Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him — Samuel performs the ritual of anointing (māshaḥ), pouring oil from a flask (pach) upon Saul's head. The act is sacramental, setting Saul apart for a sacred office. Samuel's kiss (nāshak) confirms the covenant relationship and conveys blessing and affection. The oil represents the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, which will now rest upon Saul as God's anointed. This private anointing (in contrast to the later public selection at Mizpah in v. 24) reveals that Saul's kingship is grounded in divine election, not mere popular acclaim. The intimacy of the scene—the prophet and the young man, the oil and the kiss—marks a threshold moment of transformation. and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance? — Samuel's question confirms what the oil signifies: Saul is now anointed (māshīaḥ, anointed one, messiah) as 'captain' (nāgīd, ruler/prince) over God's inheritance (naḥalah), Israel itself. The word 'inheritance' emphasizes that Israel belongs to the LORD, and Saul rules as God's representative and agent, not as an independent sovereign.

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