1 Samuel

1 Samuel 9:3–5

3One day the donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants and go look for the donkeys.”

4So Saul passed through the hill country of Ephraim and then through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find the donkeys. He and the servant went through the region of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they went through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not find them.

5When they reached the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, “Come, let us go back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”

Read all of 1 Samuel 9

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Samuel 9:3

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
One day the donkeysהָאֲתֹנ֔וֹתhā·’ă·ṯō·nō·wṯArticle; Noun - feminine pluralH860 she-ass
of Saul’sשָׁא֑וּלšā·’ūlNoun - proper - masculine singularH7586 Shaul
fatherאֲבִ֣י’ă·ḇîNoun - masculine singular constructH1 father
Kishלְקִ֖ישׁlə·qîšPreposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singularH7027 Kish
wandered offוַתֹּאבַ֙דְנָה֙wat·tō·ḇaḏ·nāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine pluralH6 perish
and Kishקִ֜ישׁqîšNoun - proper - masculine singularH7027 Kish
saidוַיֹּ֨אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
toאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
his sonבְּנ֗וֹbə·nōwNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH1121 son
Saulשָׁא֣וּלšā·’ūlNoun - proper - masculine singularH7586 Shaul
Takeקַח־qaḥ-Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH3947 take
oneאַחַ֣ד’a·ḥaḏNumber - masculine singularH259 one
of the servantsמֵֽהַנְּעָרִ֔יםmê·han·nə·‘ā·rîmPreposition-m, Article; Noun - masculine pluralH5288 a shaking, scattering
and goלֵ֔ךְlêḵVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH1980 go, come, walk
look forבַּקֵּ֖שׁbaq·qêšVerb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singularH1245 seek
the donkeysהָאֲתֹנֹֽת׃hā·’ă·ṯō·nōṯArticle; Noun - feminine pluralH860 she-ass

1 Samuel 9:4

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Soוַיַּעֲבֹ֧רway·ya·‘ă·ḇōrConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
through the hill countryבְּהַר־bə·har-Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular constructH2022 mountain, hill, hill-country
of Ephraimאֶפְרַ֛יִם’ep̄·ra·yimNoun - proper - masculine singularH669 Ephraim
and then through the landבְּאֶֽרֶץ־bə·’e·reṣ-Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular constructH776 earth, land
of Shalishahשָׁלִ֖שָׁהšā·li·šāhNoun - proper - feminine singularH8031 Shalishah
but they did notוְלֹ֣אwə·lōConjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
findמָצָ֑אוּmā·ṣā·’ūVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralH4672 attain to, find
wentוַיַּעֲבֹ֥רway·ya·‘ă·ḇōrConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
through the regionבְאֶֽרֶץ־ḇə·’e·reṣ-Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular constructH776 earth, land
of Shaalimשַׁעֲלִים֙ša·‘ă·lîmNoun - proper - feminine singularH8171 Shaalim
butוָאַ֔יִןwā·’a·yinConjunctive waw; AdverbH369 nothing, nought
Then they wentוַיַּעַבְר֤וּway·ya·‘aḇ·rūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
through the landבְּאֶֽרֶץ־bə·’e·reṣ-Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular constructH776 earth, land
of Benjaminיְמִינִ֖יyə·mî·nîNoun - proper - masculine singularH3227 right
and still they did notוְלֹ֥אwə·lōConjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
find themמָצָֽאוּ׃mā·ṣā·’ūVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralH4672 attain to, find

1 Samuel 9:5

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
When theyהֵ֗מָּהhêm·māhPronoun - third person masculine pluralH1992 they, them
reachedבָּ֚אוּbā·’ūVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralH935 come in, come, go in, go
the landבְּאֶ֣רֶץbə·’e·reṣPreposition-b; Noun - feminine singular constructH776 earth, land
of Zuphצ֔וּףṣūp̄Noun - proper - feminine singularH6689 Tsuph, Tsophai, Tsiph
Saulוְשָׁא֥וּלwə·šā·’ūlConjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singularH7586 Shaul
saidאָמַ֛ר’ā·marVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
to his servantלְנַעֲר֥וֹlə·na·‘ă·rōwPreposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH5288 a shaking, scattering
Comeלְכָ֣הlə·ḵāhVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; third person feminine singularH1980 go, come, walk
let us go backוְנָשׁ֑וּבָהwə·nā·šū·ḇāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common pluralH7725 turn back, return
orפֶּן־pen-ConjunctionH6435 lest
my fatherאָבִ֛י’ā·ḇîNoun - masculine singular construct; first person common singularH1 father
will stopיֶחְדַּ֥לyeḥ·dalVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH2308 cease
aboutמִן־min-PrepositionH4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
the donkeysהָאֲתֹנ֖וֹתhā·’ă·ṯō·nō·wṯArticle; Noun - feminine pluralH860 she-ass
and start worryingוְדָ֥אַגwə·ḏā·’aḡConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularH1672 be anxious, concerned, fear
about usלָֽנוּ׃lā·nūPreposition; first person common plural

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

1 Samuel 9:3 Judges 10:4 · Judges 5:10

1 Samuel 9:4 2 Kings 4:42 · Joshua 24:33

1 Samuel 9:5 1 Samuel 10:2 · 1 Samuel 1:1 · Luke 12:11

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.