18 And Saul draweth nigh to Samuel in the midst of the gate, and saith, 'Declare, I pray thee, to me, where 'is' this—the seer's house?' 19 And Samuel answereth Saul and saith, 'I 'am' the seer; go up before me into the high place, and ye have eaten with me to-day, and I have sent thee away in the morning, and all that 'is' in thy heart I declare to thee. 20 As to the asses which are lost to thee this day three days, set not thy heart to them, for they have been found; and to whom 'is' all the desire of Israel?' is it not to thee and to all thy father's house?' 21 And Saul answereth and saith, 'Am not I a Benjamite—of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? and why hast thou spoken unto me according to this word?' 22 And Samuel taketh Saul, and his young man, and bringeth them in to the chamber, and giveth to them a place at the head of those called; and they 'are' about thirty men. 23 And Samuel saith to the cook, 'Give the portion which I gave to thee, of which I said unto thee, 'Set it by thee?' 24 (and the cook lifteth up the leg, and that which 'is' on it, and setteth before Saul), and he saith, 'Lo, that which is left; set 'it' before thee—eat, for to this appointed season it is kept for thee, saying, The people I have called;' and Saul eateth with Samuel on that day. 25 And they come down from the high place to the city, and he speaketh with Saul on the roof. 26 And they rise early, and it cometh to pass, at the ascending of the dawn, that Samuel calleth unto Saul, on the roof, saying, 'Rise, and I send thee away;' and Saul riseth, and they go out, both of them—he and Samuel, without. 27 They are going down in the extremity of the city, and Samuel hath said unto Saul, 'Say to the young man that he pass on before us (and he passeth on), and thou, stand at this time, and I cause thee to hear the word of God.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Samuel 9:18-27
Commentary on 1 Samuel 9:18-27
(Read 1 Samuel 9:18-27)
Samuel, that good prophet, was so far from envying Saul, or bearing him any ill-will, that he was the first and most forward to do him honour. Both that evening and early the next morning, Samuel communed with Saul upon the flat roof of the house. We may suppose Samuel now convinced Saul that he was the person God had fixed upon for the government, and of his own willingness to resign. How different are the purposes of the Lord for us, from our intentions for ourselves! Perhaps Saul was the only one who ever went out to seek asses, and literally found a kingdom; but many have set out and moved their dwellings to seek riches and pleasures, who have been guided to places where they found salvation for their souls. Thus they have met with those who addressed them as if aware of the secrets of their lives and hearts, and have been led seriously to regard the word of the Lord. If this has been our case, though our worldly plans have not prospered, let us not care for that; the Lord has given us, or has prepared us for, what is far better.