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
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
But David H1732 went H1980 and returned H7725 from Saul H7586 to feed H7462 his father's H1 sheep H6629 at Bethlehem. H1035
Now Moses H4872 kept H1961 H7462 the flock H6629 of Jethro H3503 his father in law, H2859 the priest H3548 of Midian: H4080 and he led H5090 the flock H6629 to the backside H310 of the desert, H4057 and came H935 to the mountain H2022 of God, H430 even to Horeb. H2722 And the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 appeared H7200 unto him in a flame H3827 of fire H784 out of the midst H8432 of a bush: H5572 and he looked, H7200 and, behold, the bush H5572 burned H1197 with fire, H784 and the bush H5572 was not consumed. H398 And Moses H4872 said, H559 I will now turn aside, H5493 and see H7200 this great H1419 sight, H4758 why H4069 the bush H5572 is not burnt. H1197 And when the LORD H3068 saw H7200 that he turned aside H5493 to see, H7200 God H430 called H7121 unto him out of the midst H8432 of the bush, H5572 and said, H559 Moses, H4872 Moses. H4872 And he said, H559 Here am I. And he said, H559 Draw not nigh H7126 hither: H1988 put off H5394 thy shoes H5275 from off thy feet, H7272 for the place H4725 whereon H834 thou standest H5975 is holy H6944 ground. H127 Moreover he said, H559 I am the God H430 of thy father, H1 the God H430 of Abraham, H85 the God H430 of Isaac, H3327 and the God H430 of Jacob. H3290 And Moses H4872 hid H5641 his face; H6440 for he was afraid H3372 to look H5027 upon God. H430 And the LORD H3068 said, H559 I have surely H7200 seen H7200 the affliction H6040 of my people H5971 which are in Egypt, H4714 and have heard H8085 their cry H6818 by reason H6440 of their taskmasters; H5065 for I know H3045 their sorrows; H4341 And I am come down H3381 to deliver H5337 them out of the hand H3027 of the Egyptians, H4714 and to bring H5927 them up out of that land H776 unto a good H2896 land H776 and a large, H7342 unto a land H776 flowing H2100 with milk H2461 and honey; H1706 unto the place H4725 of the Canaanites, H3669 and the Hittites, H2850 and the Amorites, H567 and the Perizzites, H6522 and the Hivites, H2340 and the Jebusites. H2983 Now therefore, behold, the cry H6818 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 is come H935 unto me: and I have also seen H7200 the oppression H3906 wherewith the Egyptians H4714 oppress H3905 them. Come H3212 now therefore, and I will send H7971 thee unto Pharaoh, H6547 that thou mayest bring forth H3318 my people H5971 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 out of Egypt. H4714
And Saul H7586 said H559 to David, H1732 Thou art not able H3201 to go H3212 against this Philistine H6430 to fight H3898 with him: for thou art but a youth, H5288 and he a man H376 of war H4421 from his youth. H5271 And David H1732 said H559 unto Saul, H7586 Thy servant H5650 kept H7462 his father's H1 sheep, H6629 and there came H935 a lion, H738 and a bear, H1677 and took H5375 a lamb H7716 H2089 out of the flock: H5739
So he departed H3212 thence, and found H4672 Elisha H477 the son H1121 of Shaphat, H8202 who was plowing H2790 with twelve H8147 H6240 yoke H6776 of oxen before H6440 him, and he with the twelfth: H8147 H6240 and Elijah H452 passed H5674 by him, and cast H7993 his mantle H155 upon him.
He chose H977 David H1732 also his servant, H5650 and took H3947 him from the sheepfolds: H4356 H6629 From following H310 the ewes great with young H5763 he brought H935 him to feed H7462 Jacob H3290 his people, H5971 and Israel H3478 his inheritance. H5159 So he fed H7462 them according to the integrity H8537 of his heart; H3824 and guided H5148 them by the skilfulness H8394 of his hands. H3709
That he may set H3427 him with princes, H5081 even with the princes H5081 of his people. H5971
The words H1697 of Amos, H5986 who was among the herdmen H5349 of Tekoa, H8620 which he saw H2372 concerning Israel H3478 in the days H3117 of Uzziah H5818 king H4428 of Judah, H3063 and in the days H3117 of Jeroboam H3379 the son H1121 of Joash H3101 king H4428 of Israel, H3478 two years H8141 before H6440 the earthquake. H7494
Then answered H6030 Amos, H5986 and said H559 to Amaziah, H558 I was no prophet, H5030 neither was I a prophet's H5030 son; H1121 but I was an herdman, H951 and a gatherer H1103 of sycomore fruit: H8256 And the LORD H3068 took H3947 me as I followed H310 the flock, H6629 and the LORD H3068 said H559 unto me, Go, H3212 prophesy H5012 unto my people H5971 Israel. H3478
And G1161 Jesus, G2424 walking G4043 by G3844 the sea G2281 of Galilee, G1056 saw G1492 two G1417 brethren, G80 Simon G4613 called G3004 Peter, G4074 and G2532 Andrew G406 his G846 brother, G80 casting G906 a net G293 into G1519 the sea: G2281 for G1063 they were G2258 fishers. G231 And G2532 he saith G3004 unto them, G846 Follow G1205 G3694 me, G3450 and G2532 I will make G4160 you G5209 fishers G231 of men. G444 And G1161 they straightway G2112 left G863 their nets, G1350 and followed G190 him. G846 And G2532 going on G4260 from thence, G1564 he saw G1492 other G243 two G1417 brethren, G80 James G2385 the son of G3588 Zebedee, G2199 and G2532 John G2491 his G846 brother, G80 in G1722 a ship G4143 with G3326 Zebedee G2199 their G846 father, G3962 mending G2675 their G846 nets; G1350 and G2532 he called G2564 them. G846 And G1161 they immediately G2112 left G863 the ship G4143 and G2532 their G846 father, G3962 and followed G190 him. G846
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Samuel 16
Commentary on 1 Samuel 16 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 16
1Sa 16:1-10. Samuel Sent by God to Bethlehem.
1. the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul—Samuel's grief on account of Saul's rejection, accompanied, doubtless, by earnest prayers for his restitution, showed the amiable feelings of the man; but they were at variance with his public duty as a prophet. The declared purpose of God to transfer the kingdom of Israel into other hands than Saul's was not an angry menace, but a fixed and immutable decree; so that Samuel ought to have sooner submitted to the peremptory manifestation of the divine will. But to leave him no longer room to doubt of its being unalterable, he was sent on a private mission to anoint a successor to Saul (see on 1Sa 10:1). The immediate designation of a king was of the greatest importance for the interests of the nation in the event of Saul's death, which, to this time, was dreaded; it would establish David's title and comfort the minds of Samuel and other good men with a right settlement, whatever contingency might happen.
I have provided me a king—The language is remarkable, and intimates a difference between this and the former king. Saul was the people's choice, the fruit of their wayward and sinful desires for their own honor and aggrandizement. The next was to be a king who would consult the divine glory, and selected from that tribe to which the pre-eminence had been early promised (Ge 49:10).
2. How can I go?—This is another instance of human infirmity in Samuel. Since God had sent him on this mission, He would protect him in the execution.
I am come to sacrifice—It seems to have been customary with Samuel to do this in the different circuits to which he went, that he might encourage the worship of God.
3. call Jesse to the sacrifice—that is, the social feast that followed the peace offering. Samuel, being the offerer, had a right to invite any guest he pleased.
4. the elders of the town trembled at his coming—Beth-lehem was an obscure town, and not within the usual circuit of the judge. The elders were naturally apprehensive, therefore, that his arrival was occasioned by some extraordinary reason, and that it might entail evil upon their town, in consequence of the estrangement between Samuel and the king.
5. sanctify yourselves—by the preparations described (Ex 19:14, 15). The elders were to sanctify themselves. Samuel himself took the greatest care in the sanctification of Jesse's family. Some, however, think that the former were invited only to join in the sacrifice, while the family of Jesse were invited by themselves to the subsequent feast.
6-10. Samuel said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him—Here Samuel, in consequence of taking his impressions from the external appearance, falls into the same error as formerly (1Sa 10:24).
1Sa 16:11-14. He Anoints David.
11. There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep—Jesse having evidently no idea of David's wisdom and bravery, spoke of him as the most unfit. God, in His providence, so ordered it, that the appointment of David might the more clearly appear to be a divine purpose, and not the design either of Samuel or Jesse. David having not been sanctified with the rest of his family, it is probable that he returned to his pastoral duties the moment the special business on which he had been summoned was done.
12. he was ruddy, &c.—Josephus says that David was ten, while most modern commentators are of the opinion that he must have been fifteen years of age.
13. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him—This transaction must have been strictly private.
14-18. The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him—His own gloomy reflections, the consciousness that he had not acted up to the character of an Israelitish king, the loss of his throne, and the extinction of his royal house, made him jealous, irritable, vindictive, and subject to fits of morbid melancholy.
19. Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David—In the East the command of a king is imperative; and Jesse, however reluctant and alarmed, had no alternative but to comply.
20. Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them … unto Saul—as a token of homage and respect.
21. David came to Saul—Providence thus prepared David for his destiny, by placing him in a way to become acquainted with the manners of the court, the business of government, and the general state of the kingdom.
became his armour-bearer—This choice, as being an expression of the king's partiality, shows how honorable the office was held to be.
23. David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well—The ancients believed that music had a mysterious influence in healing mental disorders.