שמואל א ט׳:כ״ב-כ״ז

בראש הקרואים. במקום מסיבת הגדולים, כי בדרך מסיבתן היה ניכר איזה מקום מיסב הגדול:

At the head of the invited guests. In the place where the important people are seated; by the manner of the seating, it was obvious in which place the most important person was seated.

אשר אמרתי אליך. לפי שידע שמואל שיבא שאול, צוה לתת לו מנה יפה לצרכו:

About which I told you. Because Shmuel knew that Shaul would come, he ordered to give him a fine portion for his benefit.¹²When the special portion that Shmuel had set aside was placed before Shaul, it publicized the honor that Shmuel as giving him.

את השוק והעליה. את השוק והירך שעליה:

The thigh with what was attached to it. The thigh and the hip above it.¹³ See Maseches Avodah Zara 25a for differing views of “what was attached to it.”

הנה הנשאר. מן המנות של הקרואים, והוצב לבד לצרכך:

Here is what remains. From the portions of the invited guests, and has been set aside for you.

שים לפניך אכול. בפרק אחרון דזבחים (קכ א): קיימא לן חזה ושוק בבמה גדולה, ואין חזה ושוק בבמה קטנה, לפיכך הותר לאכול לשאול:

Put before you and eat. In the final chapter of [Maseches] Zevochim,¹⁴ it is established that [the waving of] the breast and thigh is [performed] in a large [i.e., public] high place, [but the waving of] the breast and thigh is not [performed] in a small [i.e., private] high place. It was therefore permissible for Shaul to eat¹⁵The phrase “put before you and eat” indicates that at first Shaul hesitated to eat because it was his opinion that his portion was the kohein’s due. Shmuel therefore told him that in a private high place, the breast and thigh were neither waved nor given to the kohein. [the thigh].

כי למועד שמור. כי למועד האכילה היה השוק הזה שמור לצרכך:

For it was kept… until the appointed time. Because for the appointed time of the banquet, this thigh had been reserved for you.

לאמר העם קראתי. אמירתי היתה לטבח העם, קראתי לסעודה, ויודע אני מספרם, והזהר במנותם, ונתתי לו המנות למספרם, וזו שמורה לצורכך:

I told the [cook], I have invited the people. My statement to the cook was, 'I invited the people to the feast, and I know their number. Be careful with their portions.' And I ordered from him the number of portions accordingly, and this one was reserved for you.

וידבר עם שאול על הגג. מוכיחו ומלמדו ליראה את הקב"ה:

And he spoke with Shaul on the roof. Reproving him¹⁶Based on Maseches Makos 11a that states that using the form of וַיְדַבֵּר for describing speech indicates harshness. and teaching him to fear the Holy One, Blessed is He.

ויעבר לפנינו. וילך ברחוק ממנו, ולא ישמע את דברינו

To pass ahead of us. To go at a distance from us so that he will not hear our conversation.

ויעבר. הנער לפניהם, ולשאול אמר: ואתה עמוד עמדי:

And he went ahead. The youth went ahead of them, but to Shaul he said, 'And you stand with me.'