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1 Samuel 16

BLIVRE · Chapter 16/31

1E disse o SENHOR a Samuel: Até quando hás tu de chorar por Saul, havendo-o eu rejeitado para que não reine sobre Israel? Enche teu chifre de azeite, e vem, te enviarei a Jessé de Belém: porque de seus filhos me provi de rei.

2E disse Samuel: Como irei? Se Saul o entender, me matará. O SENHOR respondeu: Toma contigo uma bezerra das vacas, e dize: A sacrificar ao SENHOR vim.

3E chama a Jessé ao sacrifício, e eu te ensinarei o que hás de fazer; e ungirás a mim ao que eu te disser.

4Fez pois Samuel como lhe disse o SENHOR: e logo que ele chegou a Belém, os anciãos da cidade lhe saíram a receber com medo, e disseram: É pacífica tua vinda?

5E ele respondeu: Sim, venho a sacrificar ao SENHOR; santificai-vos, e vinde comigo ao sacrifício. E santificando ele a Jessé e a seus filhos, chamou-os ao sacrifício.

6E aconteceu que quando eles vieram, ele viu a Eliabe, e disse: De certo diante do SENHOR está seu ungido.

7E o SENHOR respondeu a Samuel: Não olhes à sua aparência, nem à sua grande estatura, porque eu o rejeito; porque o SENHOR olha não o que o homem olha; pois que o homem olha o que está diante de seus olhos, mas o SENHOR olha o coração.

8Então chamou Jessé a Abinadabe, e fez-lhe passar diante de Samuel, o qual disse: nem a este o SENHOR escolheu.

9Fez logo passar Jessé a Samá. E ele disse: Tampouco a este o SENHOR escolheu.

10E Jessé fez passar seus sete filhos diante de Samuel; mas Samuel disse a Jessé: o SENHOR não escolheu a estes.

11Então disse Samuel a Jessé: Acabaram-se os moços? E ele respondeu: Ainda resta o mais novo, que apascenta as ovelhas. E disse Samuel a Jessé: Envia por ele, porque não nos assentaremos à mesa até que ele venha aqui.

12Enviou, pois, por ele, e introduziu-o; o qual era ruivo, de bela aparência e de belo aspecto. Então o SENHOR disse: Levanta-te e unge-o, que este é.

13E Samuel tomou o chifre do azeite, e ungiu-o dentre seus irmãos: e desde aquele dia em diante o espírito do SENHOR tomou a Davi. Levantou-se logo Samuel, e voltou-se a Ramá.

14E o espírito do SENHOR se afastou de Saul, e atormentava-lhe o espírito mau da parte do SENHOR.

15E os criados de Saul lhe disseram: Eis que agora, que o espírito mau da parte de Deus te atormenta.

16Diga, pois, nosso senhor a teus servos que estão diante de ti, que busquem alguém que saiba tocar a harpa; para que quando for sobre ti o espírito mau da parte de Deus, ele toque com sua mão, e tenhas alívio.

17E Saul respondeu a seus criados: Buscai-me pois agora algum que toque bem, e traze-o a mim.

18Então um dos criados respondeu, dizendo: Eis que eu vi a um filho de Jessé de Belém, que sabe tocar, e é valente e vigoroso, e homem de guerra, prudente em suas palavras, e belo, e o SENHOR é com ele.

19E Saul enviou mensageiros a Jessé, dizendo: Envia-me a Davi teu filho, o que está com as ovelhas.

20E tomou Jessé um asno carregado de pão, e uma vasilha de vinho e um cabrito, e enviou-o a Saul por meio de Davi seu filho.

21E vindo Davi a Saul, esteve diante dele: e amou-o ele muito, e foi feito seu escudeiro.

22E Saul enviou a dizer a Jessé: Eu te rogo que esteja Davi comigo; porque achou graça em meus olhos.

23E quando o espírito mau da parte de Deus era sobre Saul, Davi tomava a harpa, e tocava com sua mão; e Saul tinha refrigério, e estava melhor, e o espírito mau se afastava dele.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

God sends Samuel to Bethlehem to secretly anoint David, the youngest of Jesse's sons, as the next king. Meanwhile, a tormenting spirit afflicts Saul, and David is brought to the royal court to play the harp and bring him relief.

Explanation

God's famous statement to Samuel — 'the Lord seeth not as man seeth... the Lord looketh on the heart' (v.7) — corrects the human tendency to judge leadership and worth by impressive outward appearance alone, as had happened with Saul's initial selection for his height and good looks. It is ironic and significant that the same David, secretly anointed as future king, is brought to Saul's court not as a political rival but as a hired musician to soothe him, entering the king's life in a humble, useful way well before any direct confrontation over the throne. This chapter shows how God prepares people for great responsibilities through gradual, seemingly minor steps, allowing character and experience to mature before the calling is fully revealed.

Fun facts

  • The physical description of David as 'ruddy, and of a beautiful countenance' uses the Hebrew term 'admoni,' the same root as 'Adam' and the word for 'red/earth,' possibly indicating reddish hair or skin tone.
  • The 'evil spirit from the Lord' that tormented Saul (v.14) is interpreted by commentators in various ways — some view it as divine permission for spiritual oppression as a consequence of Saul's rejection, others as an ancient Hebrew description of severe depression or mental instability.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 1 Samuel 16:1God gently rebukes Samuel’s prolonged mourning — even the prophet needs reminding to move forward and act on God’s new choice.
  2. 1 Samuel 16:2God acknowledges the real danger Samuel faces — anointing a new king while the old one still reigns would be seen as treason — and so provides a safe pretext for the trip.
  3. 1 Samuel 16:3The public sacrifice serves as the perfect cover: no one would suspect that the true purpose of Samuel’s visit was to secretly choose the next king.
  4. 1 Samuel 16:4The elders’ fear at seeing an important prophet suddenly arrive shows that such visits usually came with bad news or judgment — hence the anxious question.
  5. 1 Samuel 16:5“Sanctify yourselves” involved purification rituals before taking part in a sacrifice — a normal religious preparation that here also serves to quietly gather all of Jesse’s sons.
  6. 1 Samuel 16:6Samuel repeats the very mistake of judging by appearance that the people made when choosing Saul — impressed by the oldest brother even before asking God about him.
  7. 1 Samuel 16:7The idea that God looks “on the heart,” not on appearance, is said right after Samuel had already been impressed by the height of Eliab, David’s oldest brother — the verse exists to correct the prophet’s own first wrong impression.
  8. 1 Samuel 16:8With the next son, Samuel no longer repeats his first mistake — this time he waits for divine confirmation before assuming anything.
  9. 1 Samuel 16:9The same negative answer repeating, son after son, builds the tension of the scene: none of the obvious candidates is the chosen one.
  10. 1 Samuel 16:10Seven sons pass through the evaluation without a single one being approved — the pattern of repeated rejection sets up the final surprise: someone is missing whom no one had even called.
  11. 1 Samuel 16:11David had not even been invited to the gathering — his absence, tending sheep far from home, shows how much he was seen as the least likely of the brothers.
  12. 1 Samuel 16:12Despite David’s pleasant appearance, mentioned here, the chapter’s central point remains that God’s choice came through direct revelation, not visual impression, as verse 7 had already made clear.
  13. 1 Samuel 16:13The anointing happens privately, right in the middle of his own family, with no public ceremony — very different from the national acclamation Saul received at Mizpah and Gilgal.
  14. 1 Samuel 16:14Saying that “an evil spirit from the Lord” torments Saul sounds strange today, but it reflects an ancient way of thinking in which everything — good or bad — ultimately came from God, with no separate devil competing for power with Him. There is no developed theology of possession here as it would be understood later.
  15. 1 Samuel 16:15It is Saul’s own servants who notice and name the problem — suggesting the king’s troubled behavior was already visible enough to worry those around him.
  16. 1 Samuel 16:16Music as a remedy for spiritual anguish was an accepted idea at the time — the servants propose a practical, culturally recognized solution for Saul’s suffering.
  17. 1 Samuel 16:17Saul accepts the suggestion without resistance, showing how desperate he already was for some relief from the suffering he had been facing.
  18. 1 Samuel 16:18The glowing description of David, given by a stranger at Saul’s court, already lists almost every quality — musician, warrior, wise man — that will be confirmed throughout the coming chapters.
  19. 1 Samuel 16:19Saul calls David to the court with no idea that he is bringing close to himself the very replacement already secretly anointed by Samuel.
  20. 1 Samuel 16:20Sending gifts along with his son was a courtesy custom when introducing someone at the royal court — a gesture that also helped ensure a good reception for David.
  21. 1 Samuel 16:21Becoming the king’s personal armor-bearer was a position of high trust — David enters the court not as just any musician, but already in a role of direct closeness to Saul.
  22. 1 Samuel 16:22Saul formally asks that David stay in permanent service, showing just how quickly he won the trust of the king who, unknowingly, would later become his greatest rival.
  23. 1 Samuel 16:23The solution works exactly as the servants predicted — but the chapter’s greater irony is that Saul’s relief comes precisely from the hands of the man already chosen by God to take his place.

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