Surah 2:247
"And their prophet said to them, ‘Surely God has raised up for you Ṭālūt as king.’ They said, ‘How can he possess the kingship over us, when we are more deserving of the kingship than him, and he has not been given abundant wealth?’ He said, ‘Surely God has chosen him (to be) over you, and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature. God gives His kingdom to whomever He pleases. God is embracing, knowing.’"
2.247 – their prophet said to them, “Surely God has raised up for you Ṭālūt as king”
Readers of the Bible will hear an echo of 1 Samuel in this passage (2.246–48). Though the name of Samuel is not given, and the name of Saul here is Ṭālūt, the story of the Sons of Israel asking for a king has a familiar ring (1 Sam. 8).
Note how the Quran uses this biblical story. When the elders of Israel asked Samuel to appoint a king in 1 Samuel 8, what was the response of Samuel – and Yahweh? According to the wider context of the Ṭālūt story (Q 2.243–53), how does the Quran use the story?
- from The Quran with Christian Commentary: A Guide to Understanding the Scripture of Islam