1 Samuel 9:21
Strong's Lexicon
Saul
שָׁא֜וּל (šā·’ūl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 7586: Saul or Shaul = 'desired' 1) a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the 1st king of Israel 2) an early king of Edom and a successor of Samlah 3) a son of Simeon 4) a Levite, son of Uzziah

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 559: 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

replied,
וַיַּ֨עַן (way·ya·‘an)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 6030: 1) to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to answer, respond to 1a2) to testify, respond as a witness 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to make answer 1b2) to be answered, receive answer 2) (Qal) to sing, utter tunefully 3) (Qal) to dwell

“Am I
אָ֙נֹכִי֙ (’ā·nō·ḵî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew 595: 1) I (first pers. sing.)

not
הֲל֨וֹא (hă·lō·w)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's Hebrew 3808: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time)

a Benjamite
יְמִינִ֤י (yə·mî·nî)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 1145: Benjamite = 'a son of the right hand' 1) one of the tribe of Benjamin

from the smallest
מִקַּטַנֵּי֙‪‬ (miq·qa·ṭan·nê)
Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine plural construct
Strong's Hebrew 6996: 1) young, small, insignificant, unimportant 1a) small 1b) insignificant 1c) young 1d) unimportant

tribe
שִׁבְטֵ֣י (šiḇ·ṭê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's Hebrew 7626: 1) rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe 1a) rod, staff 1b) shaft (of spear, dart) 1c) club (of shepherd's implement) 1d) truncheon, sceptre (mark of authority) 1e) clan, tribe

of Israel,
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 3478: Israel = 'God prevails' 1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel 2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob 2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split 2b) the name used and given to the northern kingdom consisting of the 10 tribes under Jeroboam; the southern kingdom was known as Judah 2c) the name of the nation after the return from exile

and is not my clan
וּמִשְׁפַּחְתִּי֙ (ū·miš·paḥ·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew 4940: 1) clan, family 1a) clan 1a1) family 1a2) tribe 1a3) people, nation 1b) guild 1c) species, kind 1d) aristocrats

the least
הַצְּעִרָ֔ה (haṣ·ṣə·‘i·rāh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew 6810: 1) little, insignificant, young 1a) little, insignificant 1b) insignificant, mean 1c) young, younger, youngest

of all
מִכָּֽל־ (mik·kāl)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's Hebrew 3605: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything

the clans
מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת (miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's Hebrew 4940: 1) clan, family 1a) clan 1a1) family 1a2) tribe 1a3) people, nation 1b) guild 1c) species, kind 1d) aristocrats

of Benjamin
בִנְיָמִ֑ן (ḇin·yā·min)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 1144: Benjamin = 'son of the right hand' 1) Jacob's and Rachel's youngest son, Joseph's full brother 2) son of Bilhan, great-grandson of Benjamin 3) a Benjamite, one of the sons of Harim, in the time of Ezra who had taken a strange wife 4) the tribe descended from Benjamin, the son of Jacob

So why
וְלָ֙מָּה֙ (wə·lām·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's Hebrew 4100: interr pron 1) what, how, of what kind 1a) (interrogative) 1a1) what? 1a2) of what kind 1a3) what? (rhetorical) 1a4) whatsoever, whatever, what 1b) (adverb) 1b1) how, how now 1b2) why 1b3) how! (exclamation) 1c) (with prep) 1c1) wherein?, whereby?, wherewith?, by what means? 1c2) because of what? 1c3) the like of what? 1c3a) how much?, how many?, how often? 1c3b) for how long? 1c4) for what reason?, why?, to what purpose? 1c5) until when?, how long?, upon what?, wherefore? indef pron 2) anything, aught, what may

would you say
דִּבַּ֣רְתָּ (dib·bar·tā)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 1696: 1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing 1a) (Qal) to speak 1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to speak 1c2) to promise 1d) (Pual) to be spoken 1e) (Hithpael) to speak 1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight

such a thing
כַּדָּבָ֖ר (kad·dā·ḇār)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 1697: 1) speech, word, speaking, thing 1a) speech 1b) saying, utterance 1c) word, words 1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)

הַזֶּֽה׃ (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 2088: 1) this, this one, here, which, this...that, the one...the other, another, such 1a) (alone) 1a1) this one 1a2) this...that, the one...the other, another 1b) (appos to subst) 1b1) this 1c) (as predicate) 1c1) this, such 1d) (enclitically) 1d1) then 1d2) who, whom 1d3) how now, what now 1d4) what now 1d5) wherefore now 1d6) behold here 1d7) just now 1d8) now, now already 1e) (poetry) 1e1) wherein, which, those who 1f) (with prefixes) 1f1) in this (place) here, then 1f2) on these conditions, herewith, thus provided, by, through this, for this cause, in this matter 1f3) thus and thus 1f4) as follows, things such as these, accordingly, to that effect, in like manner, thus and thus 1f5) from here, hence, on one side...on the other side 1f6) on this account 1f7) in spite of this, which, whence, how

to me ?”
אֵלַ֔י (’ê·lay)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew 413: 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Parallel Strong's
Berean Study Bible
Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of Benjamin? So why would you say such a thing to me?”

Young's Literal Translation
And Saul answereth and saith, ‘Am not I a Benjamite—of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? and why hast thou spoken unto me according to this word?’

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Saul responded, “Am I not a Benjaminite from the smallest of Israel’s tribes and isn’t my clan the least important of all the clans of the Benjaminite tribe ? So why have you said something like this to me? ”

New American Standard Bible
Saul replied, "Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me in this way?"

King James Bible
And Saul answered and said, [Am] not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?
Parallel Verses
New International Version
Saul answered, "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?"

New Living Translation
Saul replied, "But I'm only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?"

English Standard Version
Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”

New American Standard Bible
Saul replied, "Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me in this way?"

King James Bible
And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Saul responded, "Am I not a Benjaminite from the smallest of Israel's tribes and isn't my clan the least important of all the clans of the Benjaminite tribe? So why have you said something like this to me?"

International Standard Version
Saul answered: "Am I not a descendant of Benjamin from the least of the tribes of Israel? Isn't my family the least important of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why have you spoken to me like this?"

NET Bible
Saul replied, "Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel's tribes, and is not my family clan the smallest of all the tribes of Benjamin? Why do you speak to me in this way?"

American Standard Version
And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou to me after this manner?

English Revised Version
And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou to me after this manner?

Young's Literal Translation
And Saul answereth and saith, 'Am not I a Benjamite -- of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? and why hast thou spoken unto me according to this word?'
















Cross References
Judges 20:46
So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.

1 Samuel 9:22
And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons.

1 Samuel 14:51
And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

1 Samuel 15:17
And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?

1 Samuel 18:18
And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king?

Psalm 68:27
There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

1 Samuel 1:1
Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:

1 Samuel 9:20
And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house?

1 Samuel 9:19
And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart.

1 Samuel 9:18
Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is.

1 Samuel 9:23
And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee.
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