Kish
Pronounced KISH
- Meaning
- "Bow; Power; Snare"
- Origin
- Hebrew
Kish means "bow" or "power" in Hebrew. He was a wealthy Benjamite, the father of King Saul — Israel's first monarch. His search for lost donkeys inadvertently led to the anointing of Israel's first king. When Kish's donkeys went missing, he sent his son Saul to find them. This mundane errand brought Saul to the prophet Samuel at the exact moment God had revealed: "To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel." Lost donkeys became the catalyst for a monarchy. Kish was described as "a mighty man of power" — a man of wealth and standing in his tribe. His son Saul inherited his imposing stature: "from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people." The transition from Kish's prosperous farm to Saul's troubled throne illustrates how God uses ordinary circumstances to accomplish extraordinary purposes. The name Kish also appears among the Levitical musicians in David's era, demonstrating its continued use across Israelite society.
Spiritual meaning
Kish sent his son to find donkeys — and found a kingdom instead. His story teaches that God's greatest appointments often begin with life's most ordinary errands.
Related verses (KJV)
"Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, a mighty man of power. And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly."
1 Samuel 9:1-2 (KJV) →"And the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses."
1 Samuel 9:3 (KJV) →