1 Samuel 10:27
New International Version
But some scoundrels said, “How can this fellow save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.

New Living Translation
But there were some scoundrels who complained, “How can this man save us?” And they scorned him and refused to bring him gifts. But Saul ignored them. [Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the people of Gad and Reuben who lived east of the Jordan River. He gouged out the right eye of each of the Israelites living there, and he didn’t allow anyone to come and rescue them. In fact, of all the Israelites east of the Jordan, there wasn’t a single one whose right eye Nahash had not gouged out. But there were 7,000 men who had escaped from the Ammonites, and they had settled in Jabesh-gilead.]

English Standard Version
But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man save us?” And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace.

Berean Standard Bible
But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.

King James Bible
But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

New King James Version
But some rebels said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

New American Standard Bible
But certain useless men said, “How can this one save us?” And they despised him and did not bring him a gift. But he kept silent about it.

NASB 1995
But certain worthless men said, “How can this one deliver us?” And they despised him and did not bring him any present. But he kept silent.

NASB 1977
But certain worthless men said, “How can this one deliver us?” And they despised him and did not bring him any present. But he kept silent.

Legacy Standard Bible
But certain vile men said, “How can this one save us?” And they despised him and did not bring him any present. But he kept silent.

Amplified Bible
But some worthless men said, “How can this man save and rescue us?” And they regarded Saul with contempt and did not bring him a gift. But he ignored the insult and kept silent.

Christian Standard Bible
But some wicked men said, “How can this guy save us? ” They despised him and did not bring him a gift, but Saul said nothing.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But some wicked men said, “How can this guy save us?” They despised him and did not bring him a gift, but Saul said nothing.

American Standard Version
But certain worthless fellows said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the children of sin were saying: “By what will this one save us?” And they despised him and they brought him no gifts, and he was silent

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But evil men said, Who is this man that shall save us? and they despised him, and brought him no gifts.

Contemporary English Version
But some worthless fools said, "How can someone like Saul rescue us from our enemies?" They did not want Saul to be their king, and so they didn't bring him any gifts. But Saul kept calm.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But the children of Belial said: Shall this fellow be able to save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents, but he dissembled as though he heard not.

English Revised Version
But certain sons of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
However, some good-for-nothing people asked, "How can this man save us?" They despised him and wouldn't bring him presents, but he didn't respond.

Good News Translation
But some worthless people said, "How can this fellow do us any good?" They despised Saul and did not bring him any gifts.

International Standard Version
But some troublemakers said, "How can this man deliver us?" They despised him and did not bring him a gift. But Saul remained silent. [28] Meanwhile, Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been severely oppressing the descendants of Gad and descendants of Reuben, gouging out their right eyes and not allowing Israel to have a deliverer. No one was left among the Israelis across the Jordan whose right eye Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had not gouged out. However, 7,000 men had escaped from the Ammonites and entered Jabesh-gilead.

JPS Tanakh 1917
But certain base fellows said: 'How shall this man save us?' And they despised him, and brought him no present. But he was as one that held his peace.

Literal Standard Version
and the sons of worthlessness have said, “How can this one save us?” And they despise him, and have not brought a present to him; and he is as one being deaf.

Majority Standard Bible
But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.

New American Bible
But some worthless people said, “How can this fellow save us?” They despised him and brought him no tribute.

NET Bible
But some wicked men said, "How can this man save us?" They despised him and did not even bring him a gift. But Saul said nothing about it.

New Revised Standard Version
But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man save us?” They despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace. Now Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the Gadites and the Reubenites. He would gouge out the right eye of each of them and would not grant Israel a deliverer. No one was left of the Israelites across the Jordan whose right eye Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had not gouged out. But there were seven thousand men who had escaped from the Ammonites and had entered Jabesh-gilead.

New Heart English Bible
But certain worthless fellows said, "How shall this man save us?" So they despised him, and brought him no present. Now Nahash, king of the Ammonites, was severely oppressing the Gadites and the Reubenites. He put out the right eye of all of them, and he would not allow anyone to rescue Israel. Not one was left of the children of Israel beyond the Jordan whose right eye Nahash, king of the Ammonites, did not put out, except for seven thousand men who had escaped from the Ammonites and went to Jabesh Gilead.

Webster's Bible Translation
But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

World English Bible
But certain worthless fellows said, “How could this man save us?” They despised him, and brought him no tribute. But he held his peace.

Young's Literal Translation
and the sons of worthlessness have said, 'What! this one doth save us!' and they despise him, and have not brought to him a present; and he is as one deaf.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Saul Proclaimed King
26Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, and the men of valor whose hearts God had touched went with him. 27But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.

Cross References
Deuteronomy 13:13
that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods" (which you have not known),

1 Samuel 11:12
Then the people said to Samuel, "Who said that Saul should not reign over us? Bring those men here so we can kill them!"

1 Samuel 11:13
But Saul ordered, "No one shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel."

1 Samuel 16:20
And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat, and sent them to Saul with his son David.

1 Samuel 25:17
Now consider carefully what you must do, because disaster looms over our master and all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that nobody can speak to him!"

1 Kings 10:25
Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

2 Chronicles 17:5
So the LORD established the kingdom in his hand, and all Judah brought him tribute, so that he had an abundance of riches and honor.


Treasury of Scripture

But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought no presents. But he held his peace.

children

1 Samuel 2:12
Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

1 Samuel 11:12
And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.

Deuteronomy 13:13
Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;

brought him

2 Samuel 8:2
And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts.

1 Kings 4:21
And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

1 Kings 10:25
And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

he held his peace.

Psalm 38:13
But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.

Isaiah 36:21
But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

Matthew 27:12-14
And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing…

Jump to Previous
Base Belial Children Deaf Deliver Despise Despised Held Kept Peace Persons Present Presents Respect Save Saviour Silent Worthless Worthlessness
Jump to Next
Base Belial Children Deaf Deliver Despise Despised Held Kept Peace Persons Present Presents Respect Save Saviour Silent Worthless Worthlessness
1 Samuel 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














(27) The children of Belial.--More accurately, worthless men. (See Note on 1Samuel 2:12.)

And they despised him.--As above suggested, these malcontents were probably princes and leading men of the great tribes of Judah and Ephraim, displeased that the new king should be selected from the small unimportant tribe of Benjamin. It will be remembered that the tribe of Benjamin had been almost entirely destroyed in the civil war related in the concluding chapters of Judges. "They despised him," because in no way had he made his mark, either in the arts of war or peace. From what has gone before (see 1Samuel 10:11-12 of this 1Sam) it is evident that Saul was a man of no special culture; his early years had been spent in agriculture and work on his father's lands in the neighbourhood of Gibeah.

And brought him no presents.--These gifts were, in the East, the token of submission and homage; not to offer them to Saul was almost the same thing as to ignore his authority. Although not stated, it is clear that these malcontents were among the chiefs of the greater tribes who had assisted at the election.

But he held his peace.--Literally, he was a deaf man, acting as though he had not heard the murmurs. This prudent conduct showed great self-control and self-denial on the part of the new king and his counsellors.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But some worthless
בְלִיַּ֣עַל (ḇə·lî·ya·‘al)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1100: Without profit, worthlessness, destruction, wickedness

men
וּבְנֵ֧י (ū·ḇə·nê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

said,
אָמְר֗וּ (’ā·mə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“How
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

can this [man]
זֶ֔ה (zeh)
Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

deliver us?”
יֹּשִׁעֵ֙נוּ֙ (yō·ši·‘ê·nū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common plural
Strong's 3467: To be open, wide, free, to be safe, to free, succor

So they despised him
וַיִּבְזֻ֕הוּ (way·yiḇ·zu·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine singular
Strong's 959: To disesteem

and brought
הֵבִ֥יאוּ (hê·ḇî·’ū)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

him
ל֖וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

no
וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

gifts;
מִנְחָ֑ה (min·ḥāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4503: A donation, tribute, a sacrificial offering

but [Saul] held
וַיְהִ֖י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

his peace.
כְּמַחֲרִֽישׁ׃ (kə·ma·ḥă·rîš)
Preposition-k | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2790: To cut in, engrave, plow, devise


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OT History: 1 Samuel 10:27 But certain worthless fellows said How shall (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 10:26
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