Commentaire sur Samuel 1 9:7
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל לְנַעֲר֗וֹ וְהִנֵּ֣ה נֵלֵךְ֮ וּמַה־נָּבִ֣יא לָאִישׁ֒ כִּ֤י הַלֶּ֙חֶם֙ אָזַ֣ל מִכֵּלֵ֔ינוּ וּתְשׁוּרָ֥ה אֵין־לְהָבִ֖יא לְאִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים מָ֖ה אִתָּֽנוּ׃
"Mais si nous y allons, dit Saül à son serviteur, que pouvons-nous apporter à cet homme? Il n’y a plus de pain dans nos bagages, plus de présent que nous puissions offrir à l’homme de Dieu; que nous reste-t-il?"
Rashi on I Samuel
What shall we bring to the man. Targum Yonoson renders, 'If he accepts money, what shall we bring to the man?' Shaul was not familiar with Shmuel's habits and thought that he would ask for remuneration.3 It seems that in those days it was customary to bring gifts in this type of situation; as in II Melachim 4:42. They thought that perhaps Shmuel might demand some form of remuneration for his prophecies just as diviners seek gifts from those for whom they predict the future.—Radak
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Rashi on I Samuel
And [we have no] gift. Targum Yonoson renders, 'and there is nothing proper.' This is an expression of יוֹשֶׁר [=propriety]. Menachem, however, explains תְּשׁוּרָה as an expression of a tribute for the privilege of seeing a king or an important person; [תְּשׁוּרָה being] an expression related to אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ [meaning] 'I behold them,'4Bamidbar 24:17. and I agree with his explanation.5That וּתְשׁוּרָה is from the root שוּר [=to see].
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