| I Samuel 9:7
| And Saul said to his servant: Behold we will go: but what shall we carry to the man of God? the bread is spent in our bags: and we have no present to make to the man of God, nor any thing at all.
| What. Were they uninformed of the disinterestedness of Samuel? or did they think that he would sell his oracles? By no means. But the manners of the ancients were very different from ours, and people chose to shew their respect for God, the king, prophets, etc., by making them some present. People still never go to visit one another in Syria without something of the kind, as it would be deemed uncivil or cruel to act otherwise. See 3 Kings 14:1., and Micheas 3:11. --- Bread. They would have made a present of some. Saul received two loaves, 1 Kings 10:4. See 1 Kings 16:20. Hence we may form some idea of the beautiful simplicity of those ages. People were then forced to carry their own provisions, as there were no inns which supplied any. (Calmet) --- Present. Sportula means a little basket. (Haydock) --- But here it is taken for a present, as meat was commonly given. (Menochius) --- Cyrus sent his friends geese half eaten, from his own table, for greater distinction. (Xenophon) (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "what have we?" Syriac, "we have none of our provisions left." (Calmet)
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