When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found.

1 SAMUEL 10:21KJV
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1 Samuel 10:21 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 10:21 mean?

1 Samuel 10:21 describes how, during the process of choosing Israel’s first king, the tribe of Benjamin was brought forward by families, and the family of Matri was selected. From that family, Saul son of Kish was chosen, but when people looked for him, he could not be found.

This verse takes place as Samuel is leading a public selection process to reveal whom God has chosen as king. The process narrows from the tribe (Benjamin), to the family group (Matri), to the individual (Saul). The verse ends with a note of suspense: Saul, though chosen, is not present when his name is called, setting up the next part of the story.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 10:21

  • בֶּן־קִישׁ (ben-Qish): "son of Kish." This phrase clarifies Saul’s direct family line, grounding his identity in a specific household within the tribe.
  • מַטְרִי (Matri): "Matri." This is the name of the specific family group within Benjamin, showing the detailed and orderly way the selection was made.
  • לָקַח (laqach, here tagged as "taken" H3920): Often means "to take" or "to capture." Here, it refers to the process of being chosen or selected by lot, highlighting that Saul’s selection was not by human decision but by a divinely guided process.
  • בִּקֵּשׁ (biqqesh, "sought" H1245) and נִמְצָא (nimtsa, "found" H4672): These words stress the search for Saul and the fact that he was not immediately present, adding drama and raising questions about his readiness or willingness.

Why 1 Samuel 10:21 matters

  • This verse shows that Saul’s selection as king was not random or political, but followed a clear, step-by-step process that involved the whole community and pointed to God’s choice.
  • The detail that Saul could not be found when chosen hints at his character and foreshadows later events in his story, inviting the reader to pay attention to his actions and motivations.
  • The verse connects to the broader narrative by building suspense and setting up the next scene, where Saul’s absence must be explained and resolved.

Where else these words appear

“Kish” Hebrew H7027 · used in 17 verses

  • 1 Samuel 9:1 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
  • 1 Chronicles 8:30 And his firstborn son Abdon, and Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Nadab,
  • 1 Chronicles 23:21 The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and Kish.

“taken” Hebrew H3920 · used in 112 verses

  • Numbers 21:32 And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.
  • Judges 9:45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
  • Proverbs 5:22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.