1 Samuel 16

1 Samuel · Chapter 16

1 Samuel 16:6

1And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.2And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.3And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.4And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?5And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.6And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.7But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.9Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.10Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.11And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.12And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.14But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.15And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.16Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.17And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.18Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.19Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.20And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.21And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.22And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.23And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
6And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Surely here before the LORD is His anointed.”And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely Jehovah’s anointed is before him.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and it wasוַיְהִ֣יvay-HIH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

when came theyבְּבוֹאָ֔םbe-vo-'AMH0935G
to come (in): come

בּוֹא (bo) : come/go_in 1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to enter, come in 1a2) to come 1a2a) to come with 1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy) 1a2c) to come to pass 1a3) to attain to 1a4) to be enumerated 1a5) to go 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to lead in 1b2) to carry in 1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon 1b4) to bring to pass 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be brought, brought in 1c2) to be introduced, be put

and he sawוַיַּ֖רְאvai-YAR'H7200G
to see: see

רָאָה (ra.ah) : see/show 1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to see 1a2) to see, perceive 1a3) to see, have vision 1a4) to look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out 1a5) to see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish 1a6) to look at, gaze at 1a7) to provide, choose 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to appear, present oneself 1b2) to be seen 1b3) to be visible 1c) (Pual) to be seen 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to see, show 1d2) to cause to look intently at, behold, cause to gaze at 1e) (Hophal) …

Eliabאֱלִיאָ֑ב'e-li-'AVH0446I
Eliab

אֱלִיאָב (e.li.av) A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.16.6; son of: Jesse (H3448); brother of: David (H1732), Abinadab (H0041I), Shimeah (H8093), Nethanel (H5417H), Raddai (H7288), Ozem (H0684), Zeruiah (H6870), Abigail (H0026H)(?) and Elihu (H0453J); father of: Abihail (H0032J) § Eliab = "my God is father" or "God is father" 1) son of Helon, leader of Zebulun in the wilderness 2) a Reubenite chief, father of Dathan and Abiram 3) David's oldest brother 4) a Levite musician 5) a Gadite warrior for David 6) a Kohathite

and he saidוַיֹּ֕אמֶרvai-YO-merH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

surelyאַ֛ךְ'akhH0389
surely

אַךְ (akh) 1) indeed, surely (emphatic) 2) howbeit, only, but, yet (restrictive)

[is] beforeנֶ֥גֶדNE-gedH5048
before

נֶ֫גֶד (ne.ged) subst 1) what is conspicuous, what is in front of adv 2) in front of, straight forward, before, in sight of 3) in front of oneself, straightforward 4) before your face, in your view or purpose with prep 5) what is in front of, corresponding to 6) in front of, before 7) in the sight or presence of 8) parallel to 9) over, for 10) in front, opposite 11) at a distance prep 12) from the front of, away from 13) from before the eyes of, opposite to, at a distance from 14) from before, in front of 15) as far as the front of Aramaic equivalent: ne.ged (נֶ֫גֶד "before" H5049)

Yahwehיְהוָ֖הYAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

anointed hisמְשִׁיחֽוֹ׃me-shi-CHOH4899
anointed

מָשִׁיחַ (ma.shi.ach) 1) anointed, anointed one 1a) of the Messiah, Messianic prince 1b) of the king of Israel 1c) of the high priest of Israel 1d) of Cyrus 1e) of the patriarchs as anointed kings

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.