And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, he is before you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place:

And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, he is before thee: make haste now, for he is come today into the city; for the people have a sacrifice today in the high place:

And they answer them and say, 'He is; lo, before thee! haste, now, for to-day he hath come in to the city, for the people hath a stated sacrifice in a high place.

And they said, He is; in fact he is before you: go quickly now, for he has come into the town today, for the people are making an offering in the high place today:

They answered them, and said, 'He is. Look, he is ahead of you. Hurry now, for he has come today into the city; for the people have a sacrifice today in the high place.

And responding, they said to them: "He is. Behold, he is ahead of you. Hurry now. For he came into the city today, since there is a sacrifice for the people today, on the high place.

He came to - day to the city - Though Samuel lived chiefly in Ramah, yet he had a dwelling in the country, at a place called Naioth, where it is probable there was a school of the prophets. See 1-Samuel 19:18-24.
A sacrifice of the people - A great feast. The animals used were first sacrificed to the Lord; that is, their blood was poured out before him; and then all the people fed on the flesh. By high place probably Samuel's altar is alone meant; which no doubt was raised on an eminence.

And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, [he is] before you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city; for [there is] a (g) sacrifice of the people to day in the high place:
(g) That is, a feast after the offering, which would be kept in a high place of the city appointed for that use.

And they answered them, and said, he is,.... That is, he is in the city, at home, and to be spoken with:
behold, he is before you; his house is straight before you as you go along, you cannot miss of it. Some Jewish writers say (f) they gave a token to know it by, that there was a cloud at the door, and when they saw that, they might know it was the seer's house:
haste now, for he came today to the city; from the suburbs to it, or from his country house, or from the other Ramah, for there were two of them, one over against the other, see 1-Samuel 1:1, for that he was just now come off a circuit, is not so probable, since he was now old, and past riding his circuits; and indeed the meaning may be no more than as it may be rendered, "today he comes into the city" (g); that is, he comes out of his own house into the city, and was then just coming out; so that, if they made haste, they might meet him in the street before he got to the place of sacrifice and feasting:
for there is a sacrifice of the people today in the high place; whether it was the new moon, or some festival they observed, though the tabernacle was not there, is not certain; at which, besides the offerings required, freewill offerings and peace offerings were brought by the people, on part of which they feasted with their friends; and very probably, as Samuel was acquainted by the Lord that he who was to be king of Israel would be with him that day, he might add to the sacrifices of the people, to make the entertainment the more grand and liberal; since he had a principal concern in ordering the guests, and dividing the portions, as well as blessing the food, which indeed he might take upon him, as being judge, priest, and prophet: this was an high place where this sacrifice or feast was; for Shiloh being destroyed, and the tabernacle removed elsewhere, and that being in one place, and the ark in another, and they not together, no distinction of places was made, none being yet chosen, all were fit; and particularly high places, which were always reckoned the most proper for divine service and sacrifice.
(f) Midrash Schemuel & Pesikta apud Abarbinel in loc. (g) "venit", Pagninus, Montanus.

Came to - day to the city - He had been travelling abroad, and was now returned to his own house in Ramah. High place - Upon the hill mentioned 1-Samuel 9:11, and near the altar which Samuel built for this use.