Shmuel Alef 16:1-13

1 6 And Hashem said unto Shmuel, Ad mosai wilt thou mourn for Sha’ul, seeing I have rejected him as Melech al Yisroel? Fill thine keren with shemen, and go, I will send thee to Yishai of Beit-Lechem: for I have provided Me a melech among his banim.
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.
7 But Hashem said unto Shmuel, Look not on his mareh (appearance), or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him; for Hashem seeth not as HaAdam seeth; for HaAdam looketh at the einayim (eyes, outward form); Hashem looketh at the lev.
8 Then Yishai called Avinadav, and made him pass before Shmuel. And he said, Neither hath Hashem chosen this.
9 Then Yishai made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath Hashem chosen this.
10 Again, Yishai made his shivat banim to pass before Shmuel. And Shmuel said unto Yishai, these Hashem hath not bachar (chosen).
11 And Shmuel said unto Yishai, Are here all thy ne’arim (boys)? And he said, There remaineth yet the katan (small, young), and, hinei, ro’eh batzon (tending the flock) is he. And Shmuel said unto Yishai, Send and get him; for we will not sit down [to eat] till he come here.
12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was adomoni (ruddy, of healthy red complexion) and withal of a yafeh countenance, and good-looking. And Hashem said, Arise, meshachehu (anoint him); ki zeh hu (for this is he).
13 Then Shmuel took the keren of shemen, v’yimshach (and anointed) him in the midst of his achim; and the Ruach [Hakodesh] of Hashem came upon Dovid from that day forward. So Shmuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

Shmuel Alef 16:1-13 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.

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