1 Samuel 9:5When they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, "Come, and let us return, lest my father stop caring about the donkeys, and be anxious for us."
The setting
Hill country of Ephraim, ~1050 BC. Saul and his servant have been searching for lost donkeys for days, wandering through tribal territories without success. Modern-day West Bank, Israel.
The emotion here: frustrated and worried about father's anxiety
The original word
da'ag (דָּאַג) — to be anxious, worried with fear about consequences
Why it matters
The land of Zuph was Samuel's ancestral territory, named after his great-grandfather
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Samuel 9:5
Saul was about to turn back just miles from meeting the prophet who would change his destiny
Common misconceptionPeople think this shows Saul was irresponsible, but he was actually being considerate of his father's worry after days of searching.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Samuel 9:5
Bible Genome reading
1 Samuel 9:5 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Samuel 9:5 comes from the book of 1 Samuel, written during the judges period. These words are attributed to Saul. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is conversational. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include concern, responsibility, family care. Notable phrases: let us return; lest my father.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does 1 Samuel 9:5 mean to you, today?
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