1 Samuel 9 · Verse 7

1 Samuel 9:7

Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?

1 Samuel 9:7, King James Version

1 Samuel 9:7 in other translations

BSB	“If we do go,” Saul replied, “what can we give the man? For the bread in our packs is gone, and there is no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?”
WEB	Then Saul said to his servant, “But behold, if we go, what should we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our sacks, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?”
ASV	Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?
YLT	And Saul saith to his young man, ‘And lo, we go, and what do we bring in to the man? for the bread hath gone from our vessels, and a present there is not to bring in to the man of God--what is with us?'
DARBY	And Saul said to his servant, But if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and we have no present to give to the man of God: what have we?
BBE	Then Saul said to his servant, But if we go, what are we to take the man? all our bread is gone, and we have no offering to take to the man of God: what are we to do?
Webster	Then said Saul to his servant, But behold, if we go, what shall we bring to the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?

What does 1 Samuel 9:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

7. Saul said to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man?--According to Eastern notions, it would be considered a want of respect for any person to go into the presence of a superior man of rank or of official station without a present of some kind in his hand, however trifling in value. the bread is spent in our vessels--Shepherds, going in quest of their cattle, put up in a bag as much flour for making bread as will last sometimes for thirty days. It appears that Saul thought of giving the man of God a cake from his travelling bag, and this would have been sufficient to render the indispensable act of civility--the customary tribute to official dignity.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 7 There is not a present to bring to the man of God - We are not to suppose from this that the prophets took money to predict future events: Saul only refers to an invariable custom, that no man approached a superior without a present of some kind or other. We have often seen this before; even God, who needs nothing, would not that his people should approach him with empty hands. "It is very common in Bengal for a person, who is desirous of asking a favor from a superior, to take a present of fruits or sweetmeats in his hand. If not accepted, the feelings of the offerer are greatly wounded. The making of presents to appease a superior is also very common in Bengal." - Ward's Customs.

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 9:7 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.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559

שָׁא֜וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586

לְנַעֲר֗וֹle.na.'a.Roto servant hisH5288

וְהִנֵּ֣הve.hi.Nehand here!H2009

נֵלֵךְ֮ne.leKhwe will goH1980

וּמַה\־u.mah-and what?H4100

נָּבִ֣יאna.Vi'will we bringH935

לָאִישׁ֒la.'Ishto the manH376

כִּ֤יkiforH3588

הַלֶּ֙חֶם֙ha.Le.chemthe breadH3899

אָזַ֣ל'a.Zalit has been used upH235

מִכֵּלֵ֔ינוּmi.ke.Lei.nufrom bags ourH3627

וּתְשׁוּרָ֥הu.te.shu.Rahand [is] a giftH8670

אֵין\־'ein-there notH369

לְהָבִ֖יאle.ha.Vi'to bringH935

לְאִ֣ישׁle.'Ishto [the] man ofH376

הָאֱלֹהִ֑יםha.'E.lo.Him<the> GodH430

מָ֖הmahwhat?H4100

אִתָּֽנוּ\׃'i.Ta.nu[is] with usH854

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 9:7

2 Kings 8:8
And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the Lord by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
1 Kings 14:3
And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become of the child.
2 Kings 4:42
And there came a man from Baal–shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.
2 Kings 5:15
And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.
Judges 6:18
Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.
Judges 13:15-17
And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee. And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord. And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?
2 Kings 5:5
And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

what shall.
Jud 6:18; 13:15-17; 1Ki 14:3; 2Ki 4:42; 5:5; 8:8
spent in. Heb. gone out of, etc. there is not.We are not to suppose from this that the prophets took money to predict future events: Saul only refers to an invariable custom, that no man approached a superior without some present or another, however small in value. Dr. Pococke tells us of a present of fifty radishes! Other authors mention a flower, an orange, or similar trifles; and Mr. Bruce says, that one who wished to solicit a favour from him, presented him with about a score of dates! "I mention this trifling circumstance," says Mr. B. "to shew how essential to human and civil intercourse presents are considered to be in the East; whether it be dates, or whether it be diamonds, they are so much a part of their manners, that without them, an inferior will never be at peace in his own mind, or think that he has hold of his superior for protection. But superiors give no presents to their inferiors." Presents then are tokens of honour; not intended as offers of payment or enrichment.
have we. Heb. is with us.

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

Context

1 Samuel 9:6
And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go.
1 Samuel 9:7
Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?
1 Samuel 9:8
And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.

Read all of 1 Samuel 9

1 Samuel 9:7 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y Saúl respondió á su criado: Vamos ahora: ¿mas qué llevaremos al varón? Porque el pan de nuestras alforjas se ha acabado, y no tenemos qué presentar al varón de Dios: ¿qué tenemos?
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et Saül dit à son serviteur: Mais si nous y allons, que porterons-nous à l’homme? car le pain manque dans nos sacs, et il n’y a pas de présent à porter à l’homme de Dieu. Qu’avons-nous avec nous?
German Elberfelder 1871	Und Saul sprach zu seinem Knaben: Siehe aber, wenn wir hingehen, was wollen wir dem Manne bringen? Denn das Brot ist ausgegangen in unseren Gefäßen, und wir haben kein Geschenk dem Manne Gottes zu bringen; was haben wir?
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Dixitque Saul ad puerum suum: Ecce ibimus: quid feremus ad virum Dei? panis defecit in sitarciis nostris, et sportulam non habemus ut demus homini Dei, nec quidquam aliud.