1 Samuel 16:1-6

Context

Samuel Anoints David as King

16:1 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long do you intend to mourn for Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel.¹ Fill your horn with olive oil and go! I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem,² for I have selected a king for myself from among his sons.”³

16:2 Samuel replied, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you⁴ and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 16:3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you should do. You will anoint for me the one I point out⁵ to you.”

16:4 Samuel did what the Lord told him.⁶ When he arrived in Bethlehem,⁷ the elders of the city were afraid to meet him. They⁸ said, “Do you come in peace?” 16:5 He replied, “Yes, in peace. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” So he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

16:6 When they arrived, Samuel⁹ noticed¹⁰ Eliab and said to himself,¹¹ “Surely, here before the Lord stands his chosen king!”¹²

[16:1] ¹tc The Lucianic recension of the Old Greek translation includes the following words: “And the Lord said to Samuel.”

[16:1] ²map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[16:1] ³tn Heb “for I have seen among his sons for me a king.”

[16:2] ⁴tn Heb “in your hand.”

[16:3] ⁵tn Heb “say”; KJV, NRSV “name”; NIV “indicate.”

[16:4] ⁶tn Heb “said.”

[16:4] ⁷map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[16:4] ⁸tc In the MT the verb is singular (“he said”), but the translation follows many medieval Hebrew mss and ancient versions in reading the plural (“they said”).

[16:6] ⁹tn Heb “he”; the referent (Samuel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:6] ¹⁰tn Heb “saw.”

[16:6] ¹¹tn Heb “said”; the words “to himself” are implied, given the secrecy surrounding Samuel’s mission to Bethlehem (v. 2).

[16:6] ¹²tn Heb “his anointed one.”