1 Samuel 9:25 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

When they were come down from the high place, &c.— The Vulgate adds at the close of this verse, and Saul prepared him a bed on the top of the house and slept; which Houbigant approves. We refer to his note. He renders the whole thus: Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house, and Saul prepared him a bed there and slept; 1 Samuel 9:26. Then about the spring of the day, Samuel called Saul at the top of the house, saying, Arise, &c. Houbigant's criticism is justified by the following remark: At Aleppo, says the author of the Observations, they sleep in the summer on the tops of houses, and they do the same in Judea. Thus Egmont and Heyman inform us, that at Caipha, at the foot of mount Carmel, the houses are small and have flat roofs, where, during the summer, the inhabitants sleep in arbours made of the boughs of trees. They also mention tents of rushes on the terraces of the houses at Tiberias, which are doubtless for the same purpose, though they do not say so. Dr. Pococke in like manner tells us, that when he was at Tiberias in Galilee, he was entertained by the sheik's steward, the sheik himself having much company with him, but sending him provisions from his own kitchen; and that they supped on the top of the house for coolness, according to their custom, and lodged there likewise, in a sort of closet about eight feet square, of wicker-work, plaistered round towards the bottom, but without any door, each person having his cell. In Galilee then, we find, they lodged a stranger whom they treated with respect on the top of the house, and even caused him to sup there. This may, perhaps, lead us to the true explanation of the present passage; which tells us, that Samuel conversed with Saul on the house-top, and that at the spring of the day Samuel called Saul to the house-top, or, as it may be equally well translated, on the house-top (see Noldius); that is, Samuel conversed with him for coolness on the house-top in the evening, and in the morning called Saul, who lodged there all night, and was not stirring; saying, Up, that I may send thee away. The LXX seem to have understood it very much in this light; for they thus translate the passage: and they spread a bed for Saul on the housetop, and he slept; which shews how agreeable this explanation is to those who are acquainted with eastern customs. See Observations, p. 92.