1 Samuel 10:27

Children of Belial. Or, “worthless fellows” (RSV; see on ch. 2:12). It was only to be expected that Saul, a member of the smallest tribe in Israel, would encounter two classes of people, those “whose hearts God had touched” (v. 26) and who seemed willing to follow God’s leading, and others — perhaps including some of the very elders who had come from Judah, the largest tribe, to petition a king — who felt they had been slighted and therefore refused allegiance (see PP 612). The same situation developed when God commanded Moses to substitute the Levites for the first-born of all the tribes, so confining the priestly office to the sons of Aaron. At that time Korah and 250 of the princes of Israel refused to follow God’s leading, and blamed Moses for placing his own family in office. The very fact that Saul took this rejection of his authority so patiently, and made no effort to maintain his right to the throne by force, is the best of evidence that God had touched his heart and was imparting to him wisdom requisite to kingship.