Saul

[ sawl ]

noun

1. the first king of Israel. 1 Samuel 9.
2. Also called Saul of Tar·sus [sawl, uhv , tahr, -s, uh, s]. the original name of the apostle Paul. Acts 9:1–30; 22:3.
3. a male given name.

Saul

/ sɔːl /

noun

1. Old Testament the first king of Israel (?1020–1000 bc ). He led Israel successfully against the Philistines, but was in continual conflict with the high priest Samuel. He became afflicted with madness and died by his own hand; succeeded by David
2. New Testament the name borne by Paul prior to his conversion (Acts 9: 1–30)

Saul

1. The first king of Israel , who battled repeatedly with the Philistines . He often felt great despair, which was soothed by David playing his harp. Saul later became jealous of David and tried to have him killed in battle. After a prophesied defeat by the Philistines, Saul killed himself.

Notes

Saul was also the Apostle Paul 's original name.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Saul¹

From Late Latin Saul, from Greek Saoúl, from Hebrew Shāʾūl “asked for (from God)”

Example Sentences

Mr Saul said the bombing “obliterates the distinction between civilian objects and military objectives” and “opens the door to ‘total war’ against civilian populations”.

From BBC

Saul Faust, professor of paediatric immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Southampton, said norovirus "placed a huge burden on healthcare systems".

From BBC

George Saul was a smiling, friendly figure, who did not insist on formalities.

From BBC

The Saul Goodman Award for Emmy futility “Better Call Saul” earned — and I mean earned — 53 Emmy nominations over its six seasons but never won a single prize.

From Los Angeles Times

"In this case, the surface message isn't very good. It's not very acceptable either, and it looks pretty darn racist. And the hidden message is even worse," Saul told Salon.

From Salon