1 Samuel 16:1-11

Samuel Goes to Bethlehem

1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, "1How long will you grieve over Saul, since 2I have rejected him from being king over Israel? 3Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to 4Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have 5selected a king for Myself among his sons."
2 But Samuel said, "How can I go? When Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "6Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.'
3 "You shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and 7I will show you what you shall do; and 8you shall anoint for Me the one whom I designate to you."
4 So Samuel did what the LORD said, and came to 9Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, "10Do you come in peace?"
5 He said, "In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. 11Consecrate 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 12Eliab 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, 13but the LORD looks at the heart."
8 Then Jesse called 14Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either."
9 Next Jesse made 15Shammah 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, "16There 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."

Cross References 16

  • 1. 1 Samuel 15:35
  • 2. 1 Samuel 13:13, 14; 1 Samuel 15:23
  • 3. 1 Samuel 9:16; 1 Samuel 10:1; 2 Kings 9:1
  • 4. Ruth 4:17-22
  • 5. Psalms 78:70, 71; Acts 13:22
  • 6. 1 Samuel 20:29
  • 7. Exodus 4:15; Acts 9:6
  • 8. Deuteronomy 17:14, 15; 1 Samuel 9:16
  • 9. Genesis 48:7; Luke 2:4
  • 10. 1 Kings 2:13; 2 Kings 9:22; 1 Chronicles 12:17, 18
  • 11. Genesis 35:2; Exodus 19:10
  • 12. 1 Samuel 17:13
  • 13. 1 Samuel 2:3; 1 Kings 8:39; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Luke 16:15
  • 14. 1 Samuel 17:13
  • 15. 1 Samuel 17:13
  • 16. 1 Samuel 17:12; 2 Samuel 13:3

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"
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