1Sa 16:1 And 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 Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
fill thine horn with oil - with common oil not the holy anointing oil kept in the tabernacle, (which Jewish scholars say David and Solomon, and the kings of Judah , were anointed.) The tabernacle, where the holy oil was, was at a distance from Samuel, and which seems to have been only for the anointing of the priests. This was not a vial he was bid to take, as when he anointed Saul; but a horn, denoting the abundance of gifts bestowed on David, and the firmness and duration of his kingdom:
Fill thine horn with oil - Horns appear to have been the ancient drinking vessels of all nations; and we may suppose that most persons who had to travel much, always carried one with them, for the purpose of taking up water from the fountains to quench their thirst. Such a horn had Samuel; and on this occasion he was commanded to fill it with oil, for the purpose of consecrating a king over Israel from among the sons of Jesse.
And the Lord said unto Samuel - In a vision or dream, or by an articulate voice:
how long wilt thou mourn for Saul - He does not blame him for mourning, but for mourning so long; how long that was cannot be said; and though his affection for him might cause him to indulge to it, yet it was in vain, seeing the sentence was irreversible:
Jesse the Bethlehemite - the son of Obed, whom Boaz begat of Ruth the Moabitess, Rth_4:21.
I have provided me a king - This was a king for Himself, raised up to fulfill His will; Saul was chosen by Him, but then it was at the request of the people, and so he was rather their king than His; but this was not at their desire, nor with their knowledge, but of His own good will and pleasure; the one was given in wrath, and the other in love; the one was to the rejection of God as King, the other to the rejection of Saul by the will of God.
I have provided - This phrase is very emphatical, and implies the difference between this and the former king. Saul was a king of the people's providing, he was the product of their sinful desires: but this is a king of my own providing, to fulfill all my will, and to serve my glory.
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 Gen_49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come. And the obedience of the peoples to him.
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.
1Sa 16:2 And 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.
Take a heifer with thee - It was the purpose of God that David should be anointed at this time as Saul’s successor, and as the ancestor and the type of His Christ. It was not the purpose of God that Samuel should stir up a civil war, by setting up David as Saul’s rival. Secrecy, therefore, was a necessary part of the transaction. But secrecy and concealment are not the same as duplicity and falsehood. Concealment of a good purpose, for a good purpose, is clearly justifiable.
Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice - This was strictly true; Samuel did offer a sacrifice; and it does not appear that he could have done the work which God designed, unless he had offered this sacrifice, and called the elders of the people together, and thus collected Jesse’s sons. But he did not tell the principal design of his coming; had he done so, it would have produced evil and no good:
And Samuel said, 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. Which argues weakness of faith in Samuel, and fear of man.
if Saul hear it, he will kill me - should hear that Samuel went and anointed another king, it would so enrage him, that he would either immediately lay hands on him, and put him to death, or order him to be put to death; and indeed were it not that this was done by the command of God, he would deserve to die; it being an overt act of treason to anoint another king:
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.
1Sa 16:3 And 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.
Call Jesse to the sacrifice - The common custom was, after the blood of the victim had been poured out to God, and the fat burnt, to feast on the flesh of the sacrifice. This appears to have been the case in all, except in the whole burnt-offering; this was entirely consumed.
call Jesse to the sacrifice - His family, both him and his sons, to partake of the peace offerings; as every offerer had a right to invite his friends, and whomsoever he pleased, to eat of those parts of them which belonged to him, as a feast before the Lord:
thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name - that is, anoint him to be king over Israel , whom he should point out so plainly to him, as if he called him by name.
1Sa 16:4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
The elders of the town trembled at his coming - When Samuel arrived at Bethlehem , the elders of the city came to meet him in a state of the greatest anxiety, and asked him whether his coming was peace, or promised good. 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.
The elders of the town trembled at his coming - There was evidently something unusual in Samuel’s coming to Bethlehem; and the elders, knowing that Samuel was no longer at friendship with Saul, foreboded some evil. They knew he was a prophet of the Lord, and they were afraid that he was now come to denounce some judgments of the Most High against their city.
the elders of the town trembled at his coming-- Bethlehem 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.
said comest thou peaceably - the word "said" is singular; one of the elders put this question, the chiefest of them; The Hebrew phrase, comest thou in peace, is as much as to say (in our phrase) is all well?
1Sa 16:5 And 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.
And he said peaceably - Samuel quieted them with the reply that he was come to offer sacrifice to the Lord, and called upon them to sanctify themselves and take part in the sacrifice. It is evident from this that the prophet was accustomed to turn his visits to account by offering sacrifice, and so building up the people in fellowship with the Lord. The reason why sacrifices were offered at different places was, that since the removal of the ark from the tabernacle, this sanctuary had ceased to be the only place of the nation's worship.
Sanctify yourselves - to sanctify one's self by washings and legal purifications, which probably preceded every sacrificial festival. Change your clothes, and wash your bodies in pure water, and prepare your minds by meditation, reflection, and prayer; that, being in the spirit of sacrifice.
He sanctified Jesse and his sons - It seems evident that there was something peculiar in Jesse's invitation. For first, both he and his sons were invited, whereas the others were only invited for their own persons. Secondly, the different phrase here used, that he sanctified these, when he only bade the other sanctify themselves; argues a singular care of Samuel in their sanctification. Which makes it probable, that the rest were only to join with them in the act of sacrificing; but these, and only these, were invited to feast upon the remainders of the sacrifices.
1Sa 16:6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S anointed is before him.
he looked on Eliab - who was Jesse's firstborn, 1Ch_2:13 And Jesse fathered his first-born Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third, called Elihu, 1Ch_27:18.
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_10:23-24 And they ran and brought him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than all of the people from the shoulders and upward. And Samuel said to all the people, Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, Let the king live! It was strange that Samuel, who had been so disappointed in Saul, whose countenance and stature recommended him, should judge of another man by that rule.
1Sa 16:7 But 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.
Man looketh on the outward appearance - the comeliness of a man's person, the majesty of his countenance, the height of his stature, and size of his body, things which recommended men to be kings among the nations of the world;
for the Lord seeth not as man seeth - man only sees what is without, but the Lord sees what is within; only the outward visible form of the body is seen by man, but the inward qualifications and endowments of the mind are seen by the Lord: We often form a mistaken judgment of characters; but the Lord values only the faith, fear, and love, which are planted in the heart, beyond human discernment.
1Sa 16:8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.
Then Jesse called Abinadab - His second son, 1Sa_17:13.
1Sa 16:9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.
Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by - His third son, 1Sa_17:13, sometimes called Shimma, and Shimeah, 1Ch_2:13.
1Sa 16:10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.
Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel - including the three who had already passed. It appears that Jesse had eight sons; but only seven are ascribed to him in 1Ch_2:13-15 And Jesse fathered his first-born Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third, Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, David the seventh. Of the eighth, we nowhere read of; perhaps he died quickly after this, was an obscure person, and of no fame and note, or might be by another woman:
1Sa 16:11 And 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.
We will not sit down - . literally, we will not turn round to sit at the table. That is, at table, to eat of that part of the peace offerings which belonged to the offerer Samuel, and which he had invited Jesse and his sons to partake of.
are here all thy children - For neither of these being the person God would have anointed king, and yet it was one of Jesse's sons that was to be anointed, he concluded he must have more, at least one more, and therefore puts this question to him:
there remaineth yet the youngest - or, "the little one"; not of a little diminutive stature, for he was a mighty man, a man of strength, courage, and valor, 1Sa_16:18 or of a puerile age; but he is so called because he was the youngest son. It is supposed, David was now about twenty years old. If so, his troubles by Saul lasted near ten years: for he was thirty years old when Saul died.
he keepeth the sheep - and from following them, he was taken and anointed king; Psa_78:70 He also chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; Some of the greatest of men have been taken from rustic employment, as Moses, Gideon, and others:
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.
1Sa 16:12 And 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.
now he was ruddy - which some understand not of the ruddiness of his complexion, or of his cheeks, but of the redness of his hair; the former seems best:
goodly to look to - of a pleasant countenance, delightful to behold; he carried sweetness as well as majesty in his face; in this he was a type of Christ, Son_5:10 My Beloved is bright and ruddy, standing out among ten thousand
1Sa 16:13 Then 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.
David - David signifies beloved: a fit name for so eminent a type of the Beloved Son. It is supposed, David was now about twenty years old. If so, his troubles by Saul lasted near ten years: for he was thirty years old when Saul died.
Samuel went to Ramah - Samuel having done this went to Ramah. He retired to die in peace, since his eyes had seen the salvation, even the scepter brought into the tribe of Judah .
The Spirit of the Lord came upon David - The exact phrase used of the Judges and Saul. God qualified him to be governor of his people, by infusing such graces as wisdom, prudence, counsel, courage, liberality, and magnanimity.
anointed him in the midst of his brethren - not in the presence of them, they sitting around, or standing by and seeing the ceremony performed; which is not consistent with the secrecy with which Samuel was directed to manage this affair, and which was necessary to observe, to keep it from the knowledge of Saul; and with Eliab's treatment of David afterwards, who would never have addressed him in the manner he did, had he known that he was anointed king, 1Sa_17:28 but the sense is, that he was selected out of them, and separated from them, and privately anointed by Samuel, and at most only his father Jesse present.
1Sa 16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul - He was thrown into such a state of mind by the judgments of God, as to be deprived of any regal qualities which he before possessed. God seems to have taken what gifts he had, and given them to David; and then the evil spirit came upon Saul; for what God fills not, the devil will. Compare to Matthew 12:43-45 When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he walks through dry places seeking rest, and finds none. Then he said, I will return into my house from where I came out. And when he has come, he finds it empty, swept, and decorated. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and live there. And the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so it also shall be to this evil generation.
An evil spirit from the Lord - The evil spirit was permitted to come. Whether this was a diabolic possession, or a mere mental malady, scholars are not agreed; it seems to have partaken of both. That Saul had fallen into a deep melancholy, there is little doubt;
an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him - which by the permission of God, and as a punishment to him for his sins, came upon him; he seemed to be a demoniac, he was distracted in his counsels, and became weak and foolish; lost all courage and greatness of mind, was timorous and fearful, and alarmed by everything, and was full of envy, suspicion, rage, and despair.
Troubled him - Stirred up in him unruly and tormenting passions; as envy, rage, fear, or despair. He grew fretful, and peevish, and discontented, timorous and suspicious, frequently starting and trembling. 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.
1Sa 16:15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.
And Saul's servants said unto him - His courtiers, who observing him to act in a frantic manner, to be dull and melancholy, timorous, and irresolute, unsteady, divided, and distressed; or his physicians, who were called in to assist him, and remove his disorder from him:
an evil spirit from God troubleth thee - the disorder was not from any natural cause, or any bodily disease, and therefore out of the reach of physicians to do any service, but was from an evil spirit suffered of God to harass and disturb him. It was sent as God’s messenger and minister, sent by Him to execute His righteous purpose upon Saul
1Sa 16:16 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 he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.
Player on a harp - a musical instrument much in use in those days.
thou shalt be well - music being a means of cheering the spirits, and removing melancholy and gloomy apprehensions of things, and so of restoring to better health of body and disposition of mind; and that music has such an effect on the bodies and minds of men is certain from observation and experience in all ages. It is deeply interesting to have the youthful David thus brought before us, as using music for its highest purpose, that of turning the soul to the harmony of peace and love.
thou shalt be well - And the success confirms their opinion. For although music cannot directly have an influence upon an evil spirit to drive him away; yet, because the devil, as it seems, had not possession of him, but only made use of the passions of his mind, and humors of his body to molest him: and it is manifest, that music hath a mighty power to qualify and sweeten these, and to make a man sedate and chearful; And by this means, David without any contrivance of him or his friends, is brought to court, soon after he was anointed to the kingdom. Those whom God designs for any service, his providence will concur with his grace, to prepare and qualify them for it.
1Sa 16:17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.
Saul said unto his servants - Approving of, and pleased with the advice they gave:
1Sa 16:18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, 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.
A mighty valiant man - David’s reputation for courage, skill, discretion, and manly beauty, was already great. Since “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him,” his natural qualities and powers had been greatly enhanced. His feat of killing the lion and the bear had been performed, like Samson’s feats of strength under the same supernatural influence, and was probably more or less known.
a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite - he does not mention the name of his son, but so describes him, that he might be easily known by those who knew anything of the family of Jesse.
cunning in playing - that is, on the harp; has good skill in music, and is expert in it:
and prudent in matters - in his talk and conversation, and conduct and behavior; knew how to carry himself, even in a prince's court.
1Sa 16:19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.
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.
1Sa 16:20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.
Took an ass laden with bread - He must send a present to Saul to introduce his son. He sent it as a token of respect and subjection to his sovereign, and according to the custom of those times, when men used to carry presents when they waited upon princes.
1Sa 16:21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.
And David came to Saul - The difficulty of reconciling this verse with 1Sa_17:55-58, is met thus: The words here are the ultimate sequence of David’s first visit to Saul, and of his skill in music, and are therefore placed here; but they did not really come to pass until after David’s victory over Goliath. It is quite conceivable that if David had only played once or twice to Saul, and then returned to his father’s house for some months, Saul might not recognize him.
and stood before him - That is, waited upon him. As a servant, and ministered to him in the way, and for the purpose for which he was sent:
he became his armorbearer - that is, he appointed him to this office, though we never read that he exercised it;
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. Thus David came to Saul's court, and that as his benefactor, without Saul having any suspicion of David's divine election to be king of Israel . This guidance on the part of God was a school of preparation to David for his future calling. In the first place, he was thereby lifted out of his quiet and homely calling in the country into the higher sphere of court-life; and thus an opportunity was afforded him not only for intercourse with men of high rank, and to become acquainted with the affairs of the kingdom, but also to display those superior gifts of his intellect and heart with which God had endowed him, and thereby to gain the love and confidence of the people. But at the same time he was also brought into a severe school of affliction, in which his inner man was to be trained by conflicts from without and within, so that he might become a man after God's heart, who should be well fitted to found the true monarchy in Israel.
1Sa 16:22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.
let David, I pray thee, stand before me - Continue in his service; which was great respect shown to Jesse, not to detain his son without his leave, and to ask it as a favor of him:
1Sa 16:23 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 was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
The evil spirit from God - The evil spirit by the permission of God; this is at least the sense.
Saul was refreshed - became cheerful, his grief was removed, his black and gloomy apprehensions of things were dispersed, and he was cured of his melancholy disorder for the present:
the evil spirit departed from him - at least for a while; he had his fits and intervals; of the effects of music in a natural way. Namely, for a season. And the reason of this success, may be, partly natural, and partly, supernatural, respecting David; whom God designed by this means to bring into favour with the king, and so to smooth the way for his advancement.
