4 And Samuel H8050 did H6213 that which the LORD H3068 spake, H1696 and came H935 to Bethlehem. H1035 And the elders H2205 of the town H5892 trembled H2729 at his coming, H7125 and said, H559 Comest H935 thou peaceably? H7965
And Adonijah H138 the son H1121 of Haggith H2294 came H935 to Bathsheba H1339 the mother H517 of Solomon. H8010 And she said, H559 Comest H935 thou peaceably? H7965 And he said, H559 Peaceably. H7965
And David H1732 went out H3318 to meet H6440 them, and answered H6030 and said H559 unto them, If ye be come H935 peaceably H7965 unto me to help H5826 me, mine heart H3824 shall be knit H3162 unto you: but if ye be come to betray H7411 me to mine enemies, H6862 seeing there is no H3808 wrong H2555 in mine hands, H3709 the God H430 of our fathers H1 look H7200 thereon, and rebuke H3198 it. Then the spirit H7307 came H3847 upon Amasai, H6022 who was chief H7218 of the captains, H7970 H7991 and he said, Thine are we, David, H1732 and on thy side, thou son H1121 of Jesse: H3448 peace, H7965 peace H7965 be unto thee, and peace H7965 be to thine helpers; H5826 for thy God H430 helpeth H5826 thee. Then David H1732 received H6901 them, and made H5414 them captains H7218 of the band. H1416
And as for me, when I came H935 from Padan, H6307 Rachel H7354 died H4191 by me in the land H776 of Canaan H3667 in the way, H1870 when H5750 yet there was but a little H3530 way H776 to come H935 unto Ephrath: H672 and I buried her H6912 there in the way H1870 of Ephrath; H672 the same is Bethlehem. H1035
And she said H559 unto Elijah, H452 What have I to do with thee, O thou man H376 of God? H430 art thou come H935 unto me to call H2142 my sin H5771 to remembrance, H2142 and to slay H4191 my son? H1121
Therefore have I hewed H2672 them by the prophets; H5030 I have slain H2026 them by the words H561 of my mouth: H6310 and thy judgments H4941 are as the light H216 that goeth forth. H3318
And G1161 Joseph G2501 also G2532 went up G305 from G575 Galilee, G1056 out of G1537 the city G4172 of Nazareth, G3478 into G1519 Judaea, G2449 unto G1519 the city G4172 of David, G1138 which G3748 is called G2564 Bethlehem; G965 (because G1223 he G846 was G1511 of G1537 the house G3624 and G2532 lineage G3965 of David:) G1138
When G1161 Simon G4613 Peter G4074 saw G1492 it, he fell down at G4363 Jesus' G2424 knees, G1119 saying, G3004 Depart G1831 from G575 me; G1700 for G3754 I am G1510 a sinful G268 man, G435 O Lord. G2962
Then G2532 the whole G537 multitude G4128 of the country G4066 of the Gadarenes G1046 round about G4066 besought G2065 him G846 to depart G565 from G575 them; G846 for G3754 they were taken G4912 with great G3173 fear: G5401 and G1161 he G846 went up G1684 into G1519 the ship, G4143 and returned back again. G5290
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.