1 Samuel 16

The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you keep grieving over Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with olive oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, because I have chosen one of his sons to be king for me."

1And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

NoteThe horn is a hollowed-out animal horn used as a flask. Pouring perfumed olive oil over someone's head was the ceremony that installed a king or a priest; the Hebrew word for a person so treated is *mashiach*, "anointed one," which comes into English as "messiah." Samuel had already told Saul, in the events of the previous chapter, that God had rejected him as king.

2Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me." The LORD said, "Take a young cow with you and say, 'I have come to offer a sacrifice to the LORD.'

2And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.

NoteA heifer is a young cow that has not yet had a calf. An animal sacrifice was not only a killing but a meal: part was burned, and the rest was eaten by the worshipers, which is why Jesse and his sons are invited and why nobody sits down to eat until David arrives in verse 11.

3Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the man I name to you."

3And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.

NoteTo anoint someone was to pour olive oil over them. It was the ceremony that installed a person in an office, and it marked them as set apart for it.

4Samuel did what the LORD told him and went to Bethlehem. The town leaders shook with fear when he arrived and asked, "Do you come in peace?"

4And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?

NoteBethlehem was a small town, and a visit from a prophet was as likely to mean an accusation or bad news as a blessing, hence the fear. "Do you come in peace?" is the standard question asked of any unexpected arrival, roughly "is this a friendly visit?"

5He said, "In peace. I have come to offer a sacrifice to the LORD. Make yourselves ready and clean for worship, and come with me to the sacrifice." He made Jesse and his sons ready and invited them to the sacrifice.

5And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

NoteMaking yourself ready for worship (older translations say "sanctify" or "consecrate") was a set of concrete preparations before approaching a sacrifice: washing, putting on clean clothes, and abstaining from sex for a set period. It is about ritual fitness, not moral goodness.

6When they arrived, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, "Surely the man the LORD has chosen is standing here before him."

6And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.

NoteEliab is the eldest son. In this culture the firstborn ordinarily received the largest inheritance and the leading position in the family, so he is the natural first guess.

7But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his face or how tall he is, because I have rejected him. The LORD does not see the way people see. People look at the outside, but the LORD looks at the heart."

7But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

8Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him walk past Samuel. Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either."

8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.

9Then Jesse had Shammah walk past. Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either."

9Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.

10Jesse had seven of his sons walk past Samuel in this way. Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any of these."

10Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.

11Samuel asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" Jesse said, "There is still the youngest, but he is out taking care of the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him. We will not sit down to eat until he gets here."

11And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

NoteMinding the family's sheep was the job that fell to the youngest and least important son. That David is not even called in from the field to a family sacrifice shows how little he counted in the household.

12So Jesse sent for him and brought him in. He had a reddish complexion, fine eyes, and a handsome face. The LORD said, "Get up and anoint him. This is the one."

12And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.

Note"Ruddy" translates a Hebrew word for red or reddish; it may mean a red-tinged complexion or red hair, and the text does not settle which. The phrase rendered "fine eyes" is also read by some as "a fine figure."

13So Samuel took the horn of oil and poured it on him while his brothers stood there watching. From that day on, the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully on David. Then Samuel got up and went back to Ramah.

13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

NoteThe Hebrew verb here is forceful, the Spirit "rushed" or "seized", and in this book it usually describes a sudden surge of power for a particular task rather than a settled inward state. Ramah was Samuel's home town, where he lived and judged.

14But the Spirit of the LORD left Saul, and a harmful spirit sent by the LORD tormented him.

14But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

NoteThe Hebrew word behind "evil" here (*ra'ah*) means harmful, bad, or injurious, and does not by itself imply moral wickedness; translators render it variously as "evil," "harmful," or "of distress." The text plainly says the spirit came from the LORD, and readers have disputed since antiquity what that means; the Hebrew leaves it unexplained.

15Saul's servants said to him, "Look, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you.

15And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

16Let our master give the order, and we your servants here will look for a man who plays the harp well. Then, when the harmful spirit from God comes on you, he will play, and you will feel better."

16Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.

NoteThe instrument (Hebrew *kinnor*) was a small hand-held lyre with a wooden frame and a handful of gut strings, light enough to carry and play while walking. It was not the large standing harp the English word suggests.

17Saul said to his servants, "Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me."

17And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.

18One of the servants answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who plays skillfully. He is a strong and brave fighting man, he speaks well, he is good-looking, and the LORD is with him."

18Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.

NoteThe phrase rendered "he speaks well" is literally "discerning of word/matter," and it can mean either skilled in speech or shrewd in handling affairs; the Hebrew supports both. "Mighty man of valour" is a stock phrase for a proven fighter, and sometimes also for a man of substance and standing.

19So Saul sent messengers to Jesse with this message: "Send me your son David, the one who is out with the sheep."

19Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.

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

20And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.

NoteWine was carried in a whole animal skin sewn shut, not in bottles. Arriving before a king with a gift of food and drink was ordinary etiquette, not a bribe.

21David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul loved him very much, and David became the man who carried his weapons.

21And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.

NoteThe armor-bearer carried the king's shield and weapons into battle and stayed at his side. It was a post of close personal trust, usually given to a young man being brought up in the king's household.

22Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, "Please let David stay in my service, because I am pleased with him."

22And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.

23Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take his harp and play it. Then Saul would feel relief and get better, and the harmful spirit would leave him.

23And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.