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Saturday, July 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

1 Samuel 10:14

Saul's uncle asked Saul and his servant, "Where have you been?" Saul said, "We were looking for the donkeys. When we couldn't find them, we went to see Samuel."

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Saul;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Prophet;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Israel;   Samuel, Books of;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - King;   Samuel, Books of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?”
Hebrew Names Version
Sha'ul's uncle said to him and to his servant, Where went you? He said, To seek the donkeys; and when we saw that they were not found, we came to Shemu'el.
King James Version
And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that they were no where, we came to Samuel.
Lexham English Bible
Then Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, "Where did you go?" And he said, "To search for the female donkeys; and when we saw none, we went to Samuel."
English Standard Version
Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, "Where did you go?" And he said, "To seek the donkeys. And when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel."
New Century Version
Saul's uncle asked him and his servant, "Where have you been?" Saul said, "We were looking for the donkeys. When we couldn't find them, we went to talk to Samuel."
New English Translation
Saul's uncle asked him and his servant, "Where did you go?" Saul replied, "To look for the donkeys. But when we realized they were lost, we went to Samuel."
Amplified Bible
Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, "Where did you go?" And Saul said, "To look for the donkeys. And when we saw that they were nowhere to be found, we went to Samuel [for help]."
New American Standard Bible
Now Saul's uncle said to him and his servant, "Where did you go?" And he said, "To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they were nowhere to be found, we went to Samuel."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Sauls vncle saide vnto him, and to his seruant, Whither went ye? And he saide, To seeke the asses: and when we sawe that they were no where, we came to Samuel.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now Saul's uncle said to him and his young man, "Where did you go?" And he said, "To look for the donkeys. And we saw that they were not anywhere, so we went to Samuel."
Contemporary English Version
Later, Saul's uncle asked him, "Where have you been?" Saul answered, "Looking for the donkeys. We couldn't find them, so we went to talk with Samuel."
Complete Jewish Bible
Sha'ul's uncle said to him and his servant, "Where did you go?" He answered, "To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they hadn't been found, we went to Sh'mu'el."
Darby Translation
And Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses; and when we saw that they were nowhere, we went to Samuel.
George Lamsa Translation
And Sauls uncle said to him and to his servant, Where did you go? And they said, To seek the asses; and when we found them nowhere, we went to Samuel.
Good News Translation
Saul's uncle saw him and the servant, and he asked them, "Where have you been?" "Looking for the donkeys," Saul answered. "When we couldn't find them, we went to see Samuel."
Literal Translation
And the uncle of Saul said to him and to his young man, Where did you go? And he said, To seek the she asses. And we saw that they were not, and we went to Samuel.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Sauls vncle sayde vnto him and to his childe: Whither wente ye? They answered: To seke the asses. And whan we sawe that they were awaye, we came vnto Samuel.
American Standard Version
And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses; and when we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel.
Bible in Basic English
And Saul's father's brother said to him and his servant, Where have you been? And he said, Searching for the asses: and when we saw no sign of them, we came to Samuel.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Sauls vncle sayde vnto him, and to his lad: Whyther went ye? He sayde, To seke the asses: And when we sawe that they were no where, we came to Samuel.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant: 'Whither went ye?' And he said: 'To seek the asses; and when we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel.'
King James Version (1611)
And Sauls vncle saide vnto him, and to his seruant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seeke the asses: and when we saw that they were no where, we came to Samuel.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And his kinsman said to him and to his servant, Whither went ye? and they said, To seek the asses; and we saw that they were lost, and we went in to Samuel.
English Revised Version
And Saul’s uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel.
Berean Standard Bible
Now Saul's uncle asked him and his servant, "Where did you go?" "To look for the donkeys," Saul replied. "When we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the brothir of `the fadir of Saul seide to hym, and to his child, Whidur yeden ye? And thei answeriden, To seke the femal assis; and whanne we founden `not thoo, we camen to Samuel.
Young's Literal Translation
and the uncle of Saul saith unto him, and unto his young man, `Whither went ye?' and he saith, `To seek the asses; and we see that they are not, and we come in unto Samuel.'
Update Bible Version
And Saul's uncle said to him and to his attendant, Where did you go? And he said, To seek the donkeys; and when we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that [they were] no where, we came to Samuel.
World English Bible
Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, Where went you? He said, To seek the donkeys; and when we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel.
New King James Version
Then Saul's uncle said to him and his servant, "Where did you go?" So he said, "To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they were nowhere to be found, we went to Samuel."
New Living Translation
"Where have you been?" Saul's uncle asked him and his servant. "We were looking for the donkeys," Saul replied, "but we couldn't find them. So we went to Samuel to ask him where they were."
New Life Bible
The brother of Saul's father said to him and his servant, "Where have you been?" And Saul said, "To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they could not be found, we went to Samuel."
New Revised Standard
Saul's uncle said to him and to the boy, "Where did you go?" And he replied, "To seek the donkeys; and when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Saul's uncle unto him, and unto his young man - Whither have ye been? And he said, To seek the asses, and, when they were nowhere, to be seen, we came unto Samuel.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Saul’s uncle said to him, and to his servant: Whither went you? They answered: To seek the asses: and not finding them, we went to Samuel.
Revised Standard Version
Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, "Where did you go?" And he said, "To seek the asses; and when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now Saul's uncle said to him and his servant, "Where did you go?" And he said, "To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they could not be found, we went to Samuel."

Contextual Overview

9 Just as Saul turned to leave Samuel, God turned Saul's life around. All these things happened that day. 10 When Saul and his servant came to Gibeath Elohim, Saul met a group of prophets. God's Spirit came on Saul with great power, and Saul prophesied with the prophets. 11 Some of the people who had known Saul before saw him prophesying with the prophets. So they asked each other, "What has happened to Kish's son? Is Saul also one of the prophets?" 12 A man living in Gibeath Elohim said, "Yes, and it seems that he is their leader." That is why this became a famous saying: "Is Saul also one of the prophets?" 13 After Saul finished prophesying, he went to the place of worship. 14 Saul's uncle asked Saul and his servant, "Where have you been?" Saul said, "We were looking for the donkeys. When we couldn't find them, we went to see Samuel." 15 Saul's uncle said, "Please tell me, what did Samuel say to you?" 16 Saul answered, "Samuel told us the donkeys were already found." He did not tell his uncle everything. Saul did not tell him what Samuel said about the kingdom.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

And he said: 1 Samuel 9:3-10

no where: 2 Kings 5:25

Cross-References

Deuteronomy 2:23
God did the same thing for some people from Crete. The Avvites lived in the towns around Gaza, but the Cretans destroyed them, took the land, and live there now.)
1 Chronicles 1:12
Pathrus, Casluh, and Caphtor. (The Philistines came from Casluh.)
Isaiah 11:11
At that time the Lord will again reach out and take his people who are left in countries like Assyria, North Egypt, South Egypt, Ethiopia, Elam, Babylonia, Hamath, and other faraway countries around the world.
Jeremiah 44:1
Jeremiah received a message from the Lord for all the people of Judah living in Egypt. The message was for the people of Judah living in the towns of Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and southern Egypt. This was the message:
Jeremiah 47:4
because the time has come to destroy all the Philistines. The time has come to destroy Tyre and Sidon's remaining helpers. The Lord will destroy the Philistines, the survivors from the Island of Crete.
Amos 9:7
This is what the Lord says: "Israel, you are like the Ethiopians to me. I brought Israel out of the land of Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Arameans from Kir."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Saul's uncle said unto him, and to his servant, whither went ye?.... Since they had been absent so long a time. This was his father's brother, as the Targum, and so Aquila; whose name was Ner, the father of Abner, 1 Samuel 14:50 who met with him at the high place, or found him in the city, in his father's house it may be. Josephus g says, Saul went into the house of his kinsman Abner, whom he loved above all his relations, and that it was he that discoursed with Saul, and asked him, the questions before and after related:

and he said, to seek the asses: he first observes the end of their going, the business they went upon, in which not succeeding, then he answers more directly to the question:

and when we saw that [they were] nowhere; could not see them, nor find them any where, or hear of them where they went:

we came to Samuel; at Ramah, to inquire of him, if he could direct us which way to go, and what methods to take, to find the asses.

g Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 4.) sect. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

From the order of the narrative, and the mention of Saul’s servant, it looks as if Saul found his uncle at the high place. Perhaps some solemnity similar to that mentioned in 1 Samuel 9:19 was going on at this time, in which the prophets had been taking part.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 10:14. Saul's uncle — The word דוד dod signifies a beloved one, love, a lover, friend, c. and is the same as David. It is supposed to mean uncle here; but I think it means some familiar friend.


 
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