The Meaning of 1 Samuel 9:21 Explained

1 Samuel 9:21

KJV: And Saul answered and said, 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? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?

YLT: 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?'

Darby: And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjaminite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? and why dost thou speak such words to me?

ASV: And Saul answered and said, 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? wherefore then speakest thou to me after this manner?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Saul  answered  and said,  [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?  wherefore then speakest  thou so  to me? 

What does 1 Samuel 9:21 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 9:15-27 - The Prophet Meets The Coming King
There are some favored souls to whom God reveals His secrets, Psalms 25:14; John 15:15. Covet, above all things, that habitual nearness to God in which God may speak as a man to His friend. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him; but He reveals them by His Spirit. Even when Samuel encountered Saul in the street, Samuel's guidance by God continued, 1 Samuel 9:17. His fellowship with the Eternal was like a deep-flowing current; his meeting with Saul a leaf dropped on its surface.
The prophet did not meet the young man as a rival. The life which is lived in God's presence is so filled with His light and His love that it is not disturbed by the fickle fancies of the crowd. Samuel was quite ready to be abased and to see another exalted, if God willed it, Philippians 4:12. It is good, when we are in partnership with God, to allow Him, at the critical moment, to send the man or woman whom He has selected. "Tomorrow"¦ I will send thee a man." Such may come on quite another errand, but God will give us divine guidance and discernment, so that we may be ready to receive and welcome Him. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 9

1  Saul despairing to find his father's donkeys
6  by the counsel of his servant
11  and direction of young maidens
15  according to God's revelation
18  comes to Samuel
19  Samuel entertains Saul at the feast
25  Samuel, after secret communication, brings Saul on his way

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 9:21 mean?

And answered Saul and said [am] not in a Benjamite I of the smallest of the tribes of Israel and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin then why do you speak to me like this -
וַיַּ֨עַן שָׁא֜וּל וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֲל֨וֹא בֶן־ יְמִינִ֤י אָ֙נֹכִי֙ מִקַּטַנֵּי֙‪‬ שִׁבְטֵ֣י ؟ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּמִשְׁפַּחְתִּי֙ הַצְּעִרָ֔ה מִכָּֽל־ מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת שִׁבְטֵ֣י ؟ בִנְיָמִ֑ן וְלָ֙מָּה֙ דִּבַּ֣רְתָּ אֵלַ֔י כַּדָּבָ֖ר הַזֶּֽה ס

וַיַּ֨עַן  And  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
שָׁא֜וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הֲל֨וֹא  [am]  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יְמִינִ֤י  a  Benjamite 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֶּן־יְמִינִי 
Sense: one of the tribe of Benjamin.
מִקַּטַנֵּי֙‪‬  of  the  smallest 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: קָטָן 
Sense: young, small, insignificant, unimportant.
שִׁבְטֵ֣י  of  the  tribes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: שֵׁבֶט  
Sense: rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe.
؟ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וּמִשְׁפַּחְתִּי֙  and  my  family 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּחָה  
Sense: clan, family.
הַצְּעִרָ֔ה  the  least 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: צָעִיר  
Sense: little, insignificant, young.
מִכָּֽל־  of  all 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת  the  families 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מִשְׁפָּחָה  
Sense: clan, family.
שִׁבְטֵ֣י  of  the  tribe 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: שֵׁבֶט  
Sense: rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe.
؟ בִנְיָמִ֑ן  of  Benjamin 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בִּנְיָמִין 
Sense: Jacob’s and Rachel’s youngest son, Joseph’s full brother.
וְלָ֙מָּה֙  then  why 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
דִּבַּ֣רְתָּ  do  you  speak 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֵלַ֔י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
כַּדָּבָ֖ר  like 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַזֶּֽה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation