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Kish

Both TestamentsUnited MonarchyMaleKingFather

Kish was a Benjamite, the father of Saul, who was anointed by Samuel as the first king of Israel.

Kish illustration
Kish

Biography

Kish was a prominent Benjamite from the tribe of Benjamin, the son of Abiel and father of Saul, Israel's first anointed king (1 Samuel 9:1–2). Described as a "man of standing," Kish possessed wealth and social influence within Israelite society. The narrative that introduces him centers on a seemingly mundane episode, lost donkeys, that becomes the providential occasion for his son Saul's encounter with the prophet Samuel (1 Sam. 9:3–10:1). Kish is also mentioned in Acts 13:21, where Paul recounts that God gave Israel Saul the son of Kish as king. In the genealogical records of Chronicles, Kish appears as part of the Benjamite lineage that produced royalty, tracing a family line God would use to launch Israel's monarchical era.

Significance

Kish occupies a pivotal place in salvation history as the father of Israel's first king. His family became the vehicle through which God granted Israel's request for a monarch, initiating the United Monarchy period that would ultimately lead to the Davidic covenant. The episode of the lost donkeys (1 Sam. 9) illustrates how God orchestrates ordinary circumstances to accomplish extraordinary purposes. Kish's standing as a man of means also highlights how God chose the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe, to produce a king, anticipating the divine principle that human prominence is not the basis for God's election. His legacy is inseparable from the complex story of kingship in Israel.

Verse Appearances (13)

References

  1. Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
  2. Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
  3. Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
  4. Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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Content compiled from public domain scholarship, academic sources, and verified references. Editorial standards · View all sources