Saul

Saul, son of Kish of Benjamin, was the tallest man in Israel and was anointed king by the prophet Samuel after the elders demanded a king 'like all the nations' (1 Samuel 8-10). At Mizpah he was publicly chosen by lot. He proved himself early by rescuing Jabesh-gilead from Nahash the Ammonite (1 Samuel 11). But twice Samuel announced God's rejection of him: first at Gilgal, for offering the sacrifice himself rather than waiting for Samuel (1 Samuel 13:13-14); and second after Saul spared Agag and the best of the Amalekite spoil contrary to the LORD's command of total destruction (1 Samuel 15:23, 'Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king'). Samuel then secretly anointed David, the shepherd of Bethlehem, in Saul's stead. Saul was troubled by an evil spirit; David, brought in to play the harp, killed the Philistine champion Goliath and became Saul's son-in-law and a national hero. Jealousy drove Saul to repeatedly try to kill David, who fled to the wilderness; Saul massacred the priests of Nob who had helped him (1 Samuel 22), consulted the medium at En-dor on the eve of battle (1 Samuel 28), and died with his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua on Mount Gilboa fighting the Philistines (1 Samuel 31). His son Ish-bosheth ruled the northern tribes for two years before David's house prevailed (2 Samuel 2-4).