1 And 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.
2 And 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.
3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
4 And 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?
5 And 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.
6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD's anointed is before him.
7 But 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.
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.
9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.
10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.
11 And 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.
12 And 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.
13 Then 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.
14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.
16 Let 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.
17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.
18 Then 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.
19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.
20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.
21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favor in my sight.
23 And 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.
1 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Samuel, H8050 How long wilt thou mourn H56 for Saul, H7586 seeing I have rejected H3988 him from reigning H4427 over Israel? H3478 fill H4390 thine horn H7161 with oil, H8081 and go, H3212 I will send H7971 thee to Jesse H3448 the Bethlehemite: H1022 for I have provided H7200 me a king H4428 among his sons. H1121
2 And Samuel H8050 said, H559 How can I go? H3212 if Saul H7586 hear H8085 it, he will kill H2026 me. And the LORD H3068 said, H559 Take H3947 an heifer H1241 H5697 with thee, H3027 and say, H559 I am come H935 to sacrifice H2076 to the LORD. H3068
3 And call H7121 Jesse H3448 to the sacrifice, H2077 and I will shew H3045 thee what thou shalt do: H6213 and thou shalt anoint H4886 unto me him whom I name H559 unto thee.
4 And Samuel H8050 did H6213 that which the LORD H3068 spake, H1696 and came H935 to Bethlehem. H1035 And the elders H2205 of the town H5892 trembled H2729 at his coming, H7125 and said, H559 Comest H935 thou peaceably? H7965
5 And he said, H559 Peaceably: H7965 I am come H935 to sacrifice H2076 unto the LORD: H3068 sanctify H6942 yourselves, and come H935 with me to the sacrifice. H2077 And he sanctified H6942 Jesse H3448 and his sons, H1121 and called H7121 them to the sacrifice. H2077
6 And it came to pass, when they were come, H935 that he looked H7200 on Eliab, H446 and said, H559 Surely the LORD'S H3068 anointed H4899 is before him.
7 But the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Samuel, H8050 Look H5027 not on his countenance, H4758 or on the height H1364 of his stature; H6967 because I have refused H3988 him: for the LORD seeth not as man H120 seeth; H7200 for man H120 looketh H7200 on the outward appearance, H5869 but the LORD H3068 looketh H7200 on the heart. H3824
8 Then Jesse H3448 called H7121 Abinadab, H41 and made him pass H5674 before H6440 Samuel. H8050 And he said, H559 Neither hath the LORD H3068 chosen H977 this.
9 Then Jesse H3448 made Shammah H8048 to pass by. H5674 And he said, H559 Neither hath the LORD H3068 chosen H977 this.
10 Again, Jesse H3448 made seven H7651 of his sons H1121 to pass H5674 before H6440 Samuel. H8050 And Samuel H8050 said H559 unto Jesse, H3448 The LORD H3068 hath not chosen H977 these.
11 And Samuel H8050 said H559 unto Jesse, H3448 Are here all H8552 thy children? H5288 And he said, H559 There remaineth H7604 yet the youngest, H6996 and, behold, he keepeth H7462 the sheep. H6629 And Samuel H8050 said H559 unto Jesse, H3448 Send H7971 and fetch H3947 him: for we will not sit down H5437 till he come H935 hither. H6311
12 And he sent, H7971 and brought him in. H935 Now he was ruddy, H132 and withal H5973 of a beautiful H3303 countenance, H5869 and goodly H2896 to look to. H7210 And the LORD H3068 said, H559 Arise, H6965 anoint H4886 him: for this is he.
13 Then Samuel H8050 took H3947 the horn H7161 of oil, H8081 and anointed H4886 him in the midst H7130 of his brethren: H251 and the Spirit H7307 of the LORD H3068 came H6743 upon David H1732 from that day H3117 forward. H4605 So Samuel H8050 rose up, H6965 and went H3212 to Ramah. H7414
14 But the Spirit H7307 of the LORD H3068 departed H5493 from Saul, H7586 and an evil H7451 spirit H7307 from the LORD H3068 troubled H1204 him.
15 And Saul's H7586 servants H5650 said H559 unto him, Behold now, an evil H7451 spirit H7307 from God H430 troubleth H1204 thee.
16 Let our lord H113 now command H559 thy servants, H5650 which are before H6440 thee, to seek out H1245 a man, H376 who is a cunning H3045 player H5059 on an harp: H3658 and it shall come to pass, when the evil H7451 spirit H7307 from God H430 is upon thee, that he shall play H5059 with his hand, H3027 and thou shalt be well. H2895
17 And Saul H7586 said H559 unto his servants, H5650 Provide H7200 me now a man H376 that can play H5059 well, H3190 and bring H935 him to me.
18 Then answered H6030 one H259 of the servants, H5288 and said, H559 Behold, I have seen H7200 a son H1121 of Jesse H3448 the Bethlehemite, H1022 that is cunning H3045 in playing, H5059 and a mighty H1368 valiant man, H2428 and a man H376 of war, H4421 and prudent H995 in matters, H1697 and a comely H8389 person, H376 and the LORD H3068 is with him.
19 Wherefore Saul H7586 sent H7971 messengers H4397 unto Jesse, H3448 and said, H559 Send H7971 me David H1732 thy son, H1121 which is with the sheep. H6629
20 And Jesse H3448 took H3947 an ass H2543 laden with bread, H3899 and a bottle H4997 of wine, H3196 and a H259 kid, H1423 H5795 and sent H7971 them by H3027 David H1732 his son H1121 unto Saul. H7586
21 And David H1732 came H935 to Saul, H7586 and stood H5975 before H6440 him: and he loved H157 him greatly; H3966 and he became his armourbearer. H5375 H3627
22 And Saul H7586 sent H7971 to Jesse, H3448 saying, H559 Let David, H1732 I pray thee, stand H5975 before H6440 me; for he hath found H4672 favour H2580 in my sight. H5869
23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit H7307 from God H430 was upon Saul, H7586 that David H1732 took H3947 an harp, H3658 and played H5059 with his hand: H3027 so Saul H7586 was refreshed, H7304 and was well, H2895 and the evil H7451 spirit H7307 departed H5493 from him.
1 And Jehovah said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go: I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons.
2 And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah.
3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
4 And Samuel did that which Jehovah spake, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
5 And he said, Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice unto Jehovah: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely Jehovah's anointed is before him.
7 But Jehovah said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for `Jehovah seeth' not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh on the heart.
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath Jehovah chosen this.
9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath Jehovah chosen this.
10 And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Jehovah hath not chosen these.
11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he is keeping the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down till he come hither.
12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look upon. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him; for this is he.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
14 Now the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him.
15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.
16 Let our lord now command thy servants, that are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the 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.
17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.
18 Then answered one of the young men, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valor, and a man of war, and prudent in speech, and a comely person; and Jehovah is with him.
19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, who is with the sheep.
20 And Jesse took an ass `laden' with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.
21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armorbearer.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favor in my sight.
23 And it came to pass, when the `evil' spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
1 And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, `Till when art thou mourning for Saul, and I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I send thee unto Jesse the Beth-Lehemite, for I have seen among his sons for Myself a king.
2 And Samuel saith, `How do I go? when Saul hath heard, then he hath slain me.' And Jehovah saith, `A heifer of the herd thou dost take in thy hand, and hast said, To sacrifice to Jehovah I have come;
3 and thou hast called for Jesse in the sacrifice, and I cause thee to know that which thou dost do, and thou hast anointed to Me him of whom I speak unto thee.'
4 And Samuel doth that which Jehovah hath spoken, and cometh in to Beth-Lehem, and the elders of the city tremble to meet him, and `one' saith, `Is thy coming peace?'
5 and he saith, `Peace; to sacrifice to Jehovah I have come, sanctify yourselves, and ye have come in with me to the sacrifice;' and he sanctifieth Jesse and his sons, and calleth them to the sacrifice.
6 And it cometh to pass, in their coming in, that he seeth Eliab, and saith, `Surely, before Jehovah `is' His anointed.'
7 And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, `Look not unto his appearance, and unto the height of his stature, for I have rejected him; for `it is' not as man seeth -- for man looketh at the eyes, and Jehovah looketh at the heart.'
8 And Jesse calleth unto Abinadab, and causeth him to pass by before Samuel; and he saith, `Also on this Jehovah hath not fixed.'
9 And Jesse causeth Shammah to pass by, and he saith, `Also on this Jehovah hath not fixed.'
10 And Jesse causeth seven of his sons to pass by before Samuel, and Samuel saith to Jesse, `Jehovah hath not fixed on these.'
11 And Samuel saith unto Jesse, `Are the young men finished?' and he saith, `Yet hath been left the youngest; and lo, he delighteth himself among the flock;' and Samuel saith unto Jesse, `Send and take him, for we do not turn round till his coming in hither.'
12 And he sendeth, and bringeth him in, and he `is' ruddy, with beauty of eyes, and of good appearance; and Jehovah saith, `Rise, anoint him, for this `is' he.'
13 And Samuel taketh the horn of oil, and anointeth him in the midst of his brethren, and prosper over David doth the Spirit of Jehovah from that day and onwards; and Samuel riseth and goeth to Ramath.
14 And the Spirit of Jehovah turned aside from Saul, and a spirit of sadness from Jehovah terrified him;
15 and the servants of Saul say unto him, `Lo, we pray thee, a spirit of sadness `from' God is terrifying thee;
16 let our lord command, we pray thee, thy servants before thee, they seek a skilful man, playing on a harp, and it hath come to pass, in the spirit of sadness `from' God being upon thee, that he hath played with his hand, and `it is' well with thee.'
17 And Saul saith unto his servants, `Provide, I pray you, for me a man playing well -- then ye have brought `him' in unto me.'
18 And one of the servants answereth and saith, `Lo, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-Lehemite, skilful in playing, and a mighty virtuous man, and a man of battle, and intelligent in word, and a man of form, and Jehovah `is' with him.'
19 And Saul sendeth messengers unto Jesse, and saith, `Send unto me David thy son, who `is' with the flock.'
20 And Jesse taketh an ass, `with' bread, and a bottle of wine, and one kid of the goats, and sendeth by the hand of David his son unto Saul.
21 And David cometh in unto Saul, and standeth before him, and he loveth him greatly; and he is a bearer of his weapons.
22 And Saul sendeth unto Jesse, saying, `Let David, I pray thee, stand before me, for he hath found grace in mine eyes.'
23 And it hath come to pass, in the spirit of `sadness from' God being on Saul, that David hath taken the harp, and played with his hand, and Saul hath refreshment and gladness, and the spirit of sadness hath turned aside from off him.
1 And Jehovah said to Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons.
2 And Samuel said, How shall I go? if Saul hear [it], he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah.
3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
4 And Samuel did what Jehovah said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him, and said, Dost thou come peaceably?
5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah. Hallow yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he hallowed Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6 And it came to pass when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely Jehovah's anointed is before him.
7 But Jehovah said to Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him; for it is not as man seeth; for man looketh upon the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh upon the heart.
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one.
9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one.
10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, Jehovah has not chosen these.
11 And Samuel said to Jesse, Are these all the young men? And he said, There is yet the youngest remaining, and behold, he is feeding the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and fetch him; for we will not sit at table till he come hither.
12 And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy, and besides of a lovely countenance and beautiful appearance. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him; for this is he.
13 And Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
14 And the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him.
15 And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles thee.
16 Let our lord now speak; thy servants are before thee: they shall seek out a man, a skilful player on a 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.
17 And Saul said to his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.
18 And one of the young men answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilled in playing, and he is a valiant man and a man of war, and skilled in speech, and of good presence, and Jehovah is with him.
19 Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, Send me David thy son, who is with the sheep.
20 And Jesse took an ass with bread, and a flask of wine, and a kid, and sent [them] by David his son to Saul.
21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour-bearer.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he has found favour in my sight.
23 And it came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; and Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
1 Yahweh said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? fill your horn with oil, and go: I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons.
2 Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. Yahweh said, Take a heifer with you, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Yahweh.
3 Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do: and you shall anoint to me him whom I name to you.
4 Samuel did that which Yahweh spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Come you peaceably?
5 He said, Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice to Yahweh: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. He sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6 It happened, when they had come, that he looked at Eliab, and said, Surely Yahweh's anointed is before him.
7 But Yahweh said to Samuel, "Don't look on his face, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for [Yahweh sees] not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart."
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, Neither has Yahweh chosen this.
9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. He said, Neither has Yahweh chosen this.
10 Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. Samuel said to Jesse, Yahweh has not chosen these.
11 Samuel said to Jesse, Are here all your children? He said, There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he is keeping the sheep. Samuel said to Jesse, Send and get him; for we will not sit down until he come here.
12 He sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful face, and goodly to look on. Yahweh said, Arise, anoint him; for this is he.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers: and the Spirit of Yahweh came mightily on David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
14 Now the Spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Yahweh troubled him.
15 Saul's servants said to him, See now, an evil spirit from God troubles you.
16 Let our lord now command your servants who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp: and it shall happen, when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play with his hand, and you shall be well.
17 Saul said to his servants, Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.
18 Then answered one of the young men, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, and a mighty man of valor, and a man of war, and prudent in speech, and a comely person; and Yahweh is with him.
19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.
20 Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son to Saul.
21 David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armor bearer.
22 Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Please let David stand before me; for he has found favor in my sight.
23 It happened, when the [evil] spirit from God was on Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
1 And the Lord said to Samuel, How long will you go on sorrowing for Saul, seeing that I have put him from his place as king over Israel? Take oil in your vessel and go; I will send you to Jesse, the Beth-lehemite: for I have got a king for myself among his sons.
2 And Samuel said, How is it possible for me to go? If Saul gets news of it he will put me to death. And the Lord said, Take a young cow with you and say, I have come to make an offering to the Lord.
3 And send for Jesse to be present at the offering, and I will make clear to you what you are to do: and you are to put the holy oil on him whose name I give you.
4 And Samuel did as the Lord said and came to Beth-lehem. And the responsible men of the town came out to him in fear and said, Do you come in peace?
5 And he said, In peace: I have come to make an offering to the Lord: make yourselves clean and come with me to make the offering. And he made Jesse and his sons clean, and sent for them to be present at the offering.
6 Now when they came, looking at Eliab, he said, Clearly the man of the Lord's selection is before him.
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not take note of his face or how tall he is, because I will not have him: for the Lord's view is not man's; man takes note of the outer form, but the Lord sees the heart.
8 Then Jesse sent for Abinadab and made him come before Samuel. And he said, The Lord has not taken this one.
9 Then Jesse made Shammah come before him. And he said, The Lord has not taken this one.
10 And Jesse made his seven sons come before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not taken any of these.
11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, Are all your children here? And he said, There is still the youngest, and he is looking after the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and make him come here: for we will not take our seats till he is here.
12 So he sent and made him come in. Now he had red hair and beautiful eyes and pleasing looks. And the Lord said, Come, put the oil on him, for this is he.
13 Then Samuel took the bottle of oil, and put the oil on him there among his brothers: and from that day the spirit of the Lord came on David with power. So Samuel went back to Ramah.
14 Now the spirit of the Lord had gone from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord was troubling him.
15 And Saul's servants said to him, See now, an evil spirit from God is troubling you.
16 Now give orders to your servants who are here before you to go in search of a man who is an expert player on a corded instrument: and it will be that when the evil spirit from God is on you, he will make music for you on his instrument, and you will get well.
17 And Saul said to his servants, Then get me a man who is an expert player, and make him come to me.
18 Then one of the servants in answer said, I have seen a son of Jesse, the Beth-lehemite, who is expert at playing, and a strong man and a man of war; and he is wise in his words, and pleasing in looks, and the Lord is with him.
19 So Saul sent his servants to Jesse and said, Send me your son David who is with the sheep.
20 And Jesse took five cakes of bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them to Saul by David.
21 And David came to Saul, waiting before him: and he became very dear to Saul, who made him his servant, giving him the care of his arms.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse saying, Let David be with me, for he is pleasing to me.
23 And whenever the evil spirit from God came on Saul, David took his instrument and made music: so new life came to Saul, and he got well, and the evil spirit went away from him.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on 1 Samuel 16
Commentary on 1 Samuel 16 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 16
In this chapter Samuel is ordered to anoint a king among the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem, 1 Samuel 16:1 all whose sons were made to pass before him, excepting David, 1 Samuel 16:6 who being then with his father's sheep, was sent for and was anointed, 1 Samuel 16:11, after which the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and he became melancholy, and it was advised to seek out a musician for him, and David was mentioned to him as a proper person, 1 Samuel 16:14 upon which he was sent for, and acted as a musician to Saul, and also became his armourbearer, which was the first rise of him, 1 Samuel 16:19.
And the Lord said unto Samuel,.... In a vision or dream, or by an articulate voice: how long wilt thou mourn for Saul? he does not blame him for mourning, but for mourning so long; but how long that was cannot be said; and though his affection for him might cause him to indulge to it, yet it was in vain, seeing the sentence was irreversible:
seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? that is, his posterity; for he himself reigned as long as he lived, though in a very inglorious manner:
fill thine horn with oil; with common oil; for that this was the holy anointing oil kept in the tabernacle, as the Jewish writers generally suppose, with which they say David and Solomon, and the kings of Judah, were anointed, there is no reason to believe; since the tabernacle, where this oil was, was at a distance from Samuel, and which seems to have been only for the anointing of the priests. This was not a phial he was bid to take, as when he anointed Saul; but an horn, denoting the abundance of gifts bestowed on David, and the firmness and duration of his kingdom:
and go, and I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite; the son of Obed, whom Boaz begat of Ruth the Moabitess, 4:21.
for I have provided me a king among his sons; but which he says not; this was reserved for an later discovery; however God had in his own mind picked him, whom he would hereafter make known; this was a king for himself, raised up to fulfil his will; Saul was chosen by him, but then it was at the request of the people, and so he was rather their king than his; but this was not at their desire, nor with their knowledge, but of his own good will and pleasure; the one was given in wrath, and the other in love; the one was to the rejection of God as King, the other to the rejection of Saul by the will of God.
And Samuel said, how can I go?.... Which argues weakness of faith in Samuel, and fear of man, and a diffidence in and distrust of divine power; for otherwise he that sent him on such an errand could protect him:
if Saul hear it, he will kill me; should hear that Samuel went and anointed another king, it would so enrage him, that he would either immediately lay hands on him, and put him to death, or order him to be put to death; and indeed were it not that this was done by the command of God, he would deserve to die; it being an overt act of treason to anoint another king:
and the Lord said, take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord; a peace offering, which might be done any where in those unsettled times, the ark being at one place, and the tabernacle at another; and might be offered upon a private altar, and by a private person; and as it seems Samuel used to sacrifice at different places; see 1 Samuel 7:9. Ben Gersom relates it as the sense of one of their Rabbins in his age, that there was a person slain in those parts, not known by whom he was slain; and so Samuel is ordered to take an heifer to fulfil the law in Deuteronomy 21:1 and therefore Saul would make no inquiry into his reason of going thither with an heifer, and this is commended both by him and Abarbinel.
And call Jesse to the sacrifice,.... His family, both him and his sons, to partake of the peace offerings; as every offerer had a right to invite his friends, and whomsoever he pleased, to eat of those parts of them which belonged to him, as a feast before the Lord:
and I will show thee what thou shall do; when Jesse and his family were with him:
and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee; that is, anoint him to be king over Israel, whom he should point out so plainly to him, as if he called him by name.
And Samuel did that which the Lord spake,.... He filled a horn of oil, and took an heifer with him:
and came to Bethlehem; where Jesse and his family lived, which, according to BuntingF25Travels of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 125. , was sixteen miles from Ramah; though it could hardly be so much, since Ramah was six miles from Jerusalem on one side, as Bethlehem lay six miles from it on the otherF26Vid. Hieron. de loc. Heb. fol. 89. F. & 94. B. :
and the elders of the town trembled at his coming; for he being now an old man, and seldom went abroad, they concluded it must be something very extraordinary that brought him thither; and they might fear that as he was a prophet of the Lord, that he was come to reprove them, or denounce some judgment upon them for their sins. The Targum is,"the elders of the city gathered together to meet him;'out of respect and in honour to him, and to the same sense Jarchi's note is,"they hasted to go out to meet him';see Hosea 11:11.
and, said comest thou peaceably? the word "said" is singular; one of the elders put this question, the chiefest of them, perhaps Jesse; and the meaning of it is, whether he came with ill news and bad tidings, or as displeased with them himself on some account or another; or with a message from God, as displeased with them; or whether he came there for his own peace and safety, to be sheltered from Saul; and which, if that was the case, might not be for their peace and good; but would draw upon them the wrath and vengeance of Saul; for they doubtless knew that there was a variance, at least a shyness, between Saul and Samuel.
And he said, peaceably I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord,.... Which he could say with truth, it being one end of his coming, though not the only one for which he came, and which he was not obliged to tell:
sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice; prepare themselves for it, which was done by washing their garments, &c. and then attend with him, and assist him in the sacrifice:
and he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice; he ordered them to sanctify themselves; he distinguished them from the rest of the inhabitants, and invited them to partake of the feast, the remainder of the peace offerings.
And it came to pass, when they were come,.... Jesse and his sons, into the house where the entertainment was; and perhaps before they sat down, went into a private apartment by the direction of Samuel, where he acquainted Jesse with the business he came upon:
that he looked on Eliab; who was Jesse's firstborn, 1 Chronicles 2:13, called Elihu, 1 Chronicles 27:18.
and said, surely the Lord's anointed is before him; or this is the person it is his pleasure should be anointed king.
But the Lord said to Samuel,.... By a secret impulse upon his mind, as if he had spoken with an articulate voice to him:
look not on his countenance; which was comely and majestic:
or on the height of his stature; which was like that of Saul's; and because the Lord had chosen him, who was superior to the people in this respect, Samuel thought he meant to have such an one now anointed king:
because I have refused him; or it is not my pleasure that he should be king; though Ben Gersom thinks this refers to Saul, that the Lord had rejected him, though of an high stature, and therefore Samuel should not look out for such a person to be king; and Abarbinel refers it to the height of stature itself, that God had rejected that, and laid it aside as a qualification of a king, or as a rule to judge of a proper person to be a king; but no doubt it respected Eliab:
for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; man only sees what is without, but the Lord sees what is within; only the outward visible form of the body is seen by man, but the inward qualifications and endowments of the mind are seen by the Lord:
for man looketh on the outward appearance; the comeliness of a man's person, the majesty of his countenance, the height of his stature, and size of his body, things which recommended men to be kings among the nations of the world; See Gill on 1 Samuel 9:2, or "to the eyes"F1לעינים "ad oculos", Montanus. ; the liveliness, and briskness, and sharpness of them, thereby to judge of the sagacity and penetration of the mind, as physiognomists do; who guess at the disposition of men by them, when they are small or great, watery or dry, of this or the other colourF2Vid. Schotti Thaumaturg. Physic. par. 4. l. 7. c. 8. :
but the Lord looketh on the heart; and knows what is in that, what wisdom and prudence, justice and integrity, mercy and goodness, and other princely qualifications are in that. The Jewish writers conclude from hence that the heart of Eliab was not right; it may be, full of wrath, pride, envy, &c. which disqualified him for government.
Then Jesse called Abinadab,.... His second son, 1 Samuel 17:13.
and made him pass before Samuel: that he might take a full view of him:
and he said, neither hath the Lord chosen this; which he knew by a private suggestion from him.
Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by,.... His third son, 1 Samuel 17:13, sometimes called Shimma, and Shimeah, 1 Chronicles 2:13.
and he said, neither hath the Lord chosen this; which he knew in the same way as before.
Again Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel,.... Not seven more, for he had but eight sons in all with David, 1 Samuel 17:12 but four more, which with the other three made seven; three of these four are mentioned by name, Nathanael, Raddai, and Ozem, 1 Chronicles 2:14, but the fourth we nowhere read of; perhaps he died quickly after this, was an obscure person, and of no fame and note, or might be by another woman:
and Samuel said unto Jesse, the Lord hath not chosen these; not anyone of them.
And Samuel said unto Jesse, are here all thy children?.... For neither of these being the person God would have anointed king, and yet it was one of Jesse's sons that was to be anointed, he concluded he must have more, at least one more, and therefore puts this question to him:
and he said, there remaineth yet the youngest; or, "the little one"F3תקטן "parvulus", V. L. ; not of a little diminutive stature, for he was a mighty man, a man of strength, courage, and valour, 1 Samuel 16:18 or of a puerile age, for the Jews sayF4Seder Olam Rabba, c. 13. p. 36. he was now twenty nine years of age; but that is not likely, he hardly exceeded more than twenty, or was so much; thereabout he might be; but he is so called because he was the youngest son, as we render it:
and, behold, he keepeth the sheep: and from following them, he was taken and anointed king; see Psalm 78:70. Some of the greatest of men have been taken from rustic employment, as Moses, Gideon, Saul, and others:
and Samuel said unto Jesse, send and fetch him; out of the field by a messenger:
for we will not sit down till he come hither; that is, at table, to eat of that part of the peace offerings which belonged to the offerer Samuel, and which he had invited Jesse and his sons to partake of.
And he sent and brought him in,.... Sent messengers into the field and to the flock for him, and being come home Jesse introduced him into the room where Samuel was:
now he was ruddy; which some understand not of the ruddiness of his complexion, or of his cheeks, but of the redness of his hair; the former seems best:
and withal of a beautiful countenance; of comely features: or "beautiful eyes"F5עם יפה עינים "simul pulcher oculis", Montanus; "cum pulchritudine oculorum", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. ; bright, clear, and sparkling; eyes that are black or blue are reckoned beautiful:
and goodly to look to; of a pleasant countenance, delightful to behold; he carried sweetness as well as majesty in his face; in this he was a type of Christ, Song of Solomon 5:10. A beautiful aspect, as well as shape and height, recommended persons for government, as with the Ethiopians, as AristotleF6Politic. l. 4. c. 4. relates; so Agamemnon is represented by PriamusF7Homer. Iliad. 3. v. 166. for his personable appearance, as like a king, and fit to be one:
and the Lord said, arise, anoint him, for this is he; that he had spoken to him of, and who it was his pleasure should be anointed king; and therefore, by a secret strong impulse upon his mind, was put upon doing it immediately, without any hesitation or delay.
Then Samuel took the horn of oil,.... Out of his pocket, which he brought along with him by the direction of God:
and anointed him in the midst of his brethren; not in the presence of them, they sitting around, or standing by and seeing the ceremony performed; which is not consistent with the secrecy with which Samuel was directed to manage this affair, and which was necessary to observe, to keep it from the knowledge of Saul; and with Eliab's treatment of David afterwards, who would never have addressed him in the manner he did, had he known that he was anointed king, 1 Samuel 17:28 but the sense is, according to Kimchi and Abarbinel, that he was selected out of them, and separated from them, and privately anointed by Samuel, and at most only his father Jesse present; wherefore some observe, that the words may be rendered, "anointed him from the midst of his brethren"F8So Pool, Patrick, &c. ; that is, he took him apart from them, and anointed him:
and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward; not as a spirit of grace and holiness, which probably had come upon him before this time; but a spirit of prophecy, as did on Saul after his unction; and which particularly showed itself in music and poetry, in which he immediately became very eminent, and he was taken notice of for it, and which was the means of bringing him into Saul's court; and a spirit of wisdom and prudence, in civil as well as in sacred things; and a spirit of fortitude, as the Targum, of strength of body, and courage and valour of mind; whereby he was enabled to encounter with the lion and bear, and get the mastery of them; which, with all other gifts of the spirit fitting him for government, he was now endowed with, and which continued with him:
so Samuel rose up and went to Ramah his native place, and where he resided; that is, after the festival of the peace offerings, to which Jesse and his sons were invited; for the anointing seems to be before that.
But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul,.... As a spirit of prophecy as at first, as a spirit of wisdom and prudence in civil government, and as a spirit of fortitude and courage, as the Targum:
and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him; the reverse of the former, which by the permission of God, and as a punishment to him for his sins, came upon him; he seemed to be a demoniac, as Josephus representsF9Antiqu. l. 6. c. 8. sect. 2. him, as if possessed with the devil; by whom he was almost suffocated and strangled, as well as was distracted in his counsels, and became weak and foolish; lost all courage and greatness of mind, was timorous and fearful, and alarmed by everything, and was full of envy, suspicion, rage, and despair.
And Saul's servants said unto him,.... His courtiers, who observing him to act in a frantic manner, to be dull and melancholy, timorous, and irresolute, unsteady, divided, and distressed; or his physicians, who were called in to assist him, and remove his disorder from him:
behold, now an evil spirit from God troubleth thee: the disorder was not from any natural cause, or any bodily disease, and therefore out of the reach of physicians to do any service, but was from an evil spirit suffered of God to harass and disturb him.
Let our Lord now command thy servants which are before thee,.... Meaning either themselves, or some of a more inferior rank, who were in some post and office at court, waiters there, such as yeomen of the guards:
to seek out a man who is a cunning player on the harp: a musical instrument much in use in those days:
and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee; when in a melancholy mood, and Satan takes the advantage of it to distress and terrify, to spread the gloom, and stir up evil passions, and promote distraction and confusion:
that he shall play with his hand: upon the harp, that being not an instrument of wind, but of hand music:
and thou shalt be well: music being a means of cheering the spirits, and removing melancholy and gloomy apprehensions of things, and so of restoring to better health of body and disposition of mind; and that music has such an effect on the bodies and minds of men is certain from observation and experience in all ages. Music has been found to be medicine to various diseases, not only for the curing of the bite of vipers, and of the tarantula, but for easing the pains of the sciatica, and for helping persons labouring under the disorders of the frenzyF11A. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 4. c. 13. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 2. c. 17. Vid. Philostrat. Vit. Apollon. Tyan. l. 5. c. 7. ; and Pythagoras used to compose the mind, and remove the perturbations of it, by the use of the harpF12Seneca de Ira, l. 3. c. 9. , the thing here advised to.
And Saul said unto his servants,.... Approving of, and pleased with the advice they gave:
provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me; for being a sovereign prince, he could command whom he would to attend to his person and service.
Then answered one of the servants,.... Which the Jews sayF13T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 93. 2. So in Hieron. Trad. Heb in lib. Reg. fol. 76. C. was Doeg the Edomite, who out of envy and ill will to David spake of him, that Saul might have an opportunity of slaying him; but this is not at all likely; rather it was one of David's friends and acquaintance, that was desirous of promoting him at court, and no doubt was directed to that motion by the overruling providence of God:
and said, behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite; he does not mention the name of his son, but so describes him, that he might be easily known by those who knew anything of the family of Jesse; besides it was sufficient that he was one of Jesse's sons, to find him out:
that is cunning in playing; that is, on the harp; has good skill in music, and is expert in it:
and a mighty valiant man; as appeared by his encountering with and slaying the lion and the bear; an event now past, as very probable:
and a man of war some think this character of him was given after the affair of his fighting with Goliath and killing him, but here put by a prolepsis or anticipation; and indeed if David had been taken into Saul's court before that affair, it is difficult to account for Saul's ignorance of him, since he must be so near him, and so often with him, as his musician and armourbearer; though that difficulty may be removed, as may be observed in its proper place:
and prudent in matters; in his talk and conversation, and conduct and behaviour; knew how to carry himself, even in a prince's court: and a comely person; which always recommended to the courts of the eastern nations; See Gill on Daniel 1:4.
and the Lord is with him; prospering and succeeding him in whatsoever he is engaged; and seeing the Lord was with him, it might be expected the evil spirit would depart from Saul, when this person, with whom the Lord was, was in his presence. The Targum is,"the Word of the Lord is for his help;'all that is said of him showed that he was fit to be in the palace of a king, and a proper person to be with Saul in his present circumstances.
Wherefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse,.... For David; not choosing to take him without his leave, though Samuel suggests that kings would do so, 1 Samuel 8:11.
and said, send me David, thy son, which is with the sheep; he had learnt his name, and what was his employment; and which last he mentions not by way of contempt, it not being reckoned mean and despicable even in the sons of great personages, in those times and countries, to attend flocks and herds: so with the Arabs, as PhiloF14De Vita Mosis, l. 1. p. 610. testifies, young men and maids of the most illustrious families fed cattle; and with the ancient Romans, the senatorF15"Pascebatque suas", &c. Ovid. Fast. l. 1. fed his own sheep. Paris, son of Priamus, king of Troy, is saidF16Coluthi Raptus Helenae, v. 71, 101. to feed his father's oxen and sheep; and Saul himself had done the same; but to describe him particularly.
And Jesse took an ass laden with bread,.... Laden with a load of bread, as the Targum; with as much as it could carry, or was used to carry; the Septuagint version is, an omer of bread, which was as much as a man could eat in one day; and, according to Kimchi and Ben Melech, it may be interpreted an heap of bread, agreeably to the use of the word in Judges 15:16, and a bottle of wine; or a skin of wine, a leather bag or sack, which held more than our bottles; the Targum is, a flagon of wine:
and a kid; of the goats, as the same Targum:
and sent them by David his son unto Saul; some think that Jesse suspected that Saul had known the secret of David's being anointed, and was fearful that he had a design upon his life, and therefore sent this present by his son to pacify him, and ingratiate him unto him; but rather he sent it as a token of respect and subjection to his sovereign, and according to the custom of those times, when men used to carry presents when they waited upon princes, and indeed in their common visits; and do in the eastern countries to this day; See Gill on 1 Samuel 9:7.
And David came to Saul, and stood before him,.... As a servant, and ministered to him in the way, and for the purpose for which he was sent:
and he loved him greatly; being a comely person, and a well behaved youth, and especially as he was serviceable to him with his music, in driving away melancholy from him:
and he became his armourbearer; that is, he appointed him to this office, though we never read that he exercised it; nor did he go with Saul in this capacity to the battle related in the following chapter: it may be literally rendered: "and he was to him a bearer of vessels", or "instruments"F17ויהי לו נשא כלים "et fuit ei ferens vasa", Montanus; "ferens instrumenta", Piscator. ; and Abarbinel thinks this is to be understood not of instruments of war, but of instruments of music to play with; which he brought in and bare before him when he went in to the king.
And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, let David, I pray thee, stand before me,.... Continue in his service; which was great condescension in him, and great respect shown to Jesse, not to detain his son without his leave, and to ask it as a favour of him:
for he hath found favour in my sight: was very acceptable to him which must be very pleasing to Jesse to hear; especially if he was in any fear that Saul had an ill design upon him, when he first sent for him.
And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul,.... See 1 Samuel 16:14 though the word evil is not in the text here; wherefore Abarbinel thinks that this here was the Spirit of God, which stirred up in him thoughts of divine things, put him in mind of what God had said, that he had rejected him from being king, and had rent the kingdom from him; and this filled him with grief and trouble, and he became melancholy:
that David took an harp, and played with his hands; upon it; and, as JosephusF18Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 8. sect. 2.) says, at the same time sung hymns and psalms; made use both of vocal and instrumental music:
so Saul was refreshed, and was well; became cheerful, his grief was removed, his black and gloomy apprehensions of things were dispersed, and he was cured of his melancholy disorder for the present:
and the evil spirit departed from him: at least for a while; he had his fits and intervals; of the effects of music in a natural way; see Gill on 1 Samuel 16:16, though no doubt the music of David was more than natural, being attended with the power and blessing of God, in order to raise his fame and credit at court.