1 Samuel · Catholic Public Domain Version
1 Samuel 16 Catholic Public Domain Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
1 And the Lord said to Samuel: “How long will you mourn for Saul, though I have rejected him, so that he would not reign over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and approach, so that I may send you to Jesse of Bethlehem. For I have provided a king from among his sons for myself.”
1 Yahweh said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided a king for myself among his sons.”
2 And Samuel said: “How shall I go? For Saul will hear of it, and he will put me to death.” And the Lord said: “You shall take, by your hand, a calf from the herd. And you shall say, ‘I have arrived in order to immolate to the Lord.’
2 Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” Yahweh said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.’
3 And you shall call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will reveal to you what you should do. And you shall anoint whomever I will indicate to you.”
3 Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. You shall anoint to me him whom I name to you.”
4 Therefore, Samuel did just as the Lord told him. And he went to Bethlehem, and the elders of the city wondered. And meeting him, they said, “Is your arrival peaceful?”
4 Samuel did that which Yahweh spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”
5 And he said: “It is peaceful. I have arrived in order to immolate to the Lord. Be sanctified, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and he called them to the sacrifice.
5 He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” He sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6 And when they had entered, he saw Eliab, and he said, “Could he be the Christ in the sight of the Lord?”
6 When they had come, he looked at Eliab, and said, “Surely Yahweh’s anointed is before him.”
7 And the Lord said to Samuel: “You should not look with favor on his face, nor on the height of his stature. For I have rejected him. Neither do I judge by the appearance of a man. For man sees those things that are apparent, but the Lord beholds the heart.”
7 But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Don’t look on his face, or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for I don’t see as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart.”
8 And Jesse called Abinadab, and he brought him before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.”
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.”
9 Then Jesse brought Shammah. And he said about him, “And the Lord has not chosen this one.”
9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. He said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.”
10 And so Jesse brought his seven sons before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.”
10 Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. Samuel said to Jesse, “Yahweh has not chosen these.”
11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Could the sons now be completed?” But he responded, “There still remains a little one, and he pastures the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse: “Send and bring him. For we shall not recline to eat, until he arrives here.”
11 Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your children here?” He said, “There remains yet the youngest. Behold, he is keeping the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down until he comes here.”
12 Therefore, he sent and brought him. Now he was ruddy, and beautiful to behold, and with a stately face. And the Lord said, “Rise up, anoint him! For it is he.”
12 He sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with a handsome face and good appearance. Yahweh said, “Arise! Anoint him, for this is he.”
13 Therefore, Samuel took the horn of oil, and he anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord was guiding David from that day and thereafter. And Samuel rose up, and he went away to Ramah.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the middle of his brothers. Then Yahweh’s Spirit came mightily on David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.
14 But the Spirit of the Lord withdrew from Saul, and a wicked spirit from the Lord disturbed him.
14 Now Yahweh’s Spirit departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Yahweh troubled him.
15 And the servants of Saul said to him: “Behold, an evil spirit from God disturbs you.
15 Saul’s servants said to him, “See now, an evil spirit from God troubles you.
16 May our lord order, and your servants, who are before you, will seek a man skillful in playing a stringed instrument, so that when the evil spirit from the Lord assails you, he may play with his hand, and you may bear it more easily.”
16 Let our lord now command your servants who are in front of you to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. Then when the evil spirit from God is on you, he will play with his hand, and you will be well.”
17 And Saul said to his servants, “Then provide for me someone who can play well, and bring him to me.”
17 Saul said to his servants, “Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.”
18 And one of the servants, responding, said: “Behold, I have seen the son of Jesse of Bethlehem, a skillful player, and very strong and robust, a man fit for war, and prudent in words, a handsome man. And the Lord is with him.”
18 Then one of the young men answered and said, “Behold, 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 Yahweh is with him.”
19 Therefore, Saul sent messengers to Jesse, saying, “Send to me your son David, who is in the pastures.”
19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.”
20 And so, Jesse took a donkey laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid from one of the goats, and he sent them, by the hand of his son David, to Saul.
20 Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a container of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by David his son to Saul.
21 And David went to Saul, and stood before him. And he loved him exceedingly, and he made him his armor bearer.
21 David came to Saul and stood before him. He loved him greatly; and he became his armor bearer.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying: “Let David remain before my sight. For he has found favor in my eyes.”
22 Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.”
23 And so, whenever the evil spirit from the Lord assailed Saul, David took up his stringed instrument, and he struck it with his hand, and Saul was refreshed and uplifted. For the evil spirit withdrew from him.
23 When the spirit from God was on Saul, David took the harp and played with his hand; so Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Abinadab
A brother of David who passed before Samuel and later served in Saul's army.
Cited in the guide: 1 Samuel 16:8; 1 Samuel 17:13
David
The shepherd who became Israel's greatest king and a man after God's own heart.
Cited in the guide: 1 Sam. 16 - 1 Kings 2; 2 Sam. 7; 1 Chron. 2:15; Matt. 1:6
Eliab
Jesse's tall firstborn, passed over when Samuel came to anoint a king from among his sons.
Cited in the guide: 1 Samuel 16:6; 1 Samuel 17:28
Jesse
The Bethlehemite whose youngest son David was anointed king of Israel.
Cited in the guide: 1 Sam. 16:1-13; Isa. 11:1; Ruth 4:22; Matt. 1:5-6
Cross references (20)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Kings 9:1; 1 Samuel 15:23; 1 Samuel 15:35; Psalm 78:68–71; Romans 15:12
- 2 1 Samuel 9:12; 1 Samuel 20:29; Matthew 10:16; Luke 1:34; Jeremiah 38:26–27
- 3 1 Samuel 9:16; 2 Samuel 15:11; 1 Samuel 16:12–13; Acts 9:6; 1 Samuel 9:12–13
- 4 1 Kings 2:13; 1 Samuel 21:1; 1 Chronicles 12:17–18; 2 Kings 9:22; Luke 5:8
- 5 Exodus 19:10; Leviticus 20:7–8; Joshua 3:5; Joshua 7:13; Exodus 19:14–15
- 6 1 Samuel 17:13; 1 Chronicles 2:13
- 7 John 7:24; Jeremiah 17:10; Luke 16:15; Isaiah 55:8–9; 1 Peter 3:4
- 8 1 Samuel 17:13; 1 Chronicles 2:13
- 9 1 Samuel 17:13; 2 Samuel 13:3; 1 Chronicles 2:13
- 10 1 Chronicles 2:13–15
- 11 Psalm 78:70–71; 2 Samuel 7:8; 1 Samuel 17:28; 1 Chronicles 17:7; 2 Samuel 13:3
- 12 Song of Songs 5:10; Lamentations 4:7; 1 Samuel 17:42; Psalm 89:19–20; 1 Samuel 9:17
- 13 1 Samuel 10:6; Hebrews 1:9; John 3:34; 1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Samuel 10:9–10
- 14 Psalm 51:11; 1 Samuel 18:12; Judges 9:23; 1 Samuel 28:15; 1 Samuel 18:10
- 16 2 Kings 3:15; 1 Kings 10:8; 1 Samuel 18:10; 1 Samuel 19:9; 1 Samuel 16:21–23
- 18 1 Samuel 3:19; Genesis 39:23; Genesis 39:2; 1 Samuel 17:32–36; 1 Samuel 10:7
- 19 1 Samuel 17:15; 1 Samuel 16:11; Psalm 78:70–72; Matthew 4:18–22; 1 Kings 19:19
- 20 1 Samuel 10:27; Proverbs 18:16; 1 Samuel 17:18; 1 Samuel 25:18; Genesis 43:11
- 21 Genesis 41:46; Proverbs 22:29; Psalm 146:3; Psalm 118:9; Deuteronomy 10:8
- 23 1 Samuel 16:14–16; 1 Samuel 18:10–11
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… him the person of mankind, and hath heeded the bonds of all men, hath considered the offspring of death, hath adverted to the origin of iniquity, and he saith, "For, behold, in iniquities I was conceived." Was David born of adultery; being born of Jesse, a righteous man, and his own wife?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
Though again it be Samuel who is doing this, He saith unto him, "Mourn not thou for Saul." Though for his own sister one entreat, when it is not fitting, he again shall have the same sort of answer as Moses, "If her father had but spit in her face." Let us not then be looking open-mouthed towards others.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… generally, their variable conditions, so, very frequently is the Spirit in the soul; since He does not abide with those who, on account of the instability of their will, easily reject the grace which they have received. An instance of this is seen in Saul, and the seventy elders of the children of Israel, except Eldad and Medad, with whom …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)
… Benjamin, or the tribe of Benjamin He chose not, out of which a king already had begun to be; for thence there had been chosen Saul; whence because of the very proximity of the time, when he had been rejected and refused, and David chosen, this might conveniently have been said; but yet was not said: but he hath named …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)