1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 16 Samuel is sent by God; who, under pretence of a sacrifice for fear of Saul, cometh to Bethlehem; sanctifieth Jesse and his sons, 1 SAMUEL 16:1. His human judgment in choosing Eliab the eldest son is reproved, 1 SAMUEL 16:6,7. God had chosen David the youngest to be king in Saul's... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW CAN I GO, to wit, safely? a question which seems to savour of human frailty; for he should have strongly believed that God, who had set him upon the work, would carry him through it. I AM COME TO SACRIFICE TO THE LORD; which he used oft to do, sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another, th... [ Continue Reading ]
CALL JESSE TO THE SACRIFICE, i.e. invite him to the feast, which, after the manner, was made of the flesh of the sacrifice; and it belonged to Samuel, as the offerer of the sacrifice, to invite whom he pleased. WHOM I NAME, i.e. whom I shall describe, as it were, by name.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ELDERS OF THE TOWN TREMBLED AT HIS COMING; partly because it was strange and unexpected to them, this being but an obscure town, MICAH 5:2, and remote from Samuel, and therefore they justly thought there was some extraordinary reason for it; and their guilty consciences made them fear that he ca... [ Continue Reading ]
SANCTIFY YOURSELVES; prepare yourselves in the manner expressed, EXODUS 19:14,15. TO THE SACRIFICE, Heb. _in the sacrifice_, i.e. join with me in this act of worshipping God, and offering this sacrifice, thereby to give thanks for the blessings you have received from him, and to pray for what you wa... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEY WERE COME; when the most of Jesse's sons were come, either to the place of the feast, or to some other place near it, appointed for this private discourse, whither they were to come before they went to the feast. It must also be understood that Samuel had acquainted Jesse with his design,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD spake by secret inspiration. THE HEIGHT OF HIS STATURE; whereby thou wast once deceived in Saul, 1 SAMUEL 10:23,24, and therefore shouldst not now be deceived a second time. MAN LOOKETH ON THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE; men value men by their outsides. THE LORD LOOKETH ON THE HEART; God esteems of... [ Continue Reading ]
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SHAMMAH, called also _Shimeah_, 2 SAMUEL 13:3, and _Shimna_ 1 CHRONICLES 2:13.... [ Continue Reading ]
SEVEN OF HIS SONS, i.e. the rest of his sons, which were seven, besides David; for in all he had eight, 1 SAMUEL 17:12. It is true, there are but seven of them named 1 CHRONICLES 2:13, but that may be because one of them was either born of a concubine, or an obscure person; or one that died immediat... [ Continue Reading ]
HE KEEPETH THE SHEEP; and consequently is the most unfit of all my sons for that high employment. Either therefore he did not thoroughly understand David's great wisdom and valour, or he judgeth him unfit, by reason of his mean education. And God so ordered it by his providence, that David's choice... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WAS RUDDY; which may be referred either to the colour of his hair; or rather, to the complexion of his face. GOODLY TO LOOK TO; of a comely but masculine and majestic aspect.... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE MIDST OF HIS BRETHREN: according to this translation, his brethren were present at this act, and knew that David was anointed king. But this seems, to some, neither consistent with Samuel's design of secrecy, nor with Eliab's scornful words concerning him after this, 1 SAMUEL 17:28. But to th... [ Continue Reading ]
God took away that prudence, and courage, and alacrity, and other gifts and assistances of God's Spirit, wherewith he had qualified him for the management of his public employment. AN EVIL SPIRIT; properly so called; for what need is there of forsaking the proper signification of the word? It is evi... [ Continue Reading ]
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And the success confirms their opinion. For although music cannot directly have any influence upon an evil spirit to drive him away; yet because the devil, as it seems, had not possession of him, but only made use of the passions of his mind and ill humours of his body to molest him; and because it... [ Continue Reading ]
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Wonder not that David was so suddenly advanced, from a poor contemptible shepherd, to so great reputation; for these were the effects of that Spirit of the Lord, which he received when he was anointed; though some would hence infer, that the things related in this chapter happened after the history... [ Continue Reading ]
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This present, though in our times it would seem contemptible, yet was very agreeable to the usage of those times, and to the condition of Jesse, which was but mean in the world. And it seems to have been the custom of those times, as it is yet in the eastern countries (when they made their appearanc... [ Continue Reading ]
STOOD BEFORE HIM, i.e. ministered unto him; or (as we use to speak) waited upon him, as that phrase oft signifies; as DEUTERONOMY 1:38, DEUTERONOMY 10:8. HE BECAME HIS ARMOUR-BEARER; he had that place conferred upon him, though we do not read that he ever exercised it; for it seems he was gone back... [ Continue Reading ]
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To wit, for a season. And the reason of this success may be partly natural and common; of which see on 1 SAMUEL 16:16; and partly supernatural and special, respecting David, whom God designed by this means to bring into favour with the king and his court, and so to smooth the way for his advancement... [ Continue Reading ]