1 Samuel 16
16
Samuel Is Sent to Bethlehem. 1#Ru 4:17–22; 1 Kgs 1:39; 1 Chr 11:3; Is 11:1; Mt 2:6; Lk 2:4. The Lord said to Samuel: How long will you grieve for Saul, whom I have rejected as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for from among his sons I have decided on a king.#David is anointed two more times after Saul’s death (2 Sm 2:4; 5:3). In 17:28, his brother Eliab is not aware of David’s selection. These repetitions and inconsistencies reflect the final editor’s use of multiple sources. 2But Samuel replied: “How can I go? Saul will hear of it and kill me.” To this the Lord answered: Take a heifer along and say, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.” 3Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I myself will tell you what to do; you are to anoint for me the one I point out to you.#1 Sm 9:13, 22, 24.
Samuel Anoints David. 4Samuel did as the Lord had commanded him. When he entered Bethlehem, the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and asked, “Is your visit peaceful, O seer?” 5He replied: “Yes! I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. So purify yourselves and celebrate with me today.” He also had Jesse and his sons purify themselves and invited them to the sacrifice.#1 Sm 9:12–13; 20:26; Ex 19:10; Jb 1:5. 6As they came, he looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the anointed is here before the Lord.” 7But the Lord said to Samuel: Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. God does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance. The Lord looks into the heart.#1 Sm 10:23–24; 1 Kgs 11:4; 1 Chr 28:9; Prv 15:11; Jer 17:10; 20:12; Lk 16:15; Acts 1:24. 8#1 Sm 17:12–13; 1 Chr 2:13–15. Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him before Samuel, who said, “The Lord has not chosen him.” 9Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 10In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any one of these.” 11Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, but he is tending the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send for him; we will not sit down to eat until he arrives here.”#1 Sm 17:15, 28, 34; 2 Sm 7:8; Ps 78:70–71. 12Jesse had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth with beautiful eyes, and good looking. The Lord said: There—anoint him, for this is the one!#1 Sm 9:2. 13Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed him in the midst of his brothers, and from that day on, the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David. Then Samuel set out for Ramah.#1 Sm 10:6; 11:6; Jgs 3:10; 9:9; Sir 46:13.
David Wins Saul’s Approval. 14#These verses explain Saul’s loss of divine favor and David’s rise to power. By approving the young man, Saul identifies David as his legitimate successor. Of the two traditions in the Hebrew text about David’s entry into Saul’s service, the Greek translation retains only the one found in vv. 14–23; 17:1–11, 32–54. An evil spirit from the Lord: Saul’s erratic behavior is attributed to a change in the Lord’s relationship with him. Cf. Jgs 9:23, where the Lord puts an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem. #1 Sm 18:10–11. The spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and he was tormented by an evil spirit from the Lord. 15So the servants of Saul said to him: “Look! An evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16If your lordship will order it, we, your servants here attending to you, will look for a man skilled in playing the harp. When the evil spirit from God comes upon you, he will play and you will feel better.” 17Saul then told his servants, “Find me a good harpist and bring him to me.” 18#1 Sm 18:12, 14, 28; 2 Sm 5:10; 17:8; Jn 3:2. One of the servants spoke up: “I have observed that a son of Jesse of Bethlehem is a skillful harpist. He is also a brave warrior, an able speaker, and a handsome young man. The Lord is certainly with him.”
David Made Armor-Bearer. 19Accordingly, Saul dispatched messengers to ask Jesse to send him his son David, who was with the flock. 20Then Jesse took five loaves of bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them to Saul with his son David.#1 Sm 9:7–8; 10:3–4; 16:1; 17:17–19. 21Thus David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul became very fond of him and made him his armor-bearer.#1 Sm 18:2. 22Saul sent Jesse the message, “Let David stay in my service, for he meets with my approval.” 23Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take the harp and play, and Saul would be relieved and feel better, for the evil spirit would leave him.
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1 Samuel 16: NABRE
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
1 Samuel 16
16
David Is Anointed
1Then Yahweh said to Samuel, “How long#Literally “Until when” will you mourn about Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel! Fill up your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have chosen a king for myself among his sons.” 2But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears, he will kill me.” Yahweh said, “You must take a heifer from the herd with you,#Literally “in/with your hand” and you must say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.’ 3You will invite Jesse to the sacrifice and I will make known to you what you must do. You will anoint for me the one whom I tell you.”
4So Samuel did what Yahweh said. He came to Bethlehem, and the elders of the city came trembling to meet him. They said, “Have you come in peace?”#Literally “Is your coming peace?” 5He said, “I come in peace. I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” So he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6When they came,#Literally “And it happened at their coming” he#That is, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Surely his anointed one is before Yahweh!” 7But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For God does not see what man sees, for a man looks on the outward appearance,#Literally “sees as far as the eyes” but Yahweh looks on the heart.”#Literally “sees as far as the heart” 8Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel, and he said, “This one also Yahweh has not chosen.” 9So Jesse made Shammah pass before Samuel, but he said, “Yahweh also has not chosen this one.” 10And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, “Yahweh has not chosen any of these.”
11Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?”#Literally “Are the boys finished?” And he said, “The youngest still remains, but look, he is shepherding the flock.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him, for we cannot sit down#Literally “turn”; for “sit down” see HALOT 739 s.v. 2.c until he comes here.” 12So he sent and brought him. Now he was ruddy with beautiful eyes and of handsome#Literally “good” appearance. And Yahweh said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” 13So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. Then the Spirit of Yahweh rushed upon David from that day on.#Literally “and forward” Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.
Saul in Torment
14Now the Spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul and an evil spirit from Yahweh tormented him. 15So the servants of Saul said to him, “Look please, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16Please, let our lord command your servants who are before you! Let them seek a man skilled in playing on the lyre. When#Literally “And it will happen that” the evil spirit from God is upon you, he can play on it#Literally “with his hand” and you will feel better.”#Literally “and it will be good for you” 17So Saul said to his servants, “Please select a man who plays a stringed instrument well#Literally “doing well to play a stringed instrument” and bring him to me.”
18One of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skillful in playing a stringed instrument, a brave man, a warrior, prudent in speech, and handsome.#Literally “a hero of ability, a man of war, discerning of word, and a man of appearance” And Yahweh is with him.” 19So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son who is with the sheep.” 20And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread and a skin of wine and one young goat#Literally “kid of a goat” and sent them to Saul by the hand of David his son. 21So David came to Saul and entered his service.#Literally “stood before him” He#That is, Saul loved him greatly and he became Saul’s armor bearer.#Literally “he became for him a carrier of weapons” 22Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, because he has found favor in my sight.”#Literally “in my eyes” 23So whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the stringed instrument and play it with his hand. Then it would bring relief#Literally “it would be relieved” for Saul; he would feel better#Literally “it would be good for him” and the evil spirit would depart from him.
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