Kish

The father of Saul, the first king of Israel (I Sam. ix. 3, xii. 21, xiv. 51; I Chron. ix. 39, xii. 1, xxvi. 28). He was a wealthy and powerful Benjamite, the son of Ner (I Chron. viii. 33, ix. 39) and the grandson (I Sam. ix. 1 reads "son") of Abiel. The home of Kish and of his family was at Gibeah, according to I Sam. x. 5, 10 (rendered "the hill of God" and "the hill" in the English versions), but according to II Sam. xxi. 14, at Zelah, where the bones of Saul and Jonathan were buried "in the sepulcher of Kish." The text is no doubt corrupt. The only incident mentioned respecting Kish is that he sent Saul in search of some of his asses (I Sam. ix. 3). In the New Testament (Acts xiii. 21) Kish is called "Cis."

E. G. H. B. P.