1 Samuel 16:14-23

David in Saul’s Service

14 ¹Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, ²and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him.

15 And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you.

16 Let our lord now command your servants ³who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will ⁴play it, and you will be well. ”

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

18 One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, ⁵a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, ⁶and the Lord is with him. ”

19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, ⁷who is with the sheep. ”

20 ⁸And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul.

21 And David came to Saul ⁹and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer.

22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight. ”

23 And ¹⁰whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre ¹¹and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.

1 Samuel 16:14-23 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.

Cross References

• 1. 16:14 ch. 18:12; 28:15, 16; [Judg. 16:20]
• 2. 16:14 ch. 18:10; 19:9; [Judg. 9:23]
• 3. 16:16 ver. 21, 22; 1 Kgs. 10:8
• 4. 16:16 ch. 18:10; 19:9; [2 Kgs. 3:15]
• 5. 16:18 See ch. 17:32, 34-36
• 6. 16:18 ch. 3:19; 18:12, 14
• 7. 16:19 ver. 11; ch. 17:15, 34
• 8. 16:20 [ch. 17:18]
• 9. 16:21 See ver. 16
• 10. 16:23 ver. 14, 16
• 11. 16:23 [See ver. 16 above]