Shmuel Alef 16:4

4 And Shmuel did that which Hashem spoke, and came to Beit-Lechem. And the zekenim of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou in shalom?

Shmuel Alef 16:4 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 16:4

And Samuel did that which the Lord spake
He filled a horn of oil, and took an heifer with him:

and came to Bethlehem;
where Jesse and his family lived, which, according to Bunting ^F25, was sixteen miles from Ramah; though it could hardly be so much, since Ramah was six miles from Jerusalem on one side, as Bethlehem lay six miles from it on the other ^F26;

and the elders of the town trembled at his coming;
for he being now an old man, and seldom went abroad, they concluded it must be something very extraordinary that brought him thither; and they might fear that as he was a prophet of the Lord, that he was come to reprove them, or denounce some judgment upon them for their sins. The Targum is,

``the elders of the city gathered together to meet him;''

out of respect and in honour to him, and to the same sense Jarchi's note is,

``they hasted to go out to meet him'';

see ( Hosea 11:11 )

and, said comest thou peaceably?
the word "said" is singular; one of the elders put this question, the chiefest of them, perhaps Jesse; and the meaning of it is, whether he came with ill news and bad tidings, or as displeased with them himself on some account or another; or with a message from God, as displeased with them; or whether he came there for his own peace and safety, to be sheltered from Saul; and which, if that was the case, might not be for their peace and good; but would draw upon them the wrath and vengeance of Saul; for they doubtless knew that there was a variance, at least a shyness, between Saul and Samuel.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Travels of the Patriarchs p. 125.
F26 Vid. Hieron. de loc. Heb. fol. 89. F. & 94. B.

Shmuel Alef 16:4 In-Context

2 And Shmuel said, How can I go? If Sha’ul hear it, he will kill me. And Hashem said, Take an eglat bakar (heifer of the herd) with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Hashem.

3 And call Yishai to the zevach, and I will show thee what thou shalt do; umashachta (and thou shalt anoint) unto Me him whom I say unto thee.

4 And Shmuel did that which Hashem spoke, and came to Beit-Lechem. And the zekenim of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou in shalom?

5 And he said, Shalom; I am come to sacrifice unto Hashem; set yourselves apart as kodesh, and come with me to the zevach. And he set apart as kodesh Yishai and his banim, and called them to the zevach.

6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he [Shmuel] took one look at Eliav, and said, Surely Hashem’s Moshiach is before Him.