_A.M. 2941. B.C. 1063._ Samuel is appointed to anoint one of the sons of Jesse king, 1 Samuel 16:1. The elder sons are passed by, and David anointed, 1 Samuel 16:6. Saul, growing melancholy, is eased by David's music, 1 Samuel 16:14.... [ Continue Reading ]
_How long wilt thou mourn for Saul?_ And pray for his restoration, which the following words imply he did. _Fill thy horn with oil _ Which was used in the inauguration of kings. But here it was used in the designation of a king; for David was not actually made king by it, but still remained a subjec... [ Continue Reading ]
_How can I go?_ That is, with safety. _Say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord_ Which he, being a prophet, might do anywhere, all the ritual laws being subject to the prophets. What the Lord commanded him to say was a truth, though not the whole truth.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Call Jesse to the sacrifice_ To the feast upon the sacrifice, to which they might invite their neighbours and friends. _The elders trembled at his coming_ Because it was strange and unexpected to them, this being but an obscure town, and remote from Samuel, and therefore they justly thought there w... [ Continue Reading ]
_I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord_ That was one intention of his coming; and though there was another, namely, to anoint one of Jesse's sons to be king, he was not bound to declare it. For where there are two ends of any action, a person may, without any injury to truth, declare the one and conc... [ Continue Reading ]
_He looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord's anointed_, &c. Struck with the gracefulness and dignity of his person, he immediately concluded that this was the person whom God designed for his anointed; wherein, however, he was mistaken, as other prophets sometimes were, when they hastily spake t... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Lord said unto Samuel_ By a secret inward suggestion. _Look not on his countenance_ All have not a noble spirit who have a noble aspect, as appeared by Saul; which should have prevented Samuel's concluding so hastily from Eliab's appearance that he was the person whom God had chosen. _Neither h... [ Continue Reading ]
_Again_ (or rather, _Thus_) _Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel_ Not all at once, but seven in all, one after another, in order, David being the eighth. See 1 Samuel 17:12. Probably, however, one of these was either only an adopted son, or was born of a concubine, and therefore is no... [ Continue Reading ]
_Behold, he keepeth sheep_ And consequently is the most unfit of all my sons for that high employment. Either, therefore, he did not understand David's wisdom and valour, or he judged him unfit, by reason of his mean education. And God so ordered it by his providence, that the choice of David might... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Lord said_, &c. Spoke secretly by his Spirit to Samuel's heart; for it is not probable that any audible voice was uttered. _Samuel anointed him in the midst of his brethren_ This is a perfectly literal translation of the Hebrew, confirmed by the Seventy; and the words seem evidently to imply th... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul_ Which came upon him when he was first made king, and continued with him till this time, but which God now took away, depriving him of that prudence, courage, and alacrity, and other gifts wherewith he had qualified him for his public employment. _An evil s... [ Continue Reading ]
_His servants said_, &c. His courtiers could not but observe the change which had taken place in him, and the strange disturbance in his mind, and very probably ascribed it to the hand of God upon him. _When the evil spirit from God is upon thee_ When a melancholy fit seizeth thee. _He shall play wi... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then answered one of the servants_, &c. It is likely this was some friend or acquaintance of David, who here gives him a very high character, which he did not disgrace, but fully verified, insomuch that Saul for a time highly esteemed him, finding him amiable in his spirit, and _prudent in matters_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jesse took bread, a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them_ This present, though in our times it would seem contemptible, yet was very agreeable to the usage of those ages, and to the condition of Jesse, which was but mean in the world. And it was usual in those days not to come before a prince w... [ Continue Reading ]
_David came to Saul and stood before him_ Ministered unto him among the rest of his servants. This sufficiently shows that Saul had no knowledge of the anointing of David, otherwise it cannot be supposed that he would have had him brought to his court. _And he loved him greatly_ So there was somethi... [ Continue Reading ]
_The evil spirit departed_ Namely, for a season. And the reason of this success might be partly natural, and partly supernatural, respecting David; whom God designed by this means to bring into favour with the king, and so to smooth the way for his advancement.... [ Continue Reading ]