1 Samuel 16
16
Samuel Anoints David
1The Lord said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul,#1Sm 15:35 since I have rejected him as king over Israel?#1Sm 13:13–14; 15:23 Fill your horn with oil#1Sm 9:16; 10:1; 2Kg 9:1 and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem#Ru 4:17–22 because I have selected for myself a king from his sons.”
2Samuel asked, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!”
The Lord answered, “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’#1Sm 20:29 3Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do.#Ex 4:15; Ac 9:6 You are to anoint for me the one I indicate to you.”#Dt 17:14–15; 1Sm 9:16
4Samuel did what the Lord directed and went to Bethlehem.#Gn 48:7; Lk 2:4 When the elders of the town met him, they trembled#16:4 LXX reads were astonished and asked, “Do#16:4 DSS, LXX read “Seer, do you come in peace?” #1Kg 2:13; 2Kg 9:22; 1Ch 12:17–18
5“In peace,” he replied. “I’ve come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves#Gn 35:2; Ex 19:10 and come with me to the sacrifice.”#16:5 LXX reads and rejoice with me today Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab#1Sm 17:13 and said, “Certainly the Lord’s anointed one is here before him.”
7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees,#16:7 LXX reads God does not see as a man sees for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”#1Kg 8:39; Jr 17:10; Lk 16:15; Jn 2:24–25
8Jesse called Abinadab#1Sm 17:13 and presented him to Samuel. “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either,” Samuel said. 9Then Jesse presented Shammah,#1Sm 17:13 but Samuel said, “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either.” 10After Jesse presented seven of his sons to him, Samuel told Jesse, “The Lord hasn’t chosen any of these.” 11Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?”
“There is still the youngest,”#1Sm 17:12; 2Sm 13:3 he answered, “but right now he’s tending the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse, “Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he gets here.” 12So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy,#16:12 Or ruddy handsome appearance.#1Sm 17:42
Then the Lord said, “Anoint him, for he is the one.”#1Sm 9:17 13So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him#1Sm 10:1 in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on David from that day forward.#Ps 51:10–12; Ezk 36:27; Ac 2:1–17 Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.
David in Saul’s Court
14Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul,#1Sm 11:6; 18:12; 28:15 and an evil spirit sent from the Lord began to torment him, 15so Saul’s servants said to him, “You see that an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16Let our lord command your servants here in your presence to look for someone who knows how to play the lyre. Whenever the evil spirit from God comes on you, that person can play the lyre, and you will feel better.”#1Sm 18:10; 19:9; 2Kg 3:15
17Then Saul commanded his servants, “Find me someone who plays well and bring him to me.”
18One of the young men answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is also a valiant man,#1Sm 17:32–36 a warrior, eloquent, handsome, and the Lord is with him.”#1Sm 3:19; 18:12–14
19Then Saul dispatched messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” 20So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a wineskin, and one young goat and sent them by his son David to Saul.#1Sm 10:4,27; Pr 18:16 21When David came to Saul#Gn 41:46; Pr 22:29 and entered his service, Saul loved him very much, and David became his armor-bearer. 22Then Saul sent word to Jesse: “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor with me.” 23Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul,#1Sm 16:14–16 David would pick up his lyre and play, and Saul would then be relieved, feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.
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1 Samuel 16: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
1 Samuel 16
16
Samuel anoints David
1The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.’
2But Samuel said, ‘How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.’
The Lord said, ‘Take a heifer with you and say, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.” 3Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.’
4Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, ‘Do you come in peace?’
5Samuel replied, ‘Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.’ Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.’
7But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’
8Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, ‘The Lord has not chosen this one either.’ 9Jesse then made Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, ‘Nor has the Lord chosen this one.’ 10Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, ‘The Lord has not chosen these.’ 11So he asked Jesse, ‘Are these all the sons you have?’
‘There is still the youngest,’ Jesse answered. ‘He is tending the sheep.’
Samuel said, ‘Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.’
12So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; this is the one.’
13So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.
David in Saul’s service
14Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil#16:14 Or and a harmful; similarly in verses 15, 16 and 23 spirit from the Lord tormented him.
15Saul’s attendants said to him, ‘See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.’
17So Saul said to his attendants, ‘Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.’
18One of the servants answered, ‘I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.’
19Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, ‘Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.’ 20So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.
21David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armour-bearers. 22Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, ‘Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.’
23Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.
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