Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;
Then Saul said to his servants who were standing around him, 'Listen, you men of Benjamin! Do you think David (the son of Jesse) will give each of you fields and vineyards? Do you think he'll make you all commanders over thousands and hundreds of soldiers?'
Saul is trying to turn his followers against David by appealing to their greed and fear of losing their positions of power.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during the period when Saul's jealousy toward David had reached dangerous levels, and David was living as a fugitive. Saul is speaking to his court officials, many of whom were from his own tribe of Benjamin, trying to maintain their loyalty by suggesting David would not reward them as generously as Saul had. Ancient Near Eastern kings often rewarded loyalty with land grants and military positions.
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