1 Samuel 9 · Verse 3

1 Samuel 9:3

And the asses of Kish Saul’s father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.
1 Samuel 9:3, King James Version

1 Samuel 9:3 in other translations

BSBOne day the donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants and go look for the donkeys.”
WEBThe donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. Kish said to Saul his son, “Now take one of the servants with you, and arise, go look for the donkeys.”
ASVAnd the asses of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.
YLTAnd the asses of Kish, father of Saul, are lost, and Kish saith unto Saul his son, ‘Take, I pray thee, with thee, one of the young men, and rise, go, seek the asses.'
DARBYAnd the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost; and Kish said to Saul his son, Take, I pray, one of the young men with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.
BBENow the asses of Saul's father Kish had gone wandering away. And Kish said to his son Saul, Take one of the servants with you, and get up and go in search of the asses.
WebsterAnd the asses of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.

What does 1 Samuel 9:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost. And Kish said to Saul ... arise, go seek the asses--The probability is that the family of Kish, according to the immemorial usage of Oriental shepherds in the purely pastoral regions, had let the animals roam at large during the grazing season, at the close of which messengers were despatched in search of them. Such travelling searches are common; and, as each owner has his own stamp marked on his cattle, the mention of it to the shepherds he meets gradually leads to the discovery of the strayed animals. This ramble of Saul's had nothing extraordinary in it, except its superior directions and issue, which turned its uncertainty into certainty.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 The asses of Kish - were lost - What a wonderful train of occurrences were connected in order to bring Saul to the throne of Israel! Every thing seems to go on according to the common course of events, and yet all conspired to favor the election of a man to the kingdom who certainly did not come there by the approbation of God. Asses grow to great perfection in the East; and at this time, as there were no horses in Judea, they were very useful; and on them kings and princes rode.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 9:1-10

Saul readily went to seek his father's asses. His obedience to his father was praise-worthy. His servant proposed, that since they were now at Ramah, they should call on Samuel, and take his advice. Wherever we are, we should use our opportunities of acquainting ourselves with those who are wise and good. Many will consult a man of God, if he comes in their way, that would not go a step out of their way to get…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 9:1-10 →

1 Samuel 9:3 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.

וַתֹּאבַ֙דְנָה֙va.to.Vad.nahand they were lostH6
הָאֲתֹנ֔וֹתha.'a.to.Notthe she-assesH860
לְקִ֖ישׁle.Kishof KishH7027
אֲבִ֣י'a.Vi[the] father ofH1
שָׁא֑וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
קִ֜ישׁkishKishH7027
אֶל\־'el-toH413
שָׁא֣וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
בְּנ֗וֹbe.Noson hisH1121
קַח\־kach-takeH3947
נָ֤אna'pleaseH4994
אִתְּךָ֙'i.te.Khawith youH854
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אַחַ֣ד'a.ChadoneH259
מֵֽהַנְּעָרִ֔יםme.ha.ne.'a.Rimfrom the young menH5288
וְק֣וּםve.Kumand ariseH6965
לֵ֔ךְLekhgoH1980
בַּקֵּ֖שׁba.KeshseekH1245
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָאֲתֹנֹֽת\׃ha.'a.to.Notthe she-assesH860

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 9:3

  • Judges 5:10

    Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.

  • Judges 10:4

    And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havoth–jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

  • 1 Samuel 10:2

    When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel’s sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
10:2; Jud 5:10; 10:4

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 9:2

    And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

  • 1 Samuel 9:3

    And the asses of Kish Saul’s father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.

  • 1 Samuel 9:4

    And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.

Read all of 1 Samuel 9

1 Samuel 9:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y habíanse perdido las asnas de Cis, padre de Saúl; por lo que dijo Cis á Saúl su hijo: Toma ahora contigo alguno de los criados, y levántate, y ve á buscar las asnas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et les ânesses de Kis, père de Saül, s’étaient perdues; et Kis dit à Saül, son fils: Prends, je te prie, avec toi un des jeunes hommes, et lève-toi, va, cherche les ânesses.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und die Eselinnen Kis, des Vaters Sauls, hatten sich verirrt; und Kis sprach zu seinem Sohne Saul: Nimm doch einen von den Knaben mit dir und mache dich auf, gehe hin, suche die Eselinnen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Perierant autem asinæ Cis patris Saul: et dixit Cis ad Saul filium suum: Tolle tecum unum de pueris, et consurgens vade, et quære asinas. Qui cum transissent per montem Ephraim