The Meaning of 1 Samuel 10:5 Explained

1 Samuel 10:5

KJV: After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy:

YLT: Afterwards thou dost come unto the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is, and it cometh to pass, at thy coming in thither to the city, that thou hast met a band of prophets coming down from the high place, and before them psaltery, and tabret, and pipe, and harp, and they are prophesying;

Darby: After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where are the outposts of the Philistines; and it shall come to pass, when thou comest thither, into the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with lute and tambour and pipe and harp before them; and they themselves prophesying.

ASV: After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they will be prophesying:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

After  that thou shalt come  to the hill  of God,  where [is] the garrison  of the Philistines:  and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither  to the city,  that thou shalt meet  a company  of prophets  coming down  from the high place  with a psaltery,  and a tabret,  and a pipe,  and a harp,  before  them; and they shall prophesy: 

What does 1 Samuel 10:5 Mean?

Context Summary

1Samuel 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: 1Samuel 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 10:5 mean?

After that you shall come to the hill of God where - the garrison [is] Philistines and it will come to pass when you have come there to the city that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place and before them with a stringed instrument and a tambourine and a flute and a harp and they will be prophesying
אַ֣חַר כֵּ֗ן תָּבוֹא֙ גִּבְעַ֣ת הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־ שָׁ֖ם נְצִבֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וִיהִי֩ כְבֹאֲךָ֨ שָׁ֜ם הָעִ֗יר וּפָגַעְתָּ֞ חֶ֤בֶל נְבִיאִים֙ יֹרְדִ֣ים מֵֽהַבָּמָ֔ה וְלִפְנֵיהֶ֞ם נֵ֤בֶל וְתֹף֙ וְחָלִ֣יל וְכִנּ֔וֹר וְהֵ֖מָּה מִֽתְנַבְּאִֽים

אַ֣חַר  After 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
כֵּ֗ן  that 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
תָּבוֹא֙  you  shall  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
גִּבְעַ֣ת  to  the  hill 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גִּבְעָה  
Sense: hill.
הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים  of  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֲשֶׁר־  where 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
שָׁ֖ם  - 
Parse: Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
נְצִבֵ֣י  the  garrison  [is] 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: נְצִיב  
Sense: set over, something placed, pillar, prefect, garrison, post.
פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
וִיהִי֩  and  it  will  come  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כְבֹאֲךָ֨  when  you  have  come 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הָעִ֗יר  to  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
וּפָגַעְתָּ֞  that  you  will  meet 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: פָּגַע  
Sense: to encounter, meet, reach, entreat, make intercession.
חֶ֤בֶל  a  group 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חֶבֶל 
Sense: a cord, rope, territory, band, company.
נְבִיאִים֙  of  prophets 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
יֹרְדִ֣ים  coming  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
מֵֽהַבָּמָ֔ה  from  the  high  place 
Parse: Preposition-m, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּמָה  
Sense: high place, ridge, height, bamah (technical name for cultic platform).
וְלִפְנֵיהֶ֞ם  and  before  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
נֵ֤בֶל  with  a  stringed  instrument 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root:  
Sense: a skin-bag, jar, pitcher.
וְתֹף֙  and  a  tambourine 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּתֹף 
Sense: timbrel, tambourine.
וְחָלִ֣יל  and  a  flute 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָלִיל  
Sense: pipe, flute.
וְכִנּ֔וֹר  and  a  harp 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כִּנּׄור  
Sense: lyre, harp.
וְהֵ֖מָּה  and  they 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
מִֽתְנַבְּאִֽים  will  be  prophesying 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Participle, masculine plural
Root: נָבָא  
Sense: to prophesy.