The First Book of Samuel, otherwise called the First Book of the Kings

1 Samuel 16

Chapter XVI · Vol. II, pp. 652–654

1 Samuel sent by God, under pretence of a sacrifice, cometh to Beth-lehem. 6 Jesse's seven sons pass before him, but are not approved by God. 11 David is sent for, approved, and anointed. 14 Saul sendeth for David to quiet his evil spirit.

Margin referencesNotes ↓

1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, ^aHow long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill thine ^bhorn with oil, and go, I will send thee to ^cJesse the Beth-lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

a ch.15.11,26,35.

b ch.10.1. 2 Ki.9.1,6.

c Ru.4.18-22. 1 Ch.2.10-15. Ps.78.68,70,71. Ge.49.10. ch.13.14; 15.28. Ac.13.22.

2 And Samuel said, ^dHow can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, ^eI am come to sacrifice to the LORD.¹

d Lu.1.34. Ex.3.11. Je.1.6. Ps.112.5. Mat.10.16.

e ch.9.12. Je.38.27. He told nothing but the truth, though not the whole of it.

1 This was not duplicity, but prudence and mercy; as the declaration of the purpose to anoint a new king would have plunged a man of Saul's temper into deeper sin.—C.

3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice,² and I will show thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.

2 Or, feast.

4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Beth-lehem: and the elders of the town ^ftrembled at his coming,³ and said, ^gComest thou peaceably?⁴

f ch.13.17; 21.1. Ho.11.10. Ca.6.4. Pr.14.19. Ps.53.5.

3 Heb. meeting.

g 1 Ki.2.13. 2 Ki.9.22.

4 Having been accustomed to meet Samuel as a judge of unbending integrity, they may, as inferior judges, have trembled at some consciousness of improper administration; or conscious of the irreligion of the place, so general in the days of Saul, they may have dreaded some message of wrath from God.—C.

5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD; ^hsanctify ⁵yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

h Jos.3.5; 7.13. Ex.19.10,14,15. Le.20.7. Nu.11.18. Job 1.5. Joel 2.16.

5 By washing your clothes, as an emblem of the purifying nature of the true Sacrifice.—C.

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

i ch.17.13. 1 Ch.2.13, or Elihu, 1 Ch.27.18.

7 But the LORD ^ksaid unto Samuel, Look not on his ^lcountenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD ^mseeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance,⁶ but the LORD looketh on the heart.⁷

k By secret inspiration, ch.9.17; ver.12.

l ch.9.2; 10.23. 2 Sa.14.25.

m Job 10.4. 1 Ch.28.9. 2 Ch.6.30. Ps.7.9; 94.1; 139.2. Pr.15.11; 16.2. Je.11.20; 17.10; 20.12. Eze.11.5. Lu.16.5. Ac.1.24; 15.8. He.4.13. Re.2.23.

6 Heb. eyes.

7 The precipitance with which Samuel pronounced in favour of Eliab is employed to call forth one of the most important contrasts between the judgments of God and of men: 'The Lord looketh on the heart'—it is open to him, and bare before him.—C.

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

n ch.17.13. 1 Ch.2.13.

9 Then Jesse made ^oShammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.

o Shimeah, 2 Sa.13.3; 21.21, or Shimma, 1 Ch.2.13.

**MOSLEM OVENS, NAZARETH—WHERE A DESCENDANT OF DAVID, CHRIST THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, SPENT THIRTY YEARS. [I. SAMUEL, xvi: 13.]** "Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him (David) in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward." Christ was of the house and lineage of David, the account of whose anointing by Samuel we have given in the above verse, and we illustrate this Scripture by giving a picture of the Moslem ovens in Nazareth, where Christ grew up. In these ovens all the Moslems of the town have their bread baked. An authority says that "the ordinary tannut, or oven, is merely a hole in the ground about three feet deep and two feet in diameter, lined with cement, and smoothly polished. It is filled with thorn brushes, dry grass and weeds, or with any kind of fuel that will make a sudden and fierce blaze and the heat is kept up by throwing in a fresh supply as occasion requires."

Vol. II, p. 654

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

A.M. cir. 2942. B.C. cir. 1062.

p ch.17.12,13. 1 Ch.2.13-16.

11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, ^qhe keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down⁸ till he come hither.

q 2 Sa.7.8. Ps.78.70,71. 1 Ch.17.7. Am.1.1. Ex.3.1.

8 Heb. round.

12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he^r was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance,⁹ and goodly to look to.¹ And the LORD said, ^sArise, anoint him: for this is he.

r La.4.7. Ca.5.10. Jn.1.14.

9 Heb. fair of eyes.

1 Personal beauty, as in the case of Absalom, is no proof of moral worth. Nevertheless it is a gift of God of no slight importance, if joined with grace to counteract the pride that too often accompanies and disfigures it.—C.

s Ps.89.19,20; 2.6. 2 Sa.2.4; 5.2.

13 Then Samuel took ^tthe horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and ^uthe Spirit of the LORD² came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to ^xRamah.

t ver.1,2. As secretly as possible.

u Nu.27.18. Ju.3.10; 13.25; 14.6. ch.10.6,10; ver.18.

2 The best and fullest account of the oncoming of the Spirit may be found, Is. 11. 2, &c. Lu. 4. 18, 19. Ga. 5.22, 23.—C.

x ch.7.17.

14 But the ^ySpirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an ^zevil spirit from the LORD troubled³ him.⁴

y ch.11.6; 28.19,20. Mat.13.12. Ho.9.12.

z ch.18.10; 19.9,10. Ju.9.23. 1 Ki.22.23. Ac.19.15. Is.19.14?. Ps.81.11,12.

3 Or, terrified.

4 Melancholy mania arising from diabolical agency and possession. Infidelity and scepticism call in question or ridicule the doctrine of Satanic existence or agency; a Christian will find little difficulty in deciding which he is to credit.—C.

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

16 Let 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 ^ahe shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.⁵

a 2 Ki.3.15. ver.23.

5 If the malady of Saul arose from Satanic agency, how could the harp effect its temporary expulsion? If we knew more of the nature of invisible agents, we might be better able to answer this question. Meantime it may tend to cure the vanity of scepticism to ask, how music prevails to rouse, to irritate, or to soothe a human spirit. And when it shall have solved that question, it will be time enough to deny its influence upon other spirits.—C.

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

18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is cunning in playing, ^band a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters,⁶ and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.

b ch.17.32,37,49. Ps.89.19-21. ver.12.

A.M. cir. 2942. B.C. cir. 1062.

6 Or, speech.

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

c ver.11; ch.17.15. Ps.113.7,8; 78.71. 2 Sa.7.8.

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

d It was a common present, Ge.38.17. Ju.15.1. Lu.15.29.

21 And David came to Saul, and ^estood before him: and he ^floved him greatly; and he became his armour-bearer.⁷

e De.1.38; 10.8. Pr.22.29.

f Ps.62.9; 118.9; 146.3.

7 To carry his shield, spear, &c., a post of great honour and confidence.—C.

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

g Continue waiting upon my person, ver.21.

23 And 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 ^hwas refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

h 2 Ki.3.15. Mat.12.43-45. ch.18.10; 19.9.

Notes

Reflections.—God tenderly sympathizes with his people's griefs; and yet what fear of man remains in the most noble hearts! How awful are the faithful ministers of Christ to all around; and what need have we to prepare ourselves for God's noted favours by solemn repentance, application to Jesus' blood, and surrender of ourselves to his service! The choicest saints are apt to dote too much on external appearances, even after they have, to their grief, got proofs of its vanity. For God according to merit distributes his favours and honours: Yea, often to those who seem least likely to manage them aright. But where he sends on his work, he abundantly qualifies for the employ. How quickly the devil takes possession of those whom God has deserted! Yet, notwithstanding the numerous expedients which carnal men devise for the removal of their inward troubles, they will all at last prove only ruinous and deceitful.