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1 Samuel
Chapter Sixteen
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 16
In
this chapter Samuel is ordered to anoint a king among the sons of Jesse of
Bethlehem
1 Samuel 16:1 all
whose sons were made to pass before him
excepting David
1 Samuel 16:6 who
being then with his father's sheep
was sent for and was anointed
1 Samuel 16:11
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
1 Samuel 16:14 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
1 Samuel 16:19.
1 Samuel 16:1 Now the Lord said to
Samuel
“How long will you mourn for Saul
seeing I have rejected him from
reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil
and go; I am sending you to
Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”
YLT
1And Jehovah saith unto
Samuel
`Till when art thou mourning for Saul
and I have rejected him from
reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil
and go
I send thee unto Jesse
the Beth-Lehemite
for I have seen among his sons for Myself a king.
And the Lord said unto Samuel
.... In a vision or
dream
or by an articulate voice: how long wilt thou mourn for Saul? he does
not blame him for mourning
but for mourning so long; but how long that was
cannot be said; and though his affection for him might cause him to indulge to
it
yet it was in vain
seeing the sentence was irreversible:
seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? that is
his
posterity; for he himself reigned as long as he lived
though in a very
inglorious manner:
fill thine horn with oil; with common oil; for
that this was the holy anointing oil kept in the tabernacle
as the Jewish
writers generally suppose
with which they say David and Solomon
and the kings
of Judah
were anointed
there is no reason to believe; since the tabernacle
where this oil was
was at a distance from Samuel
and which seems to have been
only for the anointing of the priests. This was not a phial he was bid to take
as when he anointed Saul; but an horn
denoting the abundance of gifts bestowed
on David
and the firmness and duration of his kingdom:
and go
and I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite; the son of
Obed
whom Boaz begat of Ruth the Moabitess
4:21.
for I have provided me a king among his sons; but which he
says not; this was reserved for an later discovery; however God had in his own
mind picked him
whom he would hereafter make known; this was a king for
himself
raised up to fulfil his will; Saul was chosen by him
but then it was
at the request of the people
and so he was rather their king than his; but
this was not at their desire
nor with their knowledge
but of his own good
will and pleasure; the one was given in wrath
and the other in love; the one
was to the rejection of God as King
the other to the rejection of Saul by the
will of God.
1 Samuel 16:2 2 And Samuel said
“How can
I go? If Saul hears it
he will kill me.” But the Lord said
“Take a
heifer with you
and say
‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’
YLT
2And Samuel saith
`How do I
go? when Saul hath heard
then he hath slain me.' And Jehovah saith
`A heifer
of the herd thou dost take in thy hand
and hast said
To sacrifice to Jehovah
I have come;
And Samuel said
how can I go?.... Which argues
weakness of faith in Samuel
and fear of man
and a diffidence in and distrust
of divine power; for otherwise he that sent him on such an errand could protect
him:
if Saul hear it
he will kill me; should hear that Samuel
went and anointed another king
it would so enrage him
that he would either
immediately lay hands on him
and put him to death
or order him to be put to
death; and indeed were it not that this was done by the command of God
he would
deserve to die; it being an overt act of treason to anoint another king:
and the Lord said
take an heifer with thee
and say
I am come to
sacrifice to the Lord; a peace offering
which might be done any where in those
unsettled times
the ark being at one place
and the tabernacle at another; and
might be offered upon a private altar
and by a private person; and as it seems
Samuel used to sacrifice at different places; see 1 Samuel 7:9. Ben
Gersom relates it as the sense of one of their Rabbins in his age
that there
was a person slain in those parts
not known by whom he was slain; and so
Samuel is ordered to take an heifer to fulfil the law in Deuteronomy 21:1
and therefore Saul would make no inquiry into his reason of going thither with
an heifer
and this is commended both by him and Abarbinel.
1 Samuel 16:3 3 Then invite Jesse to the
sacrifice
and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the
one I name to you.”
YLT
3and thou hast called for
Jesse in the sacrifice
and I cause thee to know that which thou dost do
and
thou hast anointed to Me him of whom I speak unto thee.'
And call Jesse to the sacrifice
.... His family
both him
and his sons
to partake of the peace offerings; as every offerer had a right
to invite his friends
and whomsoever he pleased
to eat of those parts of them
which belonged to him
as a feast before the Lord:
and I will show thee what thou shall do; when Jesse
and his family were with him:
and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee; that is
anoint him to be king over Israel
whom he should point out so plainly to him
as if he called him by name.
1 Samuel 16:4 4 So Samuel did what the Lord said
and went
to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming
and said
“Do
you come peaceably?”
YLT
4And Samuel doth that which
Jehovah hath spoken
and cometh in to Beth-Lehem
and the elders of the city
tremble to meet him
and [one] saith
`Is thy coming peace?'
And Samuel did that which the Lord spake
.... He filled
a horn of oil
and took an heifer with him:
and came to Bethlehem; where Jesse and his
family lived
which
according to BuntingF25Travels of the
Patriarchs
&c. p. 125.
was sixteen miles from Ramah; though it could
hardly be so much
since Ramah was six miles from Jerusalem on one side
as
Bethlehem lay six miles from it on the otherF26Vid. Hieron. de loc.
Heb. fol. 89. F. & 94. B. :
and the elders of the town trembled at his coming; for he being
now an old man
and seldom went abroad
they concluded it must be something
very extraordinary that brought him thither; and they might fear that as he was
a prophet of the Lord
that he was come to reprove them
or denounce some
judgment upon them for their sins. The Targum is
"the elders of the city
gathered together to meet him;'out of respect and in honour to him
and to the
same sense Jarchi's note is
"they hasted to go out to meet him';see Hosea 11:11.
and
said comest thou peaceably? the word
"said" is singular; one of the elders put this question
the chiefest
of them
perhaps Jesse; and the meaning of it is
whether he came with ill news
and bad tidings
or as displeased with them himself on some account or another;
or with a message from God
as displeased with them; or whether he came there
for his own peace and safety
to be sheltered from Saul; and which
if that was
the case
might not be for their peace and good; but would draw upon them the
wrath and vengeance of Saul; for they doubtless knew that there was a variance
at least a shyness
between Saul and Samuel.
1 Samuel 16:5 5 And he said
“Peaceably; I
have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves
and
come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons
and
invited them to the sacrifice.
YLT
5and he saith
`Peace; to
sacrifice to Jehovah I have come
sanctify yourselves
and ye have come in with
me to the sacrifice;' and he sanctifieth Jesse and his sons
and calleth them
to the sacrifice.
And he said
peaceably I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord
.... Which he
could say with truth
it being one end of his coming
though not the only one
for which he came
and which he was not obliged to tell:
sanctify yourselves
and come with me to the sacrifice; prepare
themselves for it
which was done by washing their garments
&c. and then
attend with him
and assist him in the sacrifice:
and he sanctified Jesse and his sons
and called them to the
sacrifice; he ordered them to sanctify themselves; he distinguished them
from the rest of the inhabitants
and invited them to partake of the feast
the
remainder of the peace offerings.
1 Samuel 16:6 6 So it was
when they came
that he looked at Eliab and said
“Surely the Lord’s anointed is
before Him!”
YLT
6And it cometh to pass
in
their coming in
that he seeth Eliab
and saith
`Surely
before Jehovah [is]
His anointed.'
And it came to pass
when they were come
.... Jesse and
his sons
into the house where the entertainment was; and perhaps before they
sat down
went into a private apartment by the direction of Samuel
where he
acquainted Jesse with the business he came upon:
that he looked on Eliab; who was Jesse's
firstborn
1 Chronicles 2:13
called Elihu
1 Chronicles 27:18.
and said
surely the Lord's anointed is before him; or this is
the person it is his pleasure should be anointed king.
1 Samuel 16:7 7 But the Lord said to
Samuel
“Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature
because I
have refused him. For the Lord does
not see as man sees;[a] for man
looks at the outward appearance
but the Lord looks at the heart.”
YLT
7And Jehovah saith unto
Samuel
`Look not unto his appearance
and unto the height of his stature
for
I have rejected him; for [it is] not as man seeth -- for man looketh at the
eyes
and Jehovah looketh at the heart.'
But the Lord said to Samuel
.... By a secret impulse
upon his mind
as if he had spoken with an articulate voice to him:
look not on his countenance; which was comely and
majestic:
or on the height of his stature; which was like that of
Saul's; and because the Lord had chosen him
who was superior to the people in
this respect
Samuel thought he meant to have such an one now anointed king:
because I have refused him; or it is not my pleasure
that he should be king; though Ben Gersom thinks this refers to Saul
that the
Lord had rejected him
though of an high stature
and therefore Samuel should
not look out for such a person to be king; and Abarbinel refers it to the
height of stature itself
that God had rejected that
and laid it aside as a
qualification of a king
or as a rule to judge of a proper person to be a king;
but no doubt it respected Eliab:
for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; man only sees what is
without
but the Lord sees what is within; only the outward visible form of the
body is seen by man
but the inward qualifications and endowments of the mind
are seen by the Lord:
for man looketh on the outward appearance; the
comeliness of a man's person
the majesty of his countenance
the height of his
stature
and size of his body
things which recommended men to be kings among
the nations of the world; See Gill on 1 Samuel 9:2
or
"to the eyes"F1לעינים "ad
oculos"
Montanus. ; the liveliness
and briskness
and sharpness of them
thereby to judge of the sagacity and penetration of the mind
as physiognomists
do; who guess at the disposition of men by them
when they are small or great
watery or dry
of this or the other colourF2Vid. Schotti Thaumaturg.
Physic. par. 4. l. 7. c. 8. :
but the Lord looketh on the heart; and knows what is in
that
what wisdom and prudence
justice and integrity
mercy and goodness
and
other princely qualifications are in that. The Jewish writers conclude from
hence that the heart of Eliab was not right; it may be
full of wrath
pride
envy
&c. which disqualified him for government.
1 Samuel 16:8 8 So Jesse called Abinadab
and made him pass before Samuel. And he said
“Neither has the Lord chosen this
one.”
YLT
8And Jesse calleth unto
Abinadab
and causeth him to pass by before Samuel; and he saith
`Also on this
Jehovah hath not fixed.'
Then Jesse called Abinadab
.... His second son
1 Samuel 17:13.
and made him pass before Samuel: that he might take a
full view of him:
and he said
neither hath the Lord chosen this; which he knew
by a private suggestion from him.
1 Samuel 16:9 9 Then Jesse made Shammah
pass by. And he said
“Neither has the Lord chosen this one.”
YLT
9And Jesse causeth Shammah
to pass by
and he saith
`Also on this Jehovah hath not fixed.'
Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by
.... His third son
1 Samuel 17:13
sometimes called Shimma
and Shimeah
1 Chronicles 2:13.
and he said
neither hath the Lord chosen this; which he knew
in the same way as before.
1 Samuel 16:10 10 Thus Jesse made seven of
his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse
“The Lord has not chosen
these.”
YLT
10And Jesse causeth seven of
his sons to pass by before Samuel
and Samuel saith to Jesse
`Jehovah hath not
fixed on these.'
Again Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel
.... Not seven
more
for he had but eight sons in all with David
1 Samuel 17:12 but
four more
which with the other three made seven; three of these four are
mentioned by name
Nathanael
Raddai
and Ozem
1 Chronicles 2:14
but the fourth we nowhere read of; perhaps he died quickly after this
was an
obscure person
and of no fame and note
or might be by another woman:
and Samuel said unto Jesse
the Lord hath not chosen these; not anyone of
them.
1 Samuel 16:11 11 And Samuel said to Jesse
“Are all the young men here?” Then he said
“There remains yet the youngest
and there he is
keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse
“Send and bring
him. For we will not sit down[b] till he
comes here.”
YLT
11And Samuel saith unto
Jesse
`Are the young men finished?' and he saith
`Yet hath been left the
youngest; and lo
he delighteth himself among the flock;' and Samuel saith unto
Jesse
`Send and take him
for we do not turn round till his coming in hither.'
And Samuel said unto Jesse
are here all thy children?.... For
neither of these being the person God would have anointed king
and yet it was
one of Jesse's sons that was to be anointed
he concluded he must have more
at
least one more
and therefore puts this question to him:
and he said
there remaineth yet the youngest; or
"the
little one"F3תקטן
"parvulus"
V. L. ; not of a little diminutive stature
for he was a
mighty man
a man of strength
courage
and valour
1 Samuel 16:18 or
of a puerile age
for the Jews sayF4Seder Olam Rabba
c. 13. p. 36.
he was now twenty nine years of age; but that is not likely
he hardly exceeded
more than twenty
or was so much; thereabout he might be; but he is so called because
he was the youngest son
as we render it:
and
behold
he keepeth the sheep: and from following them
he was taken and anointed king; see Psalm 78:70. Some
of the greatest of men have been taken from rustic employment
as Moses
Gideon
Saul
and others:
and Samuel said unto Jesse
send and fetch him; out of the
field by a messenger:
for we will not sit down till he come hither; that is
at
table
to eat of that part of the peace offerings which belonged to the offerer
Samuel
and which he had invited Jesse and his sons to partake of.
1 Samuel 16:12 12 So he sent and brought him
in. Now he was ruddy
with bright eyes
and good-looking. And the Lord said
“Arise
anoint him; for this is the one!”
YLT
12And he sendeth
and
bringeth him in
and he [is] ruddy
with beauty of eyes
and of good
appearance; and Jehovah saith
`Rise
anoint him
for this [is] he.'
And he sent and brought him in
.... Sent messengers into
the field and to the flock for him
and being come home Jesse introduced him
into the room where Samuel was:
now he was ruddy; which some understand not of the ruddiness
of his complexion
or of his cheeks
but of the redness of his hair; the former
seems best:
and withal of a beautiful countenance; of comely
features: or "beautiful eyes"F5עם
יפה עינים "simul
pulcher oculis"
Montanus; "cum pulchritudine oculorum"
Junius
& Tremellius
Piscator. ; bright
clear
and sparkling; eyes that are black
or blue are reckoned beautiful:
and goodly to look to; of a pleasant
countenance
delightful to behold; he carried sweetness as well as majesty in
his face; in this he was a type of Christ
Song of Solomon 5:10.
A beautiful aspect
as well as shape and height
recommended persons for
government
as with the Ethiopians
as AristotleF6Politic. l. 4. c.
4. relates; so Agamemnon is represented by PriamusF7Homer. Iliad. 3.
v. 166. for his personable appearance
as like a king
and fit to be one:
and the Lord said
arise
anoint him
for this is he; that he had
spoken to him of
and who it was his pleasure should be anointed king; and
therefore
by a secret strong impulse upon his mind
was put upon doing it
immediately
without any hesitation or delay.
1 Samuel 16:13 13 Then Samuel took the horn
of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon
David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
YLT
13And Samuel taketh the horn
of oil
and anointeth him in the midst of his brethren
and prosper over David
doth the Spirit of Jehovah from that day and onwards; and Samuel riseth and
goeth to Ramath.
Then Samuel took the horn of oil
.... Out of his pocket
which he brought along with him by the direction of God:
and anointed him in the midst of his brethren; not in the
presence of them
they sitting around
or standing by and seeing the ceremony
performed; which is not consistent with the secrecy with which Samuel was
directed to manage this affair
and which was necessary to observe
to keep it
from the knowledge of Saul; and with Eliab's treatment of David afterwards
who
would never have addressed him in the manner he did
had he known that he was
anointed king
1 Samuel 17:28 but
the sense is
according to Kimchi and Abarbinel
that he was selected out of
them
and separated from them
and privately anointed by Samuel
and at most
only his father Jesse present; wherefore some observe
that the words may be
rendered
"anointed him from the midst of his brethren"F8So
Pool
Patrick
&c. ; that is
he took him apart from them
and anointed
him:
and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward; not as a
spirit of grace and holiness
which probably had come upon him before this
time; but a spirit of prophecy
as did on Saul after his unction; and which
particularly showed itself in music and poetry
in which he immediately became
very eminent
and he was taken notice of for it
and which was the means of
bringing him into Saul's court; and a spirit of wisdom and prudence
in civil
as well as in sacred things; and a spirit of fortitude
as the Targum
of
strength of body
and courage and valour of mind; whereby he was enabled to
encounter with the lion and bear
and get the mastery of them; which
with all
other gifts of the spirit fitting him for government
he was now endowed with
and which continued with him:
so Samuel rose up and went to Ramah his native place
and
where he resided; that is
after the festival of the peace offerings
to which
Jesse and his sons were invited; for the anointing seems to be before that.
1 Samuel 16:14 14 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from
Saul
and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.
YLT
14And the Spirit of Jehovah
turned aside from Saul
and a spirit of sadness from Jehovah terrified him;
But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul
.... As a
spirit of prophecy as at first
as a spirit of wisdom and prudence in civil
government
and as a spirit of fortitude and courage
as the Targum:
and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him; the reverse
of the former
which by the permission of God
and as a punishment to him for
his sins
came upon him; he seemed to be a demoniac
as Josephus representsF9Antiqu.
l. 6. c. 8. sect. 2. him
as if possessed with the devil; by whom he was almost
suffocated and strangled
as well as was distracted in his counsels
and became
weak and foolish; lost all courage and greatness of mind
was timorous and
fearful
and alarmed by everything
and was full of envy
suspicion
rage
and
despair.
1 Samuel 16:15 15 And Saul’s servants said
to him
“Surely
a distressing spirit from God is troubling you.
YLT
15and the servants of Saul
say unto him
`Lo
we pray thee
a spirit of sadness [from] God is terrifying
thee;
And Saul's servants said unto him
.... His courtiers
who
observing him to act in a frantic manner
to be dull and melancholy
timorous
and irresolute
unsteady
divided
and distressed; or his physicians
who were
called in to assist him
and remove his disorder from him:
behold
now an evil spirit from God troubleth thee: the disorder
was not from any natural cause
or any bodily disease
and therefore out of the
reach of physicians to do any service
but was from an evil spirit suffered of
God to harass and disturb him.
1 Samuel 16:16 16 Let our master now command
your servants
who are before you
to seek out a man who is a
skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand
when the distressing spirit from God is upon you
and you shall be well.”
YLT
16let our lord command
we
pray thee
thy servants before thee
they seek a skilful man
playing on a
harp
and it hath come to pass
in the spirit of sadness [from] God being upon
thee
that he hath played with his hand
and [it is] well with thee.'
Let our Lord now command thy servants which are before thee
.... Meaning
either themselves
or some of a more inferior rank
who were in some post and
office at court
waiters there
such as yeomen of the guards:
to seek out a man who is a cunning player on the harp: a musical
instrument much in use in those days:
and it shall come to pass
when the evil spirit from God is upon
thee; when in a melancholy mood
and Satan takes the advantage of it
to distress and terrify
to spread the gloom
and stir up evil passions
and
promote distraction and confusion:
that he shall play with his hand: upon the harp
that
being not an instrument of wind
but of hand music:
and thou shalt be well: music being a means of
cheering the spirits
and removing melancholy and gloomy apprehensions of
things
and so of restoring to better health of body and disposition of mind;
and that music has such an effect on the bodies and minds of men is certain
from observation and experience in all ages. Music has been found to be
medicine to various diseases
not only for the curing of the bite of vipers
and of the tarantula
but for easing the pains of the sciatica
and for helping
persons labouring under the disorders of the frenzyF11A. Gell. Noct.
Attic. l. 4. c. 13. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 2. c. 17. Vid. Philostrat.
Vit. Apollon. Tyan. l. 5. c. 7. ; and Pythagoras used to compose the mind
and
remove the perturbations of it
by the use of the harpF12Seneca de
Ira
l. 3. c. 9.
the thing here advised to.
1 Samuel 16:17 17 So Saul said to his
servants
“Provide me now a man who can play well
and bring him to me.”
YLT
17And Saul saith unto his
servants
`Provide
I pray you
for me a man playing well -- then ye have
brought [him] in unto me.'
And Saul said unto his servants
.... Approving of
and
pleased with the advice they gave:
provide me now a man that can play well
and bring him to me; for
being a sovereign prince
he could command whom he would to attend to
his person and service.
1 Samuel 16:18 18 Then one of the servants
answered and said
“Look
I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite
who
is skillful in playing
a mighty man of valor
a man of war
prudent in
speech
and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him.”
YLT
18And one of the servants
answereth and saith
`Lo
I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-Lehemite
skilful
in playing
and a mighty virtuous man
and a man of battle
and intelligent in
word
and a man of form
and Jehovah [is] with him.'
Then answered one of the servants
.... Which the Jews sayF13T.
Bab. Sanhedrin
fol. 93. 2. So in Hieron. Trad. Heb in lib. Reg. fol. 76. C.
was Doeg the Edomite
who out of envy and ill will to David spake of him
that
Saul might have an opportunity of slaying him; but this is not at all likely;
rather it was one of David's friends and acquaintance
that was desirous of
promoting him at court
and no doubt was directed to that motion by the
overruling providence of God:
and said
behold
I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite; he does not
mention the name of his son
but so describes him
that he might be easily
known by those who knew anything of the family of Jesse; besides it was
sufficient that he was one of Jesse's sons
to find him out:
that is cunning in
playing; that is
on the harp; has good skill in music
and is expert in
it:
and a mighty valiant man; as appeared by his
encountering with and slaying the lion and the bear; an event now past
as very
probable:
and a man of war some think this character of him was given
after the affair of his fighting with Goliath and killing him
but here put by
a prolepsis or anticipation; and indeed if David had been taken into Saul's
court before that affair
it is difficult to account for Saul's ignorance of
him
since he must be so near him
and so often with him
as his musician and
armourbearer; though that difficulty may be removed
as may be observed in its
proper place:
and prudent in matters; in his talk and
conversation
and conduct and behaviour; knew how to carry himself
even in a
prince's court: and a comely person; which always recommended to the courts of
the eastern nations; See Gill on Daniel 1:4.
and the Lord is with him; prospering and
succeeding him in whatsoever he is engaged; and seeing the Lord was with him
it might be expected the evil spirit would depart from Saul
when this person
with whom the Lord was
was in his presence. The Targum is
"the Word of
the Lord is for his help;'all that is said of him showed that he was fit to be
in the palace of a king
and a proper person to be with Saul in his present
circumstances.
1 Samuel 16:19 19 Therefore Saul sent
messengers to Jesse
and said
“Send me your son David
who is with the
sheep.”
YLT
19And Saul sendeth messengers
unto Jesse
and saith
`Send unto me David thy son
who [is] with the flock.'
Wherefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse
.... For
David; not choosing to take him without his leave
though Samuel suggests that
kings would do so
1 Samuel 8:11.
and said
send me David
thy son
which is with the sheep; he had learnt
his name
and what was his employment; and which last he mentions not by way of
contempt
it not being reckoned mean and despicable even in the sons of great
personages
in those times and countries
to attend flocks and herds: so with
the Arabs
as PhiloF14De Vita Mosis
l. 1. p. 610. testifies
young
men and maids of the most illustrious families fed cattle; and with the ancient
Romans
the senatorF15"Pascebatque suas"
&c. Ovid.
Fast. l. 1. fed his own sheep. Paris
son of Priamus
king of Troy
is saidF16Coluthi
Raptus Helenae
v. 71
101. to feed his father's oxen and sheep; and Saul
himself had done the same; but to describe him particularly.
1 Samuel 16:20 20 And Jesse took a donkey loaded
with bread
a skin of wine
and a young goat
and sent them by his
son David to Saul.
YLT
20And Jesse taketh an ass
[with] bread
and a bottle of wine
and one kid of the goats
and sendeth by
the hand of David his son unto Saul.
And Jesse took an ass laden with bread
.... Laden
with a load of bread
as the Targum; with as much as it could carry
or was
used to carry; the Septuagint version is
an omer of bread
which was as much
as a man could eat in one day; and
according to Kimchi and Ben Melech
it may
be interpreted an heap of bread
agreeably to the use of the word in Judges 15:16
and a
bottle of wine; or a skin of wine
a leather bag or sack
which held more than
our bottles; the Targum is
a flagon of wine:
and a kid; of the goats
as the same Targum:
and sent them by David his son unto Saul; some think
that Jesse suspected that Saul had known the secret of David's being anointed
and was fearful that he had a design upon his life
and therefore sent this
present by his son to pacify him
and ingratiate him unto him; but rather he
sent it as a token of respect and subjection to his sovereign
and according to
the custom of those times
when men used to carry presents when they waited
upon princes
and indeed in their common visits; and do in the eastern
countries to this day; See Gill on 1 Samuel 9:7.
1 Samuel 16:21 21 So David came to Saul and
stood before him. And he loved him greatly
and he became his armorbearer.
YLT
21And David cometh in unto
Saul
and standeth before him
and he loveth him greatly; and he is a bearer of
his weapons.
And David came to Saul
and stood before him
.... As a
servant
and ministered to him in the way
and for the purpose for which he was
sent:
and he loved him greatly; being a comely person
and a well behaved youth
and especially as he was serviceable to him with his
music
in driving away melancholy from him:
and he became his armourbearer; that is
he appointed
him to this office
though we never read that he exercised it; nor did he go
with Saul in this capacity to the battle related in the following chapter: it
may be literally rendered: "and he was to him a bearer of vessels"
or "instruments"F17ויהי לו נשא כלים
"et fuit ei ferens vasa"
Montanus; "ferens instrumenta"
Piscator. ; and Abarbinel thinks this is to be understood not of instruments of
war
but of instruments of music to play with; which he brought in and bare
before him when he went in to the king.
1 Samuel 16:22 22 Then Saul sent to Jesse
saying
“Please let David stand before me
for he has found favor in my sight.”
YLT
22And Saul sendeth unto
Jesse
saying
`Let David
I pray thee
stand before me
for he hath found
grace in mine eyes.'
And Saul sent to Jesse
saying
let David
I pray thee
stand
before me
.... Continue in his service; which was great condescension in
him
and great respect shown to Jesse
not to detain his son without his leave
and to ask it as a favour of him:
for he hath found favour in my sight: was very
acceptable to him which must be very pleasing to Jesse to hear; especially if
he was in any fear that Saul had an ill design upon him
when he first sent for
him.
1 Samuel 16:23 23 And so it was
whenever
the spirit from God was upon Saul
that David would take a harp and play it
with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well
and the distressing
spirit would depart from him.
YLT
23And it hath come to pass
in the spirit of [sadness from] God being on Saul
that David hath taken the
harp
and played with his hand
and Saul hath refreshment and gladness
and the
spirit of sadness hath turned aside from off him.
And it came to pass
when the evil spirit from God was upon
Saul
.... See 1 Samuel 16:14
though the word evil is not in the text here; wherefore Abarbinel thinks that
this here was the Spirit of God
which stirred up in him thoughts of divine
things
put him in mind of what God had said
that he had rejected him from
being king
and had rent the kingdom from him; and this filled him with grief
and trouble
and he became melancholy:
that David took an harp
and played with his hands; upon it; and
as JosephusF18Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 8. sect. 2.) says
at the
same time sung hymns and psalms; made use both of vocal and instrumental music:
so Saul was refreshed
and was well; became cheerful
his
grief was removed
his black and gloomy apprehensions of things were dispersed
and he was cured of his melancholy disorder for the present:
and the evil spirit departed from him: at least for
a while; he had his fits and intervals; of the effects of music in a natural
way; see Gill on 1 Samuel 16:16
though no doubt the music of David was more than natural
being attended with
the power and blessing of God
in order to raise his fame and credit at court.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)