| I Samuel 9:16
| To-morrow about this same hour I will send thee a man of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be ruler over my people Israel: and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked down upon my people, because their cry is come to me.
| Ruler. Hebrew, Nagid, "Leader." Septuagint, "Archon." Chaldean, "King." The Israelites demanded a king, to lead them, and to fight for them; and Homer (Iliad iii.) gives this idea of the chief magistrate, "a good king and stout warrior," which Alexander so much admired. --- Philistines. They had been repressed by Samuel; but they had begun to gain the ascendancy, so as not to suffer the Israelites to have a blacksmith among them, etc. Saul gained some victories over them, and over the other enemies of his people, towards the beginning of his reign, (chap. 13.; chap 14.) (Calmet) --- To me. God threatened that he would not hear them, when they should grow weary (Haydock) of their king, 1 Kings 8:18. But he protects his people against the efforts of their foreign enemies. (Menochius) --- Oppression of the innocent cries to heaven for vengeance. (Worthington)
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