Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?
Then Samuel took a vial of oil. This was the ancient (Judges 9:8) ceremony of investiture with the royal office among the Hebrews and other Eastern nations. But there were two unctions to the kingly office-the one in private by a prophet (1 Samuel 16:13), which was meant to be only a prophetic intimation of the person attaining that high dignity; the more public and formal inauguration (2 Samuel 2:4; 2 Samuel 5:3) was performed by the high priest, and perhaps with the holy oil; but that is not certain. The first of a dynasty was thus anointed, but not his heirs, unless the succession was disputed (1 Kings 1:39; 2 Kings 11:12; 2 Kings 23:30; 2 Chronicles 23:11). The import of this symbolic act is explained by Zechariah, 1 Samuel 4:1-22. The oil symbolized the Spirit of God. 'The former,' as Hengstenberg ('Christology,' 3:, p. 125) remarks, 'typified what the latter secured.'
Kissed him. This salutation, as explained by the words that accompanied it, was an act of respectful homage, a token of congratulation to the new king (Psalms 2:12).
And said ... the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance. The anointing did not constitute Saul a ruler in general, but a theocratic ruler, who was furnished by God with the requisite gifts for the discharge of his duties as His representative (see Hengstenberg, 'Christology,' 3:, p. 135).