And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do.

1 SAMUEL 10:8KJV
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1 Samuel 10:8 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 10:8 mean?

1 Samuel 10:8 records Samuel instructing Saul to go ahead to Gilgal and wait there for seven days until Samuel arrives to offer sacrifices and give Saul further directions. Saul is told not to act until Samuel comes and shows him what to do next.

Samuel, the prophet, is speaking directly to Saul just after anointing him as Israel’s first king. The instruction is specific: Saul must wait at Gilgal for seven days, showing obedience and patience, while Samuel alone will handle the offerings and provide God’s guidance for Saul’s next steps as king.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 10:8

  • "down" (יָרַד, yarad): This word means to go down or descend. Samuel tells Saul to physically go down to Gilgal, which is lower in elevation, emphasizing a real journey.
  • "offer" (עָלָה, ‘alah) and "offerings" (עֹלָה, ‘olah): The verb and noun here refer to burnt offerings, which are sacrifices completely burned on the altar, symbolizing dedication to God.
  • "sacrifice" (זָבַח, zavach) and "sacrifices" (זֶבַח, zevach): These words refer to the act and the items of sacrifice, especially peace offerings, which were shared between God, priests, and worshippers.
  • "tarry" (יָחַל, yachal): This word means to wait or hope, stressing that Saul is to wait expectantly and patiently for Samuel’s arrival.

Why 1 Samuel 10:8 matters

  • This verse highlights Saul’s need to obey God’s instructions through Samuel, setting a pattern for the new king’s relationship with God’s prophet.
  • The command to wait at Gilgal becomes significant later, as Saul’s failure to wait leads to serious consequences and shows the importance of obedience over impatience.
  • The verse connects Saul’s kingship to proper worship practices, showing that leadership in Israel was always meant to be guided by God’s word through His appointed prophet.

Where else these words appear

“Gilgal” Hebrew H1537 · used in 39 verses

  • Deuteronomy 11:30 Are they not on the other side Jordan, by the way where the sun goeth down, in the land of the Canaanites, which dwell in the champaign over against Gilgal, beside the plains of Moreh?
  • Joshua 14:6 Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea.
  • 1 Samuel 15:21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

“tarry” Hebrew H3176 · used in 41 verses

  • Genesis 8:12 And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.
  • Psalms 33:18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
  • Psalms 119:147 I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.

“offerings” Hebrew H8002 · used in 84 verses

  • Exodus 20:24 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.
  • Leviticus 9:22 And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings.
  • Joshua 22:27 But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD.

“sacrifice” Hebrew H2076 · used in 127 verses

  • Genesis 31:54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
  • 1 Samuel 1:21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.
  • 2 Chronicles 15:11 And they offered unto the LORD the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.