1 Samuel 10:24–27

And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?”

So all the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!”

Then Samuel explained to the people the behavior of royalty, and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and valiant men went with him, whose hearts God had touched. But some rebels said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

Samuel gives Saul a glowing introduction, and the people respond accordingly, but then we see the first hint of opposition.

Samuel’s description of Saul’s opponents is strikingly harsh. The Hebrew word translated as “some rebels” (בְנֵ֧י בְלִיַּ֣עַל, b-nay b-li-ya-lal) is rendered “some worthless fellows” in the ESV. It literally means “sons of worthlessness.” (b-li-ya-lal is rooted in the verb ba-lal, which means to be worn out.)

I doubt there’s a slur anywhere in English that’s this explicit. “Trailer trash” comes close, but is less precise. Samuel doesn’t hold back.

But Saul lets it slide.

Saul’s kingship is off to a great start. He’s anything but a megalomaniac. He starts off acting like he doesn’t even want the job. Then he sloughs off some rather offensive opposition.

And the opposition isn’t just to Saul; it’s to the choice of him as king. These sons of worthlessness doubt the wisdom of the choice. That an affront to God (and Samuel) as much as it’s an affront to Saul.

Thus Samuel’s slur against them isn’t surprising. These fellows have absolutely no grounds to complain about the process; they just looked at the guy chosen and announce that they doubt he can save us.

Curiously, this is an error of timing. If they had wondered earlier, “How can a king save us?” that would have been impressive. That was Samuel’s attitude back then.

But now they’re just being trouble-makers. That’s why the NKJV translates b-nay b-li-ya-lal as rebels. They’re being anything but team players.

But that adds another twist. We might initially be impressed that Saul held his peace. He’s letting their opposition roll off like water on a duck’s back. That’s often a sign of strength.

But not always; some kinds of opposition shouldn’t be ignored.

Failing to address opposition can be a critical weakness.

These Monday—Friday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. The Weekend DEEPs are written by Matt Richardson. To subscribe to all the DEEPs click here:

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.