of hidden things, I am unable to see that Saul's servant took
any really different view of Samuel's powers, though he may have
believed that he obtained them by the grace of the higher
Elohim. For when Saul fails to find his father's asses, his
servant says to him--


Behold, there is in this city a man of Elohim, and he is a man
that is held in honour; all that he saith cometh surely to pass;
now let us go thither; peradventure, he can tell us concerning
our journey whereon we go. Then said Saul to his servant, But
behold if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is
spent in our vessels and there is not a present to bring to the
man of Elohim. What have we? And the servant answered Saul again
and said, Behold I have in my hand the fourth part of a shekel
of silver: that will I give to the man of Elohim to tell us our
way. (Beforetime in Israel when a man went to inquire of Elohim,
then he said, Come and let us go to the Seer: for he that is now
called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer<8>)
(1 Sam. ix. 6-10).


In fact, when, shortly afterwards, Saul accidentally meets
Samuel, he says, "Tell me, I pray thee, where the Seer's house
is." Samuel answers, "I am the Seer." Immediately afterwards
Samuel informs Saul that the asses are found, though how he
obtained his knowledge of the fact is not stated. It will be
observed that Samuel is not spoken of here as, in any special
sense, a seer or prophet of Jahveh, but as a "man of Elohim"--
that is to say, a seer having access to the "spiritual powers,"