Paul, speaking in Antioch on his first missionary tour, said: “And after these things, God gave Israel judges until Samuel the prophet. And then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. And after He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David ben Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.’ From the offspring of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus.” (Acts 13:20–23).

Outline of Chapter 16:

       vv.    1–5        God Sends Samuel to the House of Jesse

       vv.    6–10      Jesse Brings Seven Sons to Stand Before Samuel

       vv.   11–13      Jesse Brings David out Before Samuel

       vv.   14–18      Saul Is Terrorized by an Evil Spirit/A Servant Suggests Music-Therapy

       vv.   19–23      Saul Sends for David

Charts and Maps:

       v.      2           Where Have Sacrifices To God Been Offered?

       v.      2           Parallels Between the Sacrifice of Samuel and Our Lord to Come

       v.      2           Is this Modus Operandi of Samuel Legitimate?

       v.      2           Examples of Normal Situations Where Not Everything is Revealed or Where Lying is Appropriate

       v.      5           A Brief Look at Sanctification in the Old Testament

       v.     11           Contrast the Jacob and Jesse’s Treatment of their Youngest Sons

       v.     11           How Do We Account for the Missing Son of Jesse?

       v.     13           Old Testament Saints Who Received the Spirit of God

       v.     18           Which Old Testament Saints Are Said to Have God with Them?

       v.     22           Joseph and David

       v.     23           Why Did God Not Immediately Install David as King Over Israel?

       v.     23           Why God Places David in the Palace of Saul

I ntroduction: Although I have broken 1Sam. 16 into 5 parts, this chapter actually presents us with two parallel situations: in the first, God sends Samuel to David (vv. 1–13); in the second, Saul send his own servant to David (vv. 14–23). Let’s cover the first half of the chapter first: God sends Samuel to the house of Jesse, who has eight sons, one of whom will become the next king. Samuel will meet Jesse’s first seven sons, none of whom prompts Samuel by the Holy Spirit to recognize him as Israel’s next king. Then Jesse recalls that he does have one more son, although the implication is that he can’t see this young boy as a king. He brings David in before Samuel and Samuel anoints David as the next king of Israel, and God the Holy Spirit rests upon David.

The second half of 1Sam. 16 appears to be simultaneous to this. The Holy Spirit is withdrawn from King Saul, and he is plagued by an evil spirit instead. Saul’s servants suggest music-therapy as a solution, and one of them knows about a young man named David who plays a harp or lyre quite well. Saul sends his servants to fetch David to serve him. So David is called upon by God to serve Israel and by Saul’s servants to serve Saul.

In more detail, we have God coming to Samuel, who is grieving over Saul, and God tells Samuel not to grieve over Saul, as He has rejected him from being king. End of story (v. 1). Samuel is somewhat concerned, realizing that his trip to anoint another king could rouse deadly anger and retribution from Saul. God tells Samuel to take a heifer with him, with the explanation that the heifer is to be sacrificed, should anyone inquire about Samuel’s trip (vv. 2–3). As we will see, there is apparently a fair amount of rumors circulating, so that when Samuel arrives in Bethlehem, the home of Jesse, David’s father, he is asked if he comes in peace (v. 4). Jesse and his sons are invited to this sacrifice, and Jesse is asked to bring his sons out before Samuel. Son after son passes before Samuel, and all seven are rejected (vv. 5–10). When it appears as though the last son has come before Samuel, he asks Jesse, “Don’t you have any more sons?” Jesse also has his youngest son, David, who he did not bring before Samuel. So David is brought out, and Samuel anoints him (vv. 11–13). The Holy Spirit comes upon David, and leaves Saul (vv. 13–14).

Then God sends an evil spirit to terrorize Saul; his behavior is such that this becomes a discussion between Saul and his servants. One suggests that a musician be brought in to soothe Saul during his affliction, and another suggests that this man be David (vv. 15–18). Saul dispatches a servant to fetch David from his family, and Jesse sends David along with a gift (vv. 19–20). David tries out before Saul, and Saul likes David tremendously. He asks his father to allow David to go into full-time service to the palace (vv. 21–22). It came about that when David played, the evil spirit would depart from Saul (v. 23). Also, we find out that Saul makes (or will make) David his armor bearer (v. 21).

As McGee points out, this chapter will show us a contrast between David, who is God’s chosen; and Saul, a man who looks like a king, but who disobeys God at every turn.

There are detractors from this text who suggest that these chapters are the product of Davidic apologists who want to make his rise to power along with the execution of Saul’s relatives more palatable. This is nothing more than an attempt to imply that this is not God’s Word, but simply a collection of fables. Like all of Scripture, it either is God’s Word or it is not. However, there is no indication that these chapters were collected and inserted simply to make David look good and Saul look bad. A full portrait of David will be given us—warts and all.

Gnana Robinson seems to go out of his way to buck tradition by acting as an apologist for Saul and accusing Samuel of staging a coup by anointing David. As we will see, David, although crowned king, will do nothing to usurp Saul’s rulership, as Saul is God’s anointed one. He knows at an early age that he has been chosen by God to rule Israel; however, David is very patient in that regard. However, it is true, as Robinson points out, that David will not have to start from scratch, as Saul did. Saul did not begin as a great military leader; he was called upon to do that. Saul did not assume control of an organized kingdom, but had the chore of organizing Israel into a cohesive whole. However, the key to Saul’s failure and David’s success was obedience to God.

Let me draw an analogy here: if you choose, in your life, to exercise and to eat natural, whole foods, then physically, you will develop differently from one whose lifestyle is wholly sedentary and who eats nothing but high fat, fast foods. Of course, genetics plays a part here, but assuming a similar genetic makeup, then the first, by simple, natural law, will develop a healthier body. Our success in life is also a matter of our free will. God has made it fairly clear what is right and what is wrong, and our obedience to God is going to naturally result in a better life. Therefore, we can expect that Saul, in his rationalized disobedience (e.g., 1Sam. 15:15, 20, 24), will fair worse in life than David, who was generally obedient, and, when he wasn’t, quickly owned up to his mistakes.

God Sends Samuel to the House of Jesse

Here is how others have handled this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text                       And so says Y^ehowah unto Samuel, “Until when you, you mourning unto Saul (and I, I rejected him from being king over Israel)? Fill your horn [with] oil and go; I send you unto Jesse the Bethlehemite [lit., a house of the Lach^emîy] for I have seen from his sons for Me a king.”

Septuagint                             And the Lord said to Samuel, “How long do you mourn for Saul, whereas I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and come, I will send you to Jessæ, to Bethleem; for I have seen among his sons a king for me.”

Significant differences:          No significant difference.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       [The Lord was sorry he had made Saul the king of Israel.] One day he said, “Samuel, I’ve rejected Saul, and I refuse to let him be king any longer. Stop feeling sad about him. Put some olive oil in a small container and go visit a man named Jesse, who lives in Bethlehem “I’ve chosen one of his sons to be my king.” [the CEV places the last portion of 1Sam. 15:35 with 1Sam. 16:1]

NLT                                Finally, the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel. Now fill your horn with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my new king.”

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™                         The Lord asked Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul now that I have rejected him as king of Israel? Fill a flask with olive oil and go. I’m sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem because I’ve selected one of his sons to be king.”

JPS (Tanakh)                        [Samuel never saw Saul again to the day of his death. But Samuel grieved over Saul, because the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.] and the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and set out; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have decided on one of his sons to be king.” [The last verse of the previous chapter was a part of this paragraph in the JPS, so I have included it for context]

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

NASB                                     Now the Lord said to Samuel, “Howlong 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 selected a king for Myself among his sons.”

Young's Updated LT              Jehovah says unto Samuel, “Till when are you mourning for Saul, and I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go, I send you unto Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have seen among his sons for Myself a king.”

What is the gist of this verse? Samuel had been mourning for Saul, and Jehovah God asks him how long he would keep that up, seeing as how He had rejected Saul as king. God tells Samuel to fill his horn with oil and go to the house of Jesse, who lives in Bethlehem, because God has chosen one of his sons as the next king over Israel.

To give us a chronological handle on this time period, the NIV Study Bible places this incident around 1025 b.c.

Translation: Then Y^ehowah said to Samuel, “How long will you [behave as though you] are [in] mourning regarding Saul... Even though Samuel completely cut his ties with Saul in the previous chapter, this did not mean that Samuel was without feeling. Certainly, Saul had failed and failed badly, to a point where God chose not to use him anymore. However, Samuel certainly was affected by Saul’s situation, and he mourned for him as though he were a friend who had died (1Sam. 15:35). It is interesting that the Hithpael can also mean that Samuel was going through the motions and ceremony of mourning, which implies that he had reached a point where it was not necessarily heartfelt (although it certainly began that way). In my opinion, Samuel probably mourned out of genuine affection for Saul and that none of this was an act. However, his mourning for Saul and the circumstances behind it apparently are well-known throughout the kingdom (as we will see when we come to v. 4).

Application: There are times where situations affect us profoundly and that our behavior falls into certain patterns which continue and sometimes continue past the time that they are necessary. A more concrete example: we are dumped by a potential loved-one and we go through a set of behaviors which are a form of grieving. However, it is possible that we continue these behaviors past a point where they are no longer therapeutic, but have become ceremonial instead. This describes where Samuel was; perhaps he wore black, perhaps he was offering sacrifices; it is not clear exactly what it was that he was doing; however, God tells him here to stop mourning and to get back to his responsibilities. There are times when we have to get over our grieving and return to our own God-give responsibilities.

In the previous chapter, I pointed out why Samuel grieved so. We may be a bit more cavalier, thinking, Saul made his bed—so let him lie in it. However, there was a mutual respect between Saul and Samuel, if not an enduring friendship. Is Saul flawed? Certainly; very much so. However, aren’t your friends flawed? Don’t they have their weaknesses and foibles? By the way, if you are thinking no, then you obviously do not know your friends very well. As we know from the kings of surrounding nations, Saul will be removed from his throne either by death and/or revolution. Furthermore, Saul, while he is alive, is cut off from God, and therefore, cut off from Samuel. Therefore, even though there is this bond between them, there is no more contact between them. So, to Samuel, it is as though his friend has died. On top of this, as long as Saul is alive and functioning in disobedience to God, the nation Israel suffers. Therefore, Samuel is going to grieve for his old friend Saul and he will simultaneously grieve for the nation Israel, as their destinies are intertwined. In this verse, God tells Samuel, “It is time to stop your grieving. What’s done is done. It’s time to move on. Saul is responsible for his own actions and I have taken care of the nation Israel.”

Application: There are a myriad of reasons in this life to feel sad, to grieve, to stop and take a moment. However, regardless of the circumstances, whether they appear to impact negatively upon you or a loved one, there is a time to pick up, wipe the tears from your eyes, and to function within the realm of God’s plan. God does not deny us our sadness. To everything there is an appointed time; a time for every event under heaven...a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance (Eccles. 3:1, 4). However, there is a time during which we need to return to His plan for our lives, despite the heartaches that we have suffered.

Translation: ...([as] I have rejected him from being king over Israel)? The key here is that God had rejected Saul as king. He was a lame-duck president, if you will. His power and authority was more symbolic than actual. As far as God was concerned, He was done with Saul. The first major offense which Saul committed was to assume the priestly authority which belonged to Samuel in 1Sam. 13:8–10. Saul arrived almost immediately afterward and, rather than outright admitting his sin, Saul danced around the issue (vv. 11–12). Samuel told him, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of Jehovah your God, which He commanded you; for now Jehovah would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom will not endure. Jehovah has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart and Jehovah has appointed him as ruler of His people, because you have not kept what Jehovah commanded you.” (1Sam. 13:13b–14). Who redeemed Saul was his son Jonathan. Because of Jonathan’s bravery and faith in God (1Sam. 14), Israel defeated the Philistines, thus extending Saul’s rule. However, in the previous chapter, Saul was given a simple and clear task from God to complete and he not only does not do what God instructs him to do, but, as in 1Sam. 13, he dances around his personal responsibility in the matter (1Sam. 15:13, 15, 20–21). Finally, Samuel told him, “Rebellion is as the sin of divination and insubordination is iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of Jehovah, He has also rejected you from ruling.” (1Sam. 15:23). He continues in vv. 28b–29: “Jehovah has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to your friend who is better than you. Furthermore, the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man that He should change His mind.” The point that Samuel was making was that there were no more appeals; Saul was finished as king. There was nothing that he could say or do. This apparently his Samuel as hard as it did Saul, and Samuel went through a grieving process. After all, if Saul does not voluntarily step down (which kings rarely do), then the only way that he will be removed from the throne is by death. Perhaps an analogy would help—if a very close, loved one of yours was diagnosed with terminal cancer, you would begin the grieving process as soon as you found out. That is where Samuel was. Saul had essentially been given a death sentence by God, Who does not change His mind.

Translation: “Fill your horn [with] oil and go... Animal horns were often hollowed out and then used as containers. Filling the horn with oil meant that Samuel was going to anoint another person king over Israel. He had done the same when Saul was selected by God (1Sam. 9:16 10:1). It was time, insofar as God was concerned. So here we have to imperatives, meaning that it was time to get off his mourning ass and do what needed to be done.

Translation: ...I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite for I have seen a king for Me from his sons.” God knew who was going to be the next king; and there was not going to be an election, a committee or some sort of representative government who would choose this king—God had chosen him, and that was all that mattered. Had you or I gone to Jesse’s to pick from his sons a king, we would have chosen the wrong son. Even Jesse, the father who knew his sons better than anyone, will choose the wrong son—several times.

We’ve already examined the linage of Jesse (and David) in Ruth 4:17–22 and 1Chron. 2:9–16 and it will come up again in Matt. 1:3–6.

Jesse is called a Bethlehemite so that Samuel knows where to go to find this family. This city is about five or six miles south of Jerusalem and was previously known as Ephrath (Gen. 48:7). Interestingly enough, Bethlehem was not mentioned in the distribution of cities in the book of Joshua, indicating that it was possibly too small at that time to be considered a city that would be conveyed (either that, or it was dropped out of the text). This city would be looked back upon in Luke 2:4 as the town of David (Jerusalem will also be called the city of David in 2Sam. 5:7, 9 6:12). Micah later tells us, “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah—from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His advents are from long ago, from the days of eternity.” (Micah 5:2). What Micah was prophesying was that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, which was fulfilled in Matt. 2:1 Luke 2:4–7. Since most of the book of Ruth took place in Bethlehem, we covered the City of Bethlehem in more detail in Ruth 2:4.

Here is how others have handled this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text                       And so says Samuel, “How [do] I go and has heard Saul and he has killed me.” And so says Y^ehowah, “A heifer of a herd you take in your hand and you have said, ‘To slaughter to Y^ehowah I have come.’

Septuagint                             And Samuel said, “How can I go? Whereas Saul will hear of it and slay me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer in your hand and you will say, ‘I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.’

Significant differences:          No significant differences.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                              Samuel answered, “If I do that, Saul will find out and have me killed.”

“Take a calf with you,” the Lord replied. “Tell everyone that you’ve come to offer it as a sacrifice to me,...

NLT                                       But Samuel asked, “How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”

“Take a heifer with you,” the Lord replied, “and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

JPS (Tanakh)                        Samuel replied, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” The Lord answered, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

NASB                                     But Samuel said, “How can I go? When Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’

Young's Updated LT              And Samuel says, “How do I go? When Saul has heard, then he has slain me.” And Jehovah says, “A heifer of the herd you do take in your hand, and you have said, ‘To sacrifice to Jehovah I have come;’

What is the gist of this verse? Samuel apparently realizes that Saul is a dangerous man and that going out to anoint another king would be enough to cause Saul to execute him. Jehovah tells Samuel to take a sacrificial animal with him (a heifer) and, if asked, say that the animal is to be sacrificed to Jehovah.

Translation: Then Samuel said, “How do I proceed? [If] Saul hears, he will kill me.” Later on in this book, we will see some of the psychotic behavior which Saul exhibits. He will, on several occasions, try to kill David. However, this did not just come out of the blue or simply manifest itself when David came on the scene. Samuel here apparently has good reason to fear for his own life if Saul discovers that he is going to anoint another king in Saul’s stead. We do not know what Saul has done to warrant Samuel’s concern, but apparently he has done some things to cause Samuel distress.

The comments of Keil and Delitzsch: This fear on the part of the prophet, who did not generally show himself either hesitating or timid, can only be explained, as we may see from v. 14, on the supposition that Saul was already given up to the power of the evil spirit, so that the very worst might be dreaded from his madness, if he discovered that Samuel had anointed another king. That there was some foundation for Samuel’s anxiety, we may infer from the fact that the Lord did not blame him for his fear, but pointed out the way by which he might anoint David without attracting attention.

Translation: Y^ehowah answered, “You will take a heifer of the herd in your hand and you will say, ‘I have come to slaughter [this animal] to Y^ehowah.’ It is interesting that God does not expect Samuel to lay everything on the table. He does not put out a bulletin indicating that he is going out to anoint a new king; and God even provides him with a cover story (which is accurate) in case anyone inquires as to what he is doing. Note what God does not do—God does not announce this to all and provide a wall of fire about Samuel to protect him. For those who think that we ought to be witnessing weekly or daily miracles, there are no miracles to be had here.

Just as important a concern is that Samuel is about to anoint the new king of Israel, and God has allowed him the cover story of offering a sacrifice. Now, is God coaching Samuel to lie? Keil and Delitzsch answer this with: There was no untruth in this, for Samuel was really about to conduct a sacrificial festival and was to invite Jesse’s family to it, and then anoint the one whom Jehovah should point out to him as the chosen one. It was simply a concealment of the principal object of his mission fro any who might make inquiry about it, because they themselves had not been invited. Calvin’s comments: There was no dissimulation or falsehood in this, since God really wished His prophet to find safety under the pretext of the sacrifice. A sacrifice was therefore really offered, and the prophet was protected thereby, so that he was not exposed to any danger until the time of full revelation arrived.

Here is how others have handled this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text                       And you have called to Jesse in the sacrifice and I [even] I will make you know what you will do and you have anointed for Me whom I say unto you.”

Septuagint                             “And you will call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will make known to you what you will do; and you will anoint him whom I mention to you.”

Significant differences:          None.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

REB                                       ...and invite Jesse to the sacrifice [to the sacrifice: so Latin; Hebrew with the sacrifice]; then I shall show you what you must do. You are to anoint for me the man whom I indicate to you.’

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

JPS (Tanakh)                        Invite Jesse to the sacrificial feast, and then I will make known to you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I point out to you.”

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Amplified Bible                And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me him I name to you.

NASB                                     “And you shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one whom I designate [lit., say to you] to you.”

Young's Updated LT              ...and you have called for Jesse in the sacrifice, and I cause you to know that which you do, and you have anointed to Me him of whom I speak unto you.”

What is the gist of this verse? Samuel will actually sacrifice this animal and he will call for Jesse to join him. Again, God tells Samuel that he will anoint the one that God chooses.

Translation: You will also call Jesse to this [lit., the] sacrifice and I [even] I will make you know what you will do;... Interestingly enough, God does not reveal the entire plan to Samuel. All Samuel knows is that he will carry this heifer, which acts as his cover, so to speak, although it will have a real function. The offering will be done before Jesse, the father of David. However, at this point, Samuel is not told who the king will be.

Interestingly enough, God often has His servants function on a need-to-know basis. He does not tell Samuel to ask for Jesse to bring out his son David. All Samuel knows is that he will invite Jesse and his sons to the sacrifice (v. 5), and Samuel is smart enough to figure out that one of Jesse’s sons will be Israel’s next king (also, we may not have the entirety of God’s marching orders to Samuel).

God actually told Moses a lot about what was going to happen with Pharaoh of Egypt, but He didn’t tell Moses everything. In fact, Moses balked so much at the public speaking aspect of his meeting with Pharaoh, that God said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. Furthermore, listen, he is coming out to meet you. when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. And you are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do.” (Ex. 4:14b–15).

When Saul saw Jesus as he approach Damascus, he was struck by a blinding light, and given the following instructions, “Rise and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” (Acts 9:6).

Application: The point is, sometimes we function on a need-to-know basis. In fact, as a believer, we almost always function on a need-to-know basis. After 23 years at the same job, I suddenly found myself without a job. After 29 years in the same profession, I found myself possibly not returning to that profession. I had no clue what lie ahead. However, I do know that God controls these things. I gag at a lot of Christian sayings, but one in particular is accurate and apt: I do not know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future. There are going to be times when God takes you along a path where you have never been before. Sometimes it won’t be a pleasant experience. However, we simply need to trust Him and His guidance. Just recognize that three of the most famous saints—Moses, Samuel and Paul—walked that unknown path before you.

Translation: ...then you will anoint whom I say to you on My behalf.” God has chosen to be a bit more mysterious with Samuel; Samuel will show up, make an offering before Jesse; and then God will reveal who the next king will be. The obvious implication is that, during this ceremony and during the meeting of Samuel with Jesse and his family, God will somehow be in contact with Samuel.

Here is how others have handled this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text                       And so does Samuel that which spoke Y^ehowah. And so he comes [to] Bethlehem and so trembled elders of the city to meet him. And so he says, “Peace your coming.”

Septuagint                             And Samuel did all that the Lord told him; and he came to Bethleem;; and the elders of the city were amazed at meeting him, and said, “Do you come peaceably, Seer?”

Significant differences:          No significant differences.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       Samuel did what the Lord told him and went to Bethlehem. The town leaders went to meet him, but they were terribly afraid and asked, “Is this a friendly visit?”

NAB                                       Samuel did as the Lord had commanded him. When he entered Bethlehem, the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and inquired, “Is your visit peaceful, O seer?”

NJB                                        Samuel did what Yahwe ordered and went to Bethlehem. The elders of the town came trembling to meet him and asked, ‘Seer, is your coming favourable for us.’

NLT                                So Samuel did as the Lord instructed him. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the leaders of the town became afraid. “What’s wrong?” they asked. “Do you come in peace?”

REB                                       Samuel did as the Lord had told him, and went to Bethlehem, where the elders came in haste to meet him, saying, ‘Why have you come? Is all well?’

TEV                                       Samuel did what the Lord told him to do and went to Bethlehem, where the city leaders came trembling to meet him and asked, “Is this a peaceful visit, seer?”

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™                         Samuel did what the Lord told him. When he came to Bethlehem, the leaders of the city, trembling with fear, greeted him and said, “May peace be with you.”

JPS (Tanakh)                        Samuel did what the Lord commanded. When he came to Bethlehem, the elders of the city went out in alarm to meet him and said, “Do you come on a peaceful errand?”

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

NASB                                     So Samuel did what the Lord said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, “Do you come in peace?”

Young's Updated LT              And Samuel does that which Jehovah has said, and comes in to Bethlehem, and the elders of the city tremble to meet him, and one says, “Is your coming peace?”

This is one of those verses where you cannot simply go with the translation which got the most votes. One would expect a question of average length, given the 7 word question in the JPS (the last quote is typically a 5–6 word question). However, that is not what we find in the Hebrew (it is, however, what we find in the Greek).

What is the gist of this verse? Unlike Saul, Samuel simply goes ahead and does what God has told him to do. He goes to Bethlehem (with the heifer) and the elders of the city are frightened when they meet him. If it is not a question, then one of them at least makes the statement, “In peace you have come.” If a statement, it is possibly one made in hope.

Translation: So Samuel did that which Y^ehowah commanded [lit., said]... Saul and Samuel acted much differently. Saul half-followed God’s commands or not at all sometimes. Samuel, despite the fact that he could be putting himself in serious danger, goes ahead and does what God tells him to do. This is by far the easiest approach to Christian living—believer God and do what He commands.

Translation: ...and went to Bethlehem. Although the heifer is not mentioned in this verse, Samuel takes the heifer and travels to Bethlehem.

Translation: The elders of the city trembled [with fright] to meet him. Oft times, what is occurring is lost in a translation. Apparently much of Israel knows that Samuel no longer supports Saul as king (although the general population does not appear to be as disenchanted with him yet). It is known that Samuel will possibly name a different king, which, like any other country, could result in a civil war. Most really do not want a part in this. They don’t want to get stuck in the middle of a civil war. When Samuel shows up, they don’t know if he is going to be recruiting men to fight against Saul or if he will designate a king from their city, placing them in danger. In any case, they know that Samuel is at odds with King Saul, so his actions could potentially affect Bethlehem.

Keil and Delitzsch offer a different explanation: The anxious inquiry of the elders presupposes that even in the time of Saul the prophet Samuel was frequently in the habit of coming unexpectedly to one place and another, for the purpose of reproving and punishing wrong-doing and sin. I do not believe that this is the case but that the riff between Saul and Samuel, as well as there possibly being a new king, was public knowledge.

As I mentioned earlier, the typical translation of these last two Hebrew words (or three, if you count the suffix as a 3^rd word), generally runs 5–7 words and is phrased as a question. This is the approach that the Greek took as well. Only one translation rendered these last two words as a statement—God’s Word™—which translated these last couple words as, “May peace be with you.” The problem is, it doesn’t say that. Nor is this a question in the Hebrew. Although many translations did a very good job of translating the Greek version, not a single one of them footnotes the fact that they were following the Greek and not the Hebrew; and, therefore, not one of them gives an alternate translation of the reading found in the Masoretic text (or indicated MT unintelligible).

Let me go off-topic here for just a moment—now I realize that Today’s English Version and the Contemporary English Version are not necessarily designed for scholars of the original languages; and I would not necessarily expect them to fill their footnotes with alternate readings (although both of these translations do frequently allude to alternate readings). However, there should be at least one translation—the NKJV, the NASB or the NRSV—which footnotes all the variant readings. Rotherham’s The Emphasized Bible actually does an excellent job of this, except (1) this version is linguistically way out of date; (2) the translator translated this prior to the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls; and (3) Rotherham does not footnote every significant alternate reading (although he does footnote a lot of insignificant alternate readings). There needs to be a scholarly translation which informs us of all significant alternate readings—especially in passages like this where the variant is followed rather than the MT. I realize that incorporating the Dead Sea Scrolls is a monumental task; however, a passage like this one is well-known (to the translators) to lack agreement between the MT and the LXX. Therefore, at a minimum, it should be footnoted.

Translation: Then one said, “Peace; your arrival.” Like all the other translators, I would have expected a question here. However, there is no grammatical indication that a question is being asked. For instance, the passage often cross-referenced here—1Kings 2:13—is actually a question. At David’s death, one of David’s sons, Adonijah, went to visit one of David’s wives (Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother). Here, the concern immediately would be, “Have you come to me in peace?”, as portions of royal families were often wiped out completely during power struggles subsequent to the death of a king. In that instance, the sentence begins with the interrogative hê, which is like the upside down question mark in Spanish that begins an inquiry in that language. So, in that passage, the words definitely make up a question. It appears, however, that our passage is simply a statement in the Hebrew. “Peace, your arrival.” (which is a very accurate rendering) or “Peace you have come.” or “Peace—you have arrived.” It might be more currently rendered, “Oh, hi; you arrived.” or “Hi, you’re here.” Shâlôm became a typical greeting between Jews. This was clearly used at this time as a greeting, much as it is today (see 1Sam. 25:5–6). So these men are not asking a question—at least, not in the Masoretic text—but it is possible that this short statement was an attempt to begin and maintain a peaceful visit. Not to forget that these men are trembling.

Here is how others have handled this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text                       And so he says, “Peace; to slaughter to Y^ehowah I have come. Consecrate yourselves and you have come with me to the slaughter.” And so he consecrates Jesse and his sons and so he calls to them to the slaughter.

Septuagint                             And he said, “Peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves and rejoice with me this day.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and he called them to the sacrifice.

Significant differences:          No significant differences.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       “Yes, it is!” Samuel answered. “I’ve come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. Get yourselves ready to take part in the sacrifice and come with me.” Samuel also invited Jesse and his sons to come to the sacrifice, and he got them ready to take part.

NLT                                “Yes,” Samuel replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then Samuel performed the purification rite for Jesse and his sons and invited them, too.

REB                                       ‘All is well,’ said Samuel; ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice [me to the sacrifice: so Latin; Hebrew me with the sacrifice].’ He himself purified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™                         “Greetings,” he replied, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Perform the ceremonies to make yourselves holy, and come with me to the sacrifice.” He performed the ceremonies for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

JPS (Tanakh)                        “Yes,” he replied, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and join me in the sacrificial feast.” He also instructed Jesse and his sons to purify themselves and invited them to the sacrificial feast.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

NASB                                     And he said, “In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” He also consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.

Young's Updated LT              And he says, “Peace; to sacrifice to Jehovah I have come. Sanctify yourselves and you [all] have come in with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctifies Jesse and his sons, and calls them to the sacrifice.

What is the gist of this verse? Saul answers the concerned elders of Bethlehem that he has come in peace and for them to sanctify themselves for the sacrifice which he offers. Samuel also sanctifies Jesse and his sons and invites them to the sacrifice as well.

If you have the same 20 or so translations which I have, you will find that over a third of them begin this verse with the word yes (CEV, JPS, Moffatt’s Translation, NAB, NJB, NLT, TEV), in answer to the question of the previous verse. But, there was no question in the MT in the previous verse. Therefore, there is no answer yes in this verse—not in the Hebrew and not in the Septuagint. The literal translations—which account for about half of my translations—use the word peaceably or peace to begin this verse (The Amplified Bible, The Complete Jewish Bible, The Emphasized Bible, KJV, NASB, NIV, NKJV, NRSV, Young’s Literal Translation). One translation uses the word Greetings instead (God’s Word™), which colloquially might better convey what is here (the NEB and REB go with All is well). In the Greek, this reads peace.

Translation: And he answered, “Peace; I have come to sacrifice to Y^ehowah. What appears to be the case is that was no question put to Samuel—“Have you come in peace?” It appears more as this was a greeting and that Samuel here returns the greeting (and, again, this sort of greeting was not out of the ordinary for that time period—1Sam. 25:5–6). Then he states his purpose, which was predetermined by God as somewhat of a cover. The offering of a sacrifice was an actual event and it was not without significance. It was not a cover for an insidious rebellion against Saul; it was the proper approach to God in this circumstance, and had been authorized in advance by God.

Translation: [Now] consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” It is not clear what the elders had to do by way of personal consecration. I would think that it would simply involve a naming of their sins to God and the cleaning of their clothes and possibly themselves (only the latter action is specifically named in the Law—Ex. 19:10, 14 Lev. 15 Num. 19:11–22). The sacrificial rites were to be public and attended by the elders of the city of Bethlehem.

Now would be the time to refer back to the Doctrine of Sanctification, which we began in Gen. 2:3 and completed in Ex. 29:1.

Translation: Then he declared Jesse and his sons holy [or, sanctified Jesse and his sons] and summoned them to the sacrifice. Just as the elders were to be set aside to God, so Samuel declared the same with respect to Jesse. Again, other than a physical cleansing, we do not know what else was actually involved in the sanctification of Jesse and his sons. And again, I would assume a naming of their sins to God. Samuel clearly knew that one of Jesse’s sons would be selected by God as the next king over Israel. However, it will not be made clear to Samuel which son God has chosen beforehand. In fact, it may not be clear at all to anyone, except Samuel, just exactly what is happening. Samuel is going to be told which son of Jesse’s will become the next king of Israel.

Gnana Robinson asserts that there are inconsistencies in this account. His first complaint is that the elders appear to be invited to this sacrifice, but then it does not appear as though they are here. He also cites the problem that, although they have gathered for a sacrifice, the sacrifice is not mentioned. Robinson tends to manufacture inconsistencies where none exist. We do not have to be told three or four times that the elders are invited to the sacrifice; we are told this in v. 5 and, after that point, they are not really a part of the narrative. This is not a contradiction—it is simply that they no longer played an important part in this narrative. Historical accounts do not always include each and every detail, nor is there any inconsistency when a particular detail is not repeated or later confirmed. Furthermore, the sacrifice is mentioned a couple of times, however, the act of sacrificing heifer is not. Again—not pertinent to the story. We already know that it’s going to happen. There are a number of men here; we would expect that they are going to enjoy a meal together (as a part of the sacrifice). Just because that meal is not recorded in Scripture does not mean that it did not occur. I wanted to have some commentaries with which I disagreed; however, there are times when this particular commentary (G. Robinson’s) becomes irritating. When there is a real problem with the text or with consistency; I want to know about that. However, when a writer simply manufactures problems simply because they do not believe in the verbal-plenary inspiration of Scripture, then their writing becomes infuriating to me.

When one rejects the inspiration of Scripture, then that allows that author or exegete a great deal of latitude. They can reject whatever they find in Scripture that they do not like, which is not simply confined to historical events, but the moral laws as well. I write this during a time when homosexuality is accepted by a great many people and that homosexuals are often compared to African-Americans; the homosexuals are now struggling for their rights, as Blacks have in the past for theirs (this comparison is done is by the homosexuals themselves and by many liberals; not by African Americans). Therefore, those who call themselves Christians and believe in the Bible (but only in the parts that they choose) can now ignore the passages where homosexual behavior is clearly presented as sin. This selective approach to the Bible allows a person to adopt whatever mores he likes; usually, they are in agreement with the mores of his day. The Bible becomes much more fluid in this way, being adapted to whatever beliefs are currently popular.

Furthermore, one who takes such a cavalier position on Biblical authority and inspiration is required to offer a lot less explanation. If their theories and approaches don’t quite fit under careful examination, then they can simply say, “These are just stories made up by several old guys centuries ago; we don’t really know what happened.” However, the exegete who believe Scripture is held to a much higher standard. We cannot simply shrug off contradictions and historical inaccuracies. For us, the Bible has to fit together as a cohesive whole. It is very much like a mathematical system. Various mathematical systems can be at odds with one another (e.g., hyperbolic geometry and Euclidian geometry); however, they cannot sport an internal contradiction. If there is an internal contradiction, the mathematical system is flawed or poorly constructed and is not considered by other mathematicians. The Bible must agree with itself internally. We cannot have contradictions within Scripture. It is possible that Scripture can contradict the morality of the day (our illustration of homosexuality); it is possible for our historical understanding and Scripture to be at odds (Biblical history vs. recorded Egyptian history); and it is even possible for contemporary science to be at odds with Scripture (illustration: evolution vs. creation). But, what Scripture cannot contradict is itself. Therefore, we who hold to the verbal plenary inspiration of Scripture hold ourselves to a much higher standard of exegesis. We must attempt to gain an understanding of God’s Word in this passage or that which is not contradicted elsewhere in Scripture.

Jesse Brings Seven Sons to Stand Before Samuel

Here is how others have handled this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text                       And so he is in their coming and so he sees Eliab and so he says, “Surely in the sight of Y^ehowah His anointed.”

Septuagint                             And it came to pass when they came in, that he saw Eliab, and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed [is] before him.

Significant differences:          No significant differences.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       When Jesse and his sons arrived, Samuel noticed Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab. “He has to be the one the Lord has chosen,” Samuel said to himself.

NLT                                When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!”

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™                         When they came, he saw Eliab and thought, “Certainly, here in the Lord’s presence is his anointed king.”

JPS (Tanakh)                        When they arrived and he saw Eliab, he thought: “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands before Him.”

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Amplified Bible                When they had come, he looked on Eliab [the eldest son], and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.

NASB                                     Then it came about when they entered, that he looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.”

Young's Updated LT              And it comes to pass, in their coming in, that he sees Eliab, and says, “Surely, before Jehovah is His anointed.”

What is the gist of this verse? Jesse and his sons are invited to the sacrifice of the heifer. As soon as Samuel sees Eliab, the eldest son of Jesse, he immediately thinks that this must be God’s anointed.

Translation: And it was when they came that [lit., and] he saw Eliab... Samuel was a great spiritual man of his day. However, this in now way qualifies him to choose the next king. He looks at Eliab, Jesse’s eldest.

This verse does not actually identify who it is who sees Eliab. However, Samuel is mentioned in v. 4; he speaks in v. 5 (his name is not used, but the 3^rd masculine singular of the verb); and in this verse he will be found in the morphology of the verb, but not mentioned directly by name. One might think that this could be Jesse, but it makes little sense for Jesse to see Eliab as Jesse, the father, would be presenting his son, Eliab.

Translation: ...and thought, “Surely in the sight of Y^ehowah [this man is] His anointed.” When Samuel sees Eliab, he does not speak aloud, but he says to himself, “This man must be Jehovah’s anointed. Apparently, this particular son of Jesse had a strong, virile look to him. We will find out a lot more about Eliab in the next chapter. We will find that he is a petty, criticizing older brother, who apparently has spent much of his life picking away at his youngest brother, David. He will show no natural protectiveness toward David, but he will reveal jealousy and vindictiveness towards him (1Sam. 17:28). He has known David all of his life and does not have the first clue as to what David is all about.

Application: This is a short and simple application: if you harbor mental attitude sins towards another person, then you will never understand or appreciate who that person is, because everything you perceive about that person will be colored by your mental attitude sins. I’m sure you have just thought of someone that you cannot stand and you’re thinking, “So what if I don’t like him; he’s a jerk anyway.” Even though Eliab knew the greatest man in Israel at that time, he thought the same thing.

Here is how others have handled this verse:

Ancient texts:

Latin Vulgate                         And the Lord said to Samuel: Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature: because I have rejected him, nor do I judge according to the look of man: for man sees those things that appear, but the Lord beholds the heart.

Masoretic Text                       And so says Y^ehowah unto Samuel, “You will not look intently unto his appearance and unto a height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For not that sees the man, for the man sees to the eyes and Y^ehowah sees to the heart.”

Septuagint                             But the Lord said to Samuel, “Look not on his appearance, nor on his stature, for I have rejected him; for God sees not as a man looks; for man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.”

Significant differences:          No significant differences.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       But the Lord told him, “Samuel, don’t tink Eliab is the one just because he’s tall and handsome. He isn’t the one I’ve chosen. People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.”

NLT                                But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t make decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a person’s thoughts and intentions.”

REB                                       But the Lord said to him, ‘Pay no attention to his outward appearance and stature, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not see as a mortal sees [The Lord...mortal sees: so Greek; Hebrew For not what a mortal sees]; mortals see only appearances but the Lord sees into the heart.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™                         But the Lord told Samuel, “Don’t look at his appearance or how tall he is, because I have rejected him. God does not see as humans see [Greek; Masoretic Text And so says Y^ehowah unto Samuel, “You will not look intently unto his appearance and unto a height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For not that sees the man, for the man sees to the eyes and Y^ehowah sees to the heart.” see.’]. Humans look at outward appearances, but the Lord looks into the heart.”

JPS (Tanakh)                        But the Lord said to Samuel, “Pay no attention to his appearance or his stature, for I have rejected him. For not as man sees [does the Lord see]; man sees only what is visible, but the Lord sees into the heart.” [the words in brackets are preserved in the Septuagint]

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Emphasized Bible           But Yahweh said unto Samuel—

Do not regard his countenance or the heigh of his stature, for I have rejected him, —for it is not what man looketh to but what God looketh to. [as per Sep., MT omits “but what God looketh to.”]

For ║man║ looketh to the outward appearance [lit., eyes], but ║Yahweh║ looketh to the heart.

NASB                                     But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

NKJV                                     But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused [rejected] him. For [LXX For God does not see as man sees; Tg. It is not by the appearance of a man; Vg. Nor do I judge according to the looks of a man] the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Young's Updated LT              And Jehovah says to Samuel, “Look not to his appearance, and unto the height of his stature, for I have rejected him; for not as a man sees—for a man looks at the eyes, and Jehovah looks at the heart.”

What is the gist of this verse? Samuel has given his unsaid approval to Eliab, because Eliab looks like a king should look. God tells Samuel not to make judgments based upon the outward appearance of a man, as that is how most men judge others. God tells Samuel that He looks upon the inner man, and for that reason, God rejected Eliab as a candidate for king.

Translation: Then Y^ehowah said to Samuel, “Do not look intently upon his appearance or at his height [lit., a height of his stature], for I have rejected him. Samuel, upon meeting Jesse’s first son, is quite impressed, and thinks to himself that this young man is truly king material. In fact, his physique was probably very similar to Saul’s. However, God warns Samuel not to look at this man’s outer appearance or his height, because God has already rejected this man.

You may recall that what was impressive about Saul was his outward appearance (1Sam. 9:2 10:23–24). It did turn out that Saul had great courage as well. However, apart from his bravery in war, there was little to recommend Saul. Since that was all under the surface, and since some aspects of his mental illness had not even begun to manifest, this was known to God, but not to man. Israel, once Saul had defeated the Ammonites, accepted Saul and rejoiced in his kingship (1Sam. 11).

God the Holy Spirit, by recording these words, is telling us in another way that God has rejected Saul. Eliab, although he appears at first glance to be of a noble nature—he is tall and physically attractive like Saul—God rejects him, as He rejected Saul.

Translation: For not as man sees [does God see], for man sees [only] with the eyes; but Y^ehowah looks upon the heart [and mind of a man].” God reminds Samuel that He can look upon the inner being of a person, to determine his value. Man is only able to look on the outward appearance and make judgments based upon that. As God said through Isaiah, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares Y^ehowah. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa. 55:8–9). As Solomon said to God in prayer, “For You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men.” (1Kings 9:39b).

This is one of the reasons that we are not to judge other believers outside of our responsibilities. God knows what man is like on the inside; we do not. We cannot see motivation, mental attitude sins, virtue, character, etc. We can only see the actions and hear the words, which, if colored by our own mental attitude sins, can be misleading. God knows man from the inside out. “Y^ehowah searches all hearts and He understand every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject your forever.” (1Chron. 28:9b). Jesus, speaking to the pharisees, said, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed by men is detestable to sight of God.” (Luke 16:15; see also John 2:25 Acts 1:24). We only know man from the outside in, which is not always accurate.

McGee’s comments: When God looks at us, friend, He looks at us from the inside. He is an interior decorator. He always check the interior. Samuel looks at this well-built, handsome young man and feels this must be God’s choice for the next king of Israel. But God says to Samuel, “I don’t want you to look at his outward appearance. Don’t just a man by his looks. Let me select the man this time. I will choose the king.” God sees the heart, and thank God for that. We are so apt to judge fol, even in Christian circles, by their looks, by their pocketbook, by their status symbol—the Cadillac they drive, by the home they live in, or by the position they occupy. God never judges anyone on that basis. He is telling Samuel not to pay any attention to the outward appearance. God is going to look at the heart.

Here is how others have handled this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text                       And so calls Jesse unto Abinadab and so he causes him to pass to faces of Samuel and so he says, “Also in this one has not chosen Y^ehowah.”