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Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

1 Samuel 16:4

Trembled at his coming. — The appearance of the aged seer, with the heifer and the long horn of holy oil, at first terrified the villagers of the quiet, secluded Bethlehem. The name and appearance of the old seer was well known in all the coasts of Israel. Why had he come thus suddenly among them? Had their still remote township then been the scene of some unknown and grave crime? What was happening in Israel, which brought Samuel the seer to little Bethlehem?

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See also 1 Samuel 16:4 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 1 Samuel 16:4. _THE ELDERS OF THE TOWN TREMBLED AT HIS COMING_] They knew he was a prophet of the Lord, and they were afraid that he was now come to denounce some judgments of the Most High agai...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    TREMBLED - There was evidently something unusual in Samuel’s coming to Bethlehem; and the elders, knowing that Samuel was no longer at friendship with Saul, foreboded some evil....

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    III. DAVID, THE KING AFTER GOD'S HEART--HIS EXILE AND SUFFERING 1. David Anointed King and the Departure of the Spirit from Saul CHAPTER 16 _ 1. David anointed king (1 Samuel 16:1)_ 2. The Spirit...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    SAMUEL ANOINTS DAVID (E 2) or (R). A better division would be in the middle of 1 Samuel 15:35, so as to begin the new section with And Yahweh repented. etc. Many authorities regard this section as a l...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    BETH-LEHEM. house of bread. SAID. Hebrew text reads verb in singular, requiring "he, or one, said". In this case it is the Figure of speech _Heterosis_ (of Number), App-6. But several codices, the _S...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Beth-lehem_ Beth-lehem ("house of bread") was the later name of the ancient town of _Ephrath_(Genesis 48:7). It was situated about five miles south of Jerusalem, a short distance east of the road fro...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    David chosen as Saul's Successor, 1 Samuel 16:1-18. _Samuel Goes to Bethlehem. 1 Samuel 16:1-6_ And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reign...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND 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?_ The elders of the town trembled at his coming. B...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    16:4 him, (a-21) Or 'trembled at his coming.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    BETH-LEHEM] originally Ephrath (Genesis 48:7), 5 m. S. of Jerusalem. TREMBLED] For Samuel had been wont to move from one town to another to punish offences (1 Samuel 7:16)....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    DAVID IS ANOINTED KING OVER ISRAEL From 1 Samuel 16 on, the interest centres in David rather than in Saul....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ISRAEL’S FIRST KING 1 SAMUEL _HELEN POCOCK_ CHAPTER 16 SAMUEL *ANOINTS DAVID V1 The *Lord said to Samuel, ‘You should not continue to be sad about Saul. I do not accept him as the king of *Isra...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יַּ֣עַשׂ שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל אֵ֚ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּ֣ר...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER XXII. _ DAVID ANOINTED BY SAMUEL._ 1 Samuel 16:1. THE rejection of Saul was laid very deeply to heart by Samuel. No doubt there many engaging qualities in the man Saul, which Samuel could no...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    GOD'S CHOICE OF HIS ANOINTED 1 Samuel 16:1 The anointing of the young shepherd, with his ruddy cheeks and deep, poetic eyes, is a beautiful episode, in very marked contrast to the events preceding. H...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    We now come to the third section of this Book, throughout which David is the principal figure. It would seem that Samuel had given himself over to the sadness occasioned by Saul's failure. Jehovah reb...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town (c) trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? (c) Afraid, lest some grievous crime had been...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Wondered. Hebrew, "trembled," being full of consternation, (Haydock) as the prophet did not now stir much from home; and fearing lest he had some bad news to impart, or had incurred the king's disple...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (4) And 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? (5) And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrif...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    Now that we have heard the prophet's judgment of king Saul, there follows next the choice of Jehovah. The chapter gives us in a very striking manner the manifest sentence of death on all the thoughts...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    In chapter 16 Samuel is sent of Jehovah to anoint this His chosen one. All glorying in the flesh and its birthright are here set aside; and the youngest, despised and forgotten of all, who kept the sh...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    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 Bunting y, was sixteen...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And 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? Ver. 4. _And the elders of the town trembled at hi...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _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 the...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Samuel sent by God, vnder pretence of a sacrifice, commeth to Bethlehem. 6 His humane iudgement is reprooued. 11 He anointeth Dauid. 15 Saul sendeth for Dauid to quiet his euill spirit. 1 AND th...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And 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? Samuel had evidently held visitations from time to...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    DAVID ANOINTED BY SAMUEL...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    Samuel's mourning for Saul was deep and real; nevertheless it must not be too long protracted. The Lord stirs him up now to some positive action. God has chosen a king from among the sons of Jesse, a...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    COMING: _ Heb._ meeting...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-5 It appears that Saul was grown very wicked. Of what would he not be guilty, who durst think to kill Samuel? The elders of Bethlehem trembled at Samuel's coming. It becomes us to stand in awe of G...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    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 though...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Samuel 16:4 Samuel H8050 did H6213 (H8799) LORD H3068 said H1696 (H8765) went H935 (H8799) Bethlehem...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE ANOINTING OF DAVID AS PROSPECTIVE KING OVER ISRAEL. THE SPIRIT OF YHWH COMES MIGHTILY ON HIM (1 SAMUEL 16:1). It is a sad reflection on what Saul's reign had become that the elders of Bethlehem we...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Choice of David as king. His annointing and visit to Saul. CHARACTERS: God, Holy Spirit, Samuel, David, Jesse, Saul, Eliab, Abinadab, Shammah. CONCLUSION: Whom God appoints, He annoints, a...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    1 Samuel 16:7. _The Lord said to Samuel._ A cloud of proofs demonstrate, that the Eternal Word did personally accompany the holy prophets, and talk with them by voice in open vision. What nation had G...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem._ SAMUEL’S VISIT TO BETHLEHEM 1. How much history is entwined around one locality! The very name of a village recalls events most mome...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 16:1 The Story of Saul and David. Now that Saul has been completely rejected as king, David is introduced as his successor. God trains David, through suffering, to lead his p...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXPOSITORY NOTES— 1 Samuel 16:1. “HOW LONG WILT THOU MOURN,” etc. “These words show that the prophet had not yet been able to reconcile himself to the hidden ways of the Lord; that he was...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    DAVID ANOINTED AS THE FUTURE KING, AND HIS FIRST INTRODUCTION TO SAUL. (1 Samuel 16:1) EXPOSITION CHOICE OF DAVID AS

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    So God said to Samuel, How long are you gonna mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being the king, or reigning over Israel? [This change of attitude, "I've rejected him, now how long are yo...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Chronicles 12:17; 1 Chronicles 12:18; 1 Kings 17:18; 1 Kings 2:13;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Trembled — Because it was strange and unexpected to them, this being but an obscure town, and remote from Samuel, and therefore they justly thought there was some extraordinary reason for it. Peaceabl...

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