1 Samuel 16:2-12

2 But Samuel said, "How can I go? When Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "¹Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.'

3 "You shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and ²I will show you what you shall do; and ³you shall anoint for Me the one whom I designate to you."

4 So Samuel did what the LORD said, and came to ⁴Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, "⁵Do you come in peace?"

5 He said, "In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. ⁶Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 When they entered, he looked at ⁷Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD'S anointed is before Him."

7 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, ⁸but the LORD looks at the heart."

8 Then Jesse called ⁹Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either."

9 Next Jesse made ¹⁰Shammah pass by. And he said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either."

10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen these."

11 And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are these all the children?" And he said, "¹¹There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep." Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here."

David Anointed

12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with ¹²beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, "¹³Arise, anoint him; for this is he."

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1 Samuel 16:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 16

In this chapter Samuel is ordered to anoint a king among the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem, 1Sa 16:1-5 all whose sons were made to pass before him, excepting David, 1Sa 16:6-10 who being then with his father's sheep, was sent for and was anointed, 1Sa 16:11-13, after which the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and he became melancholy, and it was advised to seek out a musician for him, and David was mentioned to him as a proper person, 1Sa 16:14-18 upon which he was sent for, and acted as a musician to Saul, and also became his armourbearer, which was the first rise of him, 1Sa 16:19-23.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 13

1. 1 Samuel 20:29
2. Exodus 4:15; Acts 9:6
3. Deuteronomy 17:14, 15; 1 Samuel 9:16
4. Genesis 48:7; Luke 2:4
5. 1 Kings 2:13; 2 Kings 9:22; 1 Chronicles 12:17, 18
6. Genesis 35:2; Exodus 19:10
7. 1 Samuel 17:13
8. 1 Samuel 2:3; 1 Kings 8:39; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Luke 16:15
9. 1 Samuel 17:13
10. 1 Samuel 17:13
11. 1 Samuel 17:12; 2 Samuel 13:3
12. Genesis 39:6; Exodus 2:2; Acts 7:20
13. 1 Samuel 9:17

Footnotes 4

[a]. Lit "say to you"
[b]. So with Gr; Heb He does "not" see "what man sees"
[c]. In 2 Sam 13:3, "Shimeah;" in 1 Chr 2:13, "Shimea"
[d]. Lit "take"