وَقَالَ
لَهُمۡ
نَبِيُّهُمۡ
إِنَّ
ٱللَّهَ
قَدۡ
بَعَثَ
لَكُمۡ
طَالُوتَ
مَلِكٗاۚ
قَالُوٓاْ
أَنَّىٰ
يَكُونُ
لَهُ
ٱلۡمُلۡكُ
عَلَيۡنَا
وَنَحۡنُ
أَحَقُّ
بِٱلۡمُلۡكِ
مِنۡهُ
وَلَمۡ
يُؤۡتَ
سَعَةٗ
مِّنَ
ٱلۡمَالِۚ
قَالَ
إِنَّ
ٱللَّهَ
ٱصۡطَفَىٰهُ
عَلَيۡكُمۡ
وَزَادَهُۥ
بَسۡطَةٗ
فِي
ٱلۡعِلۡمِ
وَٱلۡجِسۡمِۖ
وَٱللَّهُ
يُؤۡتِي
مُلۡكَهُۥ
مَن
يَشَآءُۚ
وَٱللَّهُ
وَٰسِعٌ
عَلِيمٞ
٢٤٧
Their prophet told them, “Allah has appointed Saul1 to be your king.” They protested, “How can he be our king when some of us are more deserving of kingship than he, and he has not been blessed with vast riches?” He replied, “Allah has chosen him over you and blessed him with knowledge and stature. Allah grants kingship to whoever He wills. And Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing.”
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
And their prophet said to them, "Indeed, Allāh has sent to you Saul as a king." They said, "How can he have kingship over us while we are more worthy of kingship than him and he has not been given any measure of wealth?" He said, "Indeed, Allāh has chosen him over you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature. And Allāh gives His sovereignty to whom He wills. And Allāh is all-Encompassing [in favor] and Knowing."
— Saheeh International
Lee Tafsir
Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
When the Israelites asked their Prophet to appoint a king over them, he appointed Talut (Saul), who was then a soldier. But, Talut was not a descendant of the house of kings among them, which was exclusively in the offspring of Yahudha (Judah). This is why they said:
أَنَّى يَكُونُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ عَ
…When the Israelites asked their Prophet to appoint a king over them, he appointed Talut (Saul), who was then a soldier. But, Talut was not a descendan
…