1 Samuel16

New King James Version

TranslationKJV WEB ASV ESV NIV NASB NKJV NLT

¹Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”

²And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’

³Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”

⁴So Samuel did what the Lord said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”

⁵And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!”

⁷But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

⁸So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.”

⁹Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.”

¹⁰Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.”

¹¹And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.”

¹²So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!”

¹³Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

¹⁴But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.

¹⁵And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you.

¹⁶Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”

¹⁷So Saul said to his servants, “Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.”

¹⁸Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him.”

¹⁹Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”

²⁰And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to Saul.

²¹So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer.

²²Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.”

²³And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 1 Samuel 16.

Full AI study →

Chapter Summary

In this chapter: Samuel sent to Bethlehem to Jesse. (1–5). David is anointed. (6–13). Saul troubled with an evil spirit, is quieted by David. (14–23).

vv1-5

It appears that Saul was grown very wicked. Of what would he not be guilty, who durst think to kill Samuel? The elders of Bethlehem trembled at Samuel's coming. It becomes us to stand in awe of God's messengers, and to tremble at his word. His answer was, I come peaceably, for I come to sacrifice. When our Lord Jesus came into the world, though men had reason to fear that his errand was to condemn the world, yet he gave full assurance that he came peaceably, for he came to sacrifice, and he brought his offering with him; A body hast thou prepared me. Let us sanctify ourselves, and depend upon His sacrifice.

vv6-13

It was strange that Samuel, who had been so disappointed in Saul, whose countenance and stature recommended him, should judge of another man by that rule. We can tell how men look, but God can tell what they are. He judges of men by the heart. We often form a mistaken judgment of characters; but the Lord values only the faith, fear, and love, which are planted in the heart, beyond human discernment. And God does not favour our children according to our fond partiality, but often most honours and blesses those who have been least regarded. David at length was pitched upon. He was the youngest of the sons of Jesse; his name signifies Beloved; he was a type of God's beloved Son. It should seem, David was least set by of all the sons of Jesse. But the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. His anointing was not an empty ceremony, a Divine power went with that instituted sign; he found himself advanced in wisdom and courage, with all the qualifications of a prince, though not advanced in his outward circumstances. This would satisfy him that his election was of God. The best evidence of our being predestinated to the kingdom of glory, is, our being sealed with the Spirit of promise, and experience of a work of grace in our hearts.

vv14-23

Saul is made a terror to himself. The Spirit of the Lord departed from him. If God and his grace do not rule us, sin and Satan will have possession of us. The devil, by the Divine permission, troubled and terrified Saul, by the corrupt humours of his body, and passions of his mind. He grew fretful, peevish, and discontented, and at times a madman. It is a pity that music, which may be serviceable to the good temper of the mind, should ever be abused, to support vanity and luxury, and made an occasion of drawing the heart from God and serious things. That is driving away the good Spirit, not the evil spirit. Music, diversions, company, or business, have for a time often been employed to quiet the wounded conscience; but nothing can effect a real cure but the blood of Christ, applied in faith, and the sanctifying Spirit sealing the pardon, by his holy comforts. All other plans to dispel religious melancholy are sure to add to distress, either in this world or the next.

Key Words

saidH559Hebrew

אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)

SamuelH8050Hebrew

שְׁמוּאֵל: Shemuel, the name of three Israelites

HowH4100Hebrew

מָה: properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses

longH5704Hebrew

עַד: as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)

grieveH56Hebrew

אָבַל: to bewail

SaulH7586Hebrew

שָׁאוּל: Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two Israelites

rejectedH3988Hebrew

מָאַס: to spurn; also (intransitively) to disappear

fromH4480Hebrew

מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses

kingH4427Hebrew

מָלַךְ: to reign; inceptively, to ascend the throne; causatively, to induct into royalty; hence (by implication) to take counsel

overH5921Hebrew

עַל: above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

Cross References

1 Samuel 16

v1Acts 13:22fulfillment

Paul explains God's rejection of Saul and choice of David to fulfill His will.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v1Genesis 49:10allusion

Genesis prophetic blessing assigning the kingly scepter to David's tribe of Judah.