1 Samuel 16:9-19

9 Next Jesse made ¹Shammah 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, "²There 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 ³beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, "⁴Arise, anoint him; for this is he."

13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and ⁵anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and ⁶the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

14 ⁷Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and ⁸an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him.

15 Saul's servants then said to him, "Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you.

16 "Let our lord now command your servants who are before you. Let them seek a man who is a skillful player on the harp; and it shall come about when the evil spirit from God is on you, that ⁹he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will be well."

17 So Saul said to his servants, "Provide for me now a man who can play well and bring him to me."

18 Then one of the young men said, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, ¹⁰a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and ¹¹the LORD is with him."

19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me your son David who is with the flock."

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1 Samuel 16:9-19 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 11

1. 1 Samuel 17:13
2. 1 Samuel 17:12; 2 Samuel 13:3
3. Genesis 39:6; Exodus 2:2; Acts 7:20
4. 1 Samuel 9:17
5. 1 Samuel 10:1
6. Numbers 27:18; 1 Sam 10:6, 9, 10
7. Judges 16:20; 1 Samuel 11:6; 1 Samuel 18:12; 1 Samuel 28:15
8. Judges 9:23; 1 Samuel 16:15, 16; 1 Samuel 18:10; 1 Samuel 19:9; 1 Kings 22:19-22
9. 1 Samuel 18:10; 1 Samuel 19:9; 2 Kings 3:15
10. 1 Samuel 17:32-36
11. 1 Samuel 3:19

Footnotes 2

[a]. In 2 Sam 13:3, "Shimeah;" in 1 Chr 2:13, "Shimea"
[b]. Lit "take"