Commentaria in I Regum (I Samuelis)
Chapter 10. Synopsis of the Chapter
Samuel secretly anoints Saul as king, and confirms that he does this by God’s command by a threefold sign given to Saul. First, the finding of the asses. Second, of three men going to Bethel. Third, of a choir of Prophets, with whom Saul also, moved by the Spirit of God, prophesies. Then, verse 17, Samuel openly at Maspha before all the people designates Saul by lot as king chosen by God.
1. Then Samuel took a little vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said: Behold the Lord hath anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance, and thou shalt deliver his people out of the hands of their enemies, that are round about them. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that God hath anointed thee to be prince. 2. When thou shalt depart from me this day, thou shalt find two men by the sepulchre of Rachel, in the borders of Benjamin, in the south, and they will say to thee: The asses are found which thou wentest to seek; and thy father hath left the asses, and is solicitous for you, and saith: What shall I do for my son? 3. And when thou shalt depart thence, and go further on, and shalt come to the oak of Thabor, there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine. 4. And when they have saluted thee, they will give thee two loaves, and thou shalt take them at their hand. 5. After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines, and when thou art come thither into the city, thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place, with a psaltery, and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp before them, and they prophesying. 6. And the Spirit of the Lord shall come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be changed into another man. 7. When therefore these signs shall happen to thee, do whatsoever thy hand shall find, for the Lord is with thee. 8. And thou shalt go down before me to Galgal (for I will come down to thee) to offer an oblation, and sacrifice victims of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou wait, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou art to do. 9. Accordingly when he had turned his shoulder to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart, and all these signs came to pass that day. 10. And they came to the aforesaid hill, and behold a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he prophesied in the midst of them. 11. And all that knew him yesterday and the day before, seeing that he was with the prophets, and prophesied, said one to another: What is this that hath happened to the son of Cis? Is Saul also among the prophets? 12. And one answered another, saying: And who is their father? Therefore it was turned into a proverb: Is Saul also among the prophets? 13. And he ceased to prophesy, and came to the high place. 14. And Saul’s uncle said to him, and to his servant: Whither went you? And they answered: To seek the asses; which when we could not find, we came to Samuel. 15. And his uncle said to him: Tell me what Samuel said to thee. 16. And Saul said to his uncle: He told us that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, which Samuel had spoken to him, he told him not. 17. And Samuel called together the people to the Lord in Maspha; 18. and said to the children of Israel: Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kings that afflicted you. 19. But you have this day cast away your God, who only hath saved you out of all your evils and tribulations; and you have said: Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore stand before the Lord by your tribes, and by your families. 20. And Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel, and the lot fell upon the tribe of Benjamin. 21. And he brought the tribe of Benjamin and the kindreds thereof, and the lot fell upon the kindred of Metri; and it came to Saul the son of Cis. They sought him therefore, and he was not found. 22. And after this they consulted the Lord whether he would come thither. And the Lord answered: Behold he hath hid himself at home. 23. They ran therefore and fetched him thence; and he stood in the midst of the people, and he was higher than any of the people from the shoulders and upward. 24. And Samuel said to all the people: Surely you see him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people. And all the people cried, and said: God save the king. 25. And Samuel told the people the law of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord; and Samuel dismissed all the people, every man to his house. 26. Saul also went to his house in Gabaa; and there went with him part of the army, whose hearts God had touched. 27. 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 if he heard not.
1. THEN SAMUEL TOOK A LITTLE VIAL OF OIL, AND POURED IT UPON HIS HEAD.—This is the first king of Israel who is consecrated by unction: for among the Gentiles anointing was already in use, as is gathered from that of Judges 9:8, “The trees went to anoint a king over them.” So Cyrus is called Christ, that is, anointed, Isa. 45:1. This anointing was ordinarily done by the High Priest; sometimes, however, by a Prophet, as here. The causes why they were anointed were various. The first, that the supreme dignity of the king in temporal things might be signified, as of the High Priest in spiritual. For for this reason he was anointed, says Abulensis. Hear St. Cyprian (or whoever the Author is) On the Cardinal Works of Christ, tract On the Chrism: “As oil floats and is borne above any liquids,” he says, “so the excellence of the priestly and royal dignity, containing all things under itself according to the form of God and of Christ, obtains the government and protection of the active as well as the contemplative life.” The second, that it might be signified that new strength and spirit is poured by God into the new king, to hold the people of God in his true worship, and to defend them against unbelievers.
The third, that they might admonish kings to exercise gentleness, kindness, clemency, mercy, charity and beneficence toward their subjects (of which oil is the symbol). So St. Gregory: “Oil,” he says, “is borne above other liquids: oil fosters fire; oil is wont to heal wounds. Let the head of the king, therefore, be anointed, because the mind of the Doctor is to be filled with spiritual grace. Let him have oil in his anointing: let him have abundant mercy, which is set before other virtues. Let him have oil, that while he nourishes in himself the ardor of the Holy Spirit, he may shine vehemently to others through the word. Let him have the oil of medicine, that he may wisely arrange how he is to wipe away the stench of sinners and restore sick minds to health.” So St. Gregory, tropologically adapting to the Doctor what is said literally of the king.
The fourth, that it might be a type of Christ, who is the supreme priest, king and prophet; for Christ was anointed by God with the oil of grace, both habitual, most copious, and of the hypostatic union, which is in itself most eminent. Wherefore anointed kings are called in Scripture “holy,” nay “Christs” or “anointed.”
Hence this custom has been derived to Christians, that their Emperors and Kings are anointed, nay it is ordained by Canon law, as is clear from the chapter Venerabilem, Extra, on election, and the chapter Cum venissent, Extra, on sacred unction, which custom God confirmed by a miracle. For when St. Remigius anointed Clovis as king of France, a dove brought from heaven a vial of oil, with which he anointed him; which is still preserved at Rheims, and hence the kings of France, anointed by God, obtain the power of curing scrofula, or the king’s evil, as the writers of French affairs assert, and those who were present and saw it testify.
Furthermore these ceremonies were used among the Hebrews in the anointing of a king not by law but by custom, says Serarius: “First, the king to be inaugurated was placed on a throne. Second, he was adorned with a diadem, 2 Paral. 23; 4 Kings 11. Third, he was anointed. Fourth, the book of the law, that is, Deuteronomy, was given into his hands. Fifth, they swore to its observance. Sixth, sacrifices of every kind were made, 3 Kings 10, and here below chap. 11, as in Herodian, book 2. Seventh, various signs of joy and approval were given, 3 Kings
A LITTLE VIAL OF OIL.—With the sacred oil the High Priests were anointed; kings, however, now with sacred oil, as when they were anointed by the High Priest; now with common oil, as when by some Prophet. Whether Saul was anointed by him with sacred oil taken from the tabernacle, or with common, is uncertain. The Hebrews, as Vatablus testifies, hand down that only kings descending from Juda and David were anointed with sacred oil: Saul, however, with common, because he was to be reprobated.