The Meaning of 1 Samuel 9:5 Explained

1 Samuel 9:5

KJV: And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us.

YLT: They have come in unto the land of Zuph, and Saul hath said to his young man who is with him, 'Come, and we turn back, lest my father leave off from the asses, and hath been sorrowful for us.'

Darby: They had come to the land of Zuph when Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come and let us return; lest my father give up the asses, and be anxious about us.

ASV: When they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return, lest my father leave off caring for the asses, and be anxious for us.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[And] when they were come  to the land  of Zuph,  Saul  said  to his servant  that [was] with him, Come,  and let us return;  lest my father  leave  [caring] for the asses,  and take thought  for us. 

What does 1 Samuel 9:5 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 9:1-14 - Saul Is Led To Find Samuel
As a king was demanded by the people, one was selected to suit their taste-"a choice young man, and a goodly!" But the king after God's own heart was selected for other qualities, 1 Samuel 16:7. Saul's character lacked important elements. His ignorance about Samuel was surprising; even his servant knew better. This did not promise well for a successful reign, Daniel 11:32 b.
But how should Saul and Samuel be brought together? A succession of trifling and ordinary events prove to be the links in the divinely constructed chain. The lost the prolonged search, the fear of the effect of anxiety upon Kish, the timely suggestion of the servant and his possession of a few coins which would serve as an introduction, the greeting of the young girls on their way to the well-what accidents they seem! Nay, but they are providences! All things work together to execute God's purpose. Nothing is too trivial to be part of the divine plan. Let us follow the indications of God's will-they lead to the waiting seat, the reserved portion, and the ultimate throne. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 9

1  Saul despairing to find his father's donkeys
6  by the counsel of his servant
11  and direction of young maidens
15  according to God's revelation
18  comes to Samuel
19  Samuel entertains Saul at the feast
25  Samuel, after secret communication, brings Saul on his way

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 9:5 mean?

They when had come to the land of Zuph and Saul said to his servant who [was] with him come and let us return lest cease [caring] my father about the donkeys and become worried about us
הֵ֗מָּה בָּ֚אוּ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ צ֔וּף וְשָׁא֥וּל אָמַ֛ר לְנַעֲר֥וֹ אֲשֶׁר־ עִמּ֖וֹ לְכָ֣ה וְנָשׁ֑וּבָה פֶּן־ יֶחְדַּ֥ל אָבִ֛י מִן־ הָאֲתֹנ֖וֹת וְדָ֥אַג לָֽנוּ

בָּ֚אוּ  when  had  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בְּאֶ֣רֶץ  to  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
צ֔וּף  of  Zuph 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צוּף 
Sense: a Kohathite Levite, ancestor of Elkanah and Samuel.
וְשָׁא֥וּל  and  Saul 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
אָמַ֛ר  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לְנַעֲר֥וֹ  to  his  servant 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
אֲשֶׁר־  who  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עִמּ֖וֹ  with  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
לְכָ֣ה  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְנָשׁ֑וּבָה  and  let  us  return 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
פֶּן־  lest 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
יֶחְדַּ֥ל  cease  [caring] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָדַל 
Sense: to stop, cease, desist, forego, cease to be, leave undone, forbear.
אָבִ֛י  my  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
מִן־  about 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
הָאֲתֹנ֖וֹת  the  donkeys 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אָתֹון  
Sense: she-ass, she-donkey.
וְדָ֥אַג  and  become  worried 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּאַג  
Sense: to fear, be anxious, be concerned, be afraid, be careful.
לָֽנוּ  about  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural