1 Samuel 16 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

1 Samuel 16

David Anointed King

16:1 The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” 2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ 3 And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” 4 Samuel did what the LORD commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.” 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” 10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” 11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest,¹ but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

David in Saul’s Service

14 Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the LORD tormented him. 15 And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. 16 Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.” 17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.” 18 One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the LORD is with him.” 19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.” 20 And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul. 21 And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. 22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.

Footnotes

[1] 16:11 Or smallest

Commentary

v1: Samuel had anointed Saul, and now mourned for him, as he slid further away from the Lord God. But the Scriptures and the promises of God had to be fulfilled, see 15.28. A new king had to be found, and Samuel had the task of anointing him. The Lord God directed Samuel to Bethlehem, and to the family of Jesse. The Lord also directed how Samuel would bring the people together (v3).

v2-4: Samuel recognised Saul's potential jealousy, for he would not tolerate a rival king. So, Samuel's life would be at risk. The elders of Bethlehem also realised this.

v5: The elders of Bethlehem were worried. Samuel had indeed come to sacrifice, and the elders of Bethlehem were invited.

v6: Eliab, like Saul, had an impressive appearance.

v7: God looked at Eliab's heart; this was the standard by which Saul had been rejected (13.13-14), and by which David would be accepted. Men judge the heart by actions; God judges our actions by the heart.

Even Samuel nearly erred here; but his ear was open to God's voice of correction. We need to see as the Lord sees; the spiritual reality is sometimes different from the physical appearance.

v8-11: Jesse had all his sons brought before Samuel. David had not even been invited. He was being faithful in tending the sheep. He was taken from the sheepfolds to feed the flock of God, and to Shepherd His people.

'David's duties in the wilderness illuminate us to his place in his family and offer us an insight into how he must have felt about his place in the world. He was overlooked and forgotten. David endured not just the wilderness in which he was physically isolated. He was also emotionally and relationally isolated. When Samuel comes to anoint one of Jesse's sons for kingship, Jesse doesn't believe that there is any potential for greatness within his David. He is the runt of the family - an afterthought. (Mark Sayers, A non-anxious presence.)

v12-13: David was chosen and appointed, by God and by Samuel, and in public.

These events in Bethlehem were unknown to Saul. Thus, when David served Saul, he was ignorant of the fact that David had been anointed as king.

v14: The narrative contrasts the blessing of the Spirit of God upon David, with the evil spirit upon Saul. (It is possible that this incident preceded David's anointing.)

v15-17: It was recognised that music would have an effect upon the torment of the evil spirit, see v23.

v18: David's good reputation among the people. He was a young man, but godly; age is no barrier to godliness.

v19-20: See 14.52; Saul took David for himself.

v21-23: Saul as impressed with David; he later gave more responsibility to David, as his armour-bearer. Again we see that David proved faithful in whatever task he was given. Later, Saul became jealous of David's success, 18.8