1. 1 Samuel 9:15–16 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

Why is Saul to be anointed as prince rather than king?

1 Samuel 9:15–16 (ESV)

15 Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed to Samuel:

The Hebrew word translated by the NIV as leader can also be rendered as prince. Commentators are divided as to its meaning and use in this instance. Some say that it is a title used for a king before he begins to reign and that it originally referred to the commanders of Israel’s tribal militia.1 Others argue that it emphasizes the limited nature of Saul’s kingship seeing as it is used instead of the normal Hebrew word, melek.2 The word itself is an alternative for king, similar to English synonyms such as monarch and sovereign.3