ABSTRACT
Al-Tha’labc opens his Saul account with an unascribed commentator-led explanation of God has sent Saul to you as king (Q. 2:247), telling how the Israelites asked Samuel for a king and Saul was chosen through the motif of a staff and a horn full of oil; Saul’s name is provided in Syriac and in Hebrew; various opinions are given for his profession (tanner or water carrier), and how he came to Samuel’s attention (through the loss of his own or his father’s donkeys). Wahb’s version of Saul’s coronation is given at length, with both Saul and the Israelites (thus Q. 2:247) protesting his unworthiness, an explanation of the prevalent tribes of prophecy and kingship, followed by a brief discussion of his person with reference again to Q. 2:247 (and added comment from Ibn Kaysan).
