 1Ki 4:21; 10:25; 2Ch 17:5; Ps 72:10; Mt 2:11
he held his peace. or, he was as though he had been deaf.
Ps 38:13; Isa 36:21; Mt 27:12-14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 10:26

    And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.

  • 1 Samuel 10:27

    But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

Read all of 1 Samuel 10

1 Samuel 10:27 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Pero los impíos dijeron: ¿Cómo nos ha de salvar éste? Y tuviéronle en poco, y no le trajeron presente: mas él disimuló.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et des fils de Bélial dirent: Comment celui-ci nous sauverait-il? Et ils le méprisèrent et ne lui apportèrent point de présent; et il fit le sourd.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Aber etliche Söhne Belials sprachen: Wie sollte der uns retten? Und sie verachteten ihn und brachten ihm kein Geschenk; aber er war wie taub.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Filii vero Belial dixerunt: Num salvare nos poterit iste? Et despexerunt eum, et non attulerunt ei munera: ille vero dissimulabat se audire.