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1 Samuel 16

KJV · Chapter 16/31

1And 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 Beth–lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

2And 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.

3And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.

4And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Beth–lehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?

5And 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.

6And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.

7But 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.

8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.

9Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.

10Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these.

11And 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.

12And 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.

13Then 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.

14But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.

15And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

16Let 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.

17And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.

18Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth–lehemite, 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.

19Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.

20And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.

21And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.

22And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.

23And 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.

📖 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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