1 Samuel 15:29

15:29 The Preeminent One¹ of Israel does not go back on his word² or change his mind, for he is not a human being who changes his mind.”³

1 Samuel 16:7

16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t be impressed by⁴ his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way men do.⁵ People look on the outward appearance,⁶ but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 17:32

17:32 David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged.⁷ Your servant will go and fight this Philistine!”

1 Samuel 24:9

24:9 David said to Saul, “Why do you pay attention when men say, ‘David is seeking to do you harm’?

1 Samuel 25:29

25:29 When someone sets out to chase you and to take your life, the life of my lord will be wrapped securely in the bag⁸ of the living by the Lord your God. But he will sling away the lives of your enemies from the sling’s pocket!

1 Samuel 26:19

26:19 So let my lord the king now listen to the words of his servant. If the Lord has incited you against me, may he take delight in⁹ an offering. But if men have instigated this,¹⁰ may they be cursed before the Lord! For they have driven me away this day from being united with the Lord’s inheritance, saying, ‘Go on, serve other gods!’

¹tn Heb “splendor,” used here by metonymy as a title for the Lord.

²tn Or perhaps “does not lie.”

³sn This observation marks the preceding statement (v. 28) as an unconditional, unalterable decree. When God makes such a decree he will not alter it or change his mind. This does not mean that God never deviates from his stated intentions or changes his mind. On the contrary, several passages describe him as changing his mind. In fact, his willingness to do so is one of his fundamental divine attributes (see Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2). For a fuller discussion see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “Does God Change His Mind?” BSac 152 (1995): 387-99.

⁴tn Heb “don’t look toward.”

⁵tn Heb “for not that which the man sees.” The translation follows the LXX, which reads, “for not as man sees does God see.” The MT has suffered from homoioteleuton or homoioarcton. See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 274.

⁶tn Heb “to the eyes.”

⁷tn Heb “Let not the heart of a man fall upon him.” The LXX reads “my lord,” instead of “a man.”

¹⁰tn Cf. KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV “bundle”; NLT “treasure pouch.”

¹³tn Heb “may he smell.” The implication is that Saul should seek to appease God, for such divine instigation to evil would a sign of God’s disfavor. For a fuller discussion of this passage see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “Does God Deceive?” BSac 155 (1998): 19-21.

¹⁴tn Heb “but if the sons of men.”