1 Samuel 16
1599 Geneva Bible
16 1 Samuel is reproved of God, and is sent to anoint David. 7 God regardeth the heart. 13 The Spirit of the Lord cometh upon David. 14 The wicked Spirit is sent upon Saul. 19 Saul sendeth for David.
1 The Lord then said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, [a]seeing I have cast him away from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil and come, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a King among his sons.
2 And Samuel said, How can I go? for if Saul shall hear it, he will kill me. Then the Lord answered, Take an heifer [b]with thee, and say, I am come [c]to do sacrifice to the Lord.
3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do, and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
4 So Samuel did that the Lord bade him, and came to Bethlehem, and the elders of the town were [d]astonished at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
5 And he answered, Yea: I am come to do 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.
6 And when they were come, he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s [e]Anointed is before him.
7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature, because I have refused him: for God seeth not as man seeth: for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord beholdeth the (A)heart.
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him come before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
9 Then Jesse made Shammah come. And he said, Neither yet hath the Lord chosen him.
10 Again Jesse made his seven sons to come before Samuel, and Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath chosen none of these.
11 Finally, Samuel said unto Jesse, [f]Are there no more children but these? And he said, There remaineth yet a little one behind, that keepeth the sheep. Then Samuel said unto Jesse, (B)Send and fet him: for we will not sit down, till he be come hither.
12 And he sent, and brought him in: and he was ruddy, and of a good countenance, and comely visage. And the Lord said, Arise, and anoint him: for this is he.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the (C)Spirit of the Lord [g]came upon David, from that day forward: then Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
14 ¶ But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an [h]evil spirit sent of the Lord, vexed him.
15 And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, the evil spirit of God vexeth thee.
16 Let our Lord therefore command thy servants that are before thee, to seek a man that is a cunning player upon the harp: that when the evil spirit of God cometh upon thee, he may play with his hand, and thou mayest be eased.
17 Saul then said unto his servants, Provide me a man, I pray you, that can play well, and bring him to me.
18 Then answered one of his servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a [i]son of Jesse, a Bethlehemite, that can play, and is strong, valiant, and a man of war, and wise in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him.
19 ¶ Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.
20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread and a flagon of wine and a kid, and sent them by the hand of David his son unto Saul.
21 And David came to Saul, and [j]stood before him: and he loved him very well, and he was his armor bearer.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David now remain with me: for he hath found favor in my sight.
23 And so when the evil spirit of God came upon Saul, David took an harp and played with his hand, and Saul was [k]refreshed and was eased: for the evil spirit departed from him.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 16:1 Signifying, that we ought not to show ourselves more pitiful than God, nor to lament them whom he casteth out.
- 1 Samuel 16:2 Hebrew, in thine hand.
- 1 Samuel 16:2 That is, to make a peace offering, which might be done though the Ark was not there.
- 1 Samuel 16:4 Fearing, lest some grievous crime had been committed, because the Prophet was not wont to come thither.
- 1 Samuel 16:6 Thinking that Eliab had been appointed of God to be made King.
- 1 Samuel 16:11 Hebrew, are the children ended?
- 1 Samuel 16:13 Or, prospered.
- 1 Samuel 16:14 The wicked spirits are at God’s commandment to execute his will against the wicked.
- 1 Samuel 16:18 Though David was now anointed King by the Prophet, yet God would exercise him in sundry sorts before he had the use of his kingdom.
- 1 Samuel 16:21 Or, served him.
- 1 Samuel 16:23 God would that Saul should receive this benefit as at David’s hand: that his condemnation might be the more evident, for his cruel hate toward him.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
Bible Gateway Recommends
