Saul answered: literally “Saul answered and said.”

Here again the question format may be inappropriate at least for the first part of Saul’s utterance. He is not asking a question in the strict sense of the word. Rather he is making a strong affirmation that he is indeed a member of the smallest tribe in Israel, the tribe of Benjamin. He also asserts that he comes from the least important family in the tribe of Benjamin.

The least of the tribes of Israel: the tribe of Benjamin was the smallest of the twelve tribes, covering an area less than 230 square kilometers (100 square miles). Regarding the translation of tribes, see the comment on 2.28.

The words family and families may be translated as “clan” and “clans” (so New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Fox).

The final question in this verse is indeed a real question and not a rhetorical one like the first two. In view of the insignificance of his tribe and clan, he sincerely wonders why Samuel spoke to him as he had.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .