1 Samuel 16 Bible Commentary

16:1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, ^a 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.

(a) Signifying that we should not show ourselves more pitiful than God, nor to lament those whom he casts out.

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 ^b to sacrifice to the LORD.

(b) That is, to make a peace offering, which may be done even though the ark was not there.

16:4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town ^c trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?

(c) Afraid, lest some grievous crime had been committed, because the prophet was not wont to come there.

16:6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S ^d anointed [is] before him.

(d) Thinking that Eliab had been appointed by God to be made king.

16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an ^e evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

(e) The wicked spirits are at God's commandment to execute his will against the wicked.

16:18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a ^f 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.

(f) Though David was now anointed king by the prophet, yet God would strengthen and test him in various ways before he had the use of his kingdom.

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 ^g refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

(g) God would have Saul receive this benefit from David's hand, that his condemnation might be even more evident, for his cruel hate toward him.