1 Kingdoms (1 Samuel) 9:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The name Benjamin consists of two components: "son" and "right hand," with "ben" meaning "son" and "yamin" signifying "right hand." We should always bear in mind that the descendants of this tribe are referred to as the Jeminites. In the book of Kings, when discussing Saul, it is mentioned, "There was a certain man of the sons of Benjamin, his name was Kis, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeron, the son of Bechorath, the son of Athiath, the son of a certain Benjaminite." It follows that he belongs to Jemin, which identifies him with the tribe of Jemin, or in other words, the tribe of Benjamin.

Question 15: What led the author to describe Saul as a "good man"? (1 Sam. 9:2) The testimony does not refer to Saul's intellect but rather to his physical presence and stature. (1 Sam. 9:9.) This is further affirmed: among the people of Israel, there was no one more distinguished in appearance or taller than he throughout the land.

Some interpret Saul as someone who, through a secret inclination, is seen as 'seeking death'; the Jewish people, entrusting themselves to the Spirit of God and valuing the life they chose, turned to a life of indulgence and, in doing so, asked for death, which signifies ignorance rather than enlightenment to govern them. For everyone who falls away from divine love has a fleshly law governing them through sensuality and is incapable of observing or even contemplating any divine commandment.