The Meaning of 1 Samuel 10:11 Explained

1 Samuel 10:11

KJV: And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?

YLT: And it cometh to pass, all his acquaintance heretofore, see, and lo, with prophets he hath prophesied, and the people say one unto another, 'What is this hath happened to the son of Kish? is Saul also among the prophets?'

Darby: And it came to pass, when all that knew him before saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?

ASV: And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied with the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass, when all that knew  him beforetime  saw  that, behold, he prophesied  among the prophets,  then the people  said  one  to another,  What [is] this [that] is come unto the son  of Kish?  [Is] Saul  also among the prophets? 

What does 1 Samuel 10:11 Mean?

Context Summary

1Sa 10:1-13 - Anointed With Oil And The Spirit
In the gray dawn the prophet sketched to Saul the events which were to happen on that day and succeeding days. All were made known to the designated king ere they arrived, and in each case he was to act as the occasion demanded. Thus our life-course, day by day, lies open before God. He has planned or permitted the incidents, but leaves us to will and enact the appropriate response. If we turn to Him to ask how we shall act, He will guide us with His eye; but alas, all too seldom do we turn to Him. We lean too much to our own understanding and follow "the devices and desires of our own hearts." We have been "created unto good works, which He has before ordained that we should walk in them." Instead of prying into the future, let us wait for Him to unveil it as we advance. Let us most eagerly seek the sacred anointing of the Holy Spirit at the spring of the day. His sacred unction will teach us all things that we need to know. We must have the clean, new heart created, and the right spirit renewed, 1 Samuel 10:9. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1Sa 10

1  Samuel anoints Saul
2  He confirms him by prediction of three signs
9  Saul's heart is changed, and he prophesies
14  He conceals the matter of the kingdom from his uncle
17  Saul is chosen at Mizpeh by lot
26  The different affections of his subjects

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 10:11 mean?

And when it came to pass all who knew him before now and saw that indeed among the prophets he prophesied that said the people one to another what [is] this [that] has come upon the son of Kish [Is] also Saul among the prophets
וַיְהִ֗י כָּל־ יֽוֹדְעוֹ֙ מֵאִתְּמ֣וֹל שִׁלְשׁ֔וֹם וַיִּרְא֕וּ וְהִנֵּ֥ה עִם־ נְבִאִ֖ים נִבָּ֑א וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הָעָ֜ם אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־ רֵעֵ֗הוּ מַה־ זֶּה֙ הָיָ֣ה לְבֶן־ ؟ קִ֔ישׁ הֲגַ֥ם שָׁא֖וּל ؟ בַּנְּבִיאִֽים

וַיְהִ֗י  And  when  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
יֽוֹדְעוֹ֙  who  knew  him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
מֵאִתְּמ֣וֹל  before 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: אֶתְמֹול  
Sense: yesterday, recently, formerly.
שִׁלְשׁ֔וֹם  now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: שִׁלְשֹׁום  
Sense: day before yesterday, three days ago.
וַיִּרְא֕וּ  and  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
וְהִנֵּ֥ה  that  indeed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
נְבִאִ֖ים  the  prophets 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
נִבָּ֑א  he  prophesied 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָבָא  
Sense: to prophesy.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  that  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הָעָ֜ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אִ֣ישׁ  one 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
רֵעֵ֗הוּ  another 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֵעַ  
Sense: friend, companion, fellow, another person.
מַה־  what  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
זֶּה֙  this 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
הָיָ֣ה  [that]  has  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְבֶן־  upon  the  son 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
؟ קִ֔ישׁ  of  Kish 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: קִישׁ  
Sense: a Benjamite of the family of Matri, father of king Saul.
הֲגַ֥ם  [Is]  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
שָׁא֖וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
؟ בַּנְּבִיאִֽים  among  the  prophets 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.