David Is Anointed

¹ Then Yahweh said to Samuel, “⌞How long⌟¹ will you mourn about Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel! Fill up your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have chosen a king for myself among his sons.”

1. Literally “Until when”

² But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears, he will kill me.” Yahweh said, “You must take a heifer from the herd ⌞with you⌟,¹ and you must say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.’

1. Literally “in/with your hand”

³ You will invite Jesse to the sacrifice and I will make known to you what you must do. You will anoint for me the one whom I tell you.”

⁴ So Samuel did what Yahweh said. He came to Bethlehem, and the elders of the city came trembling to meet him. They said, “⌞Have you come in peace⌟?”¹

1. Literally “Is your coming peace?”

⁵ He said, “I come in peace. I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” So he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶ ⌞When they came⌟,¹ he² saw Eliab and said, “Surely his anointed one is before Yahweh!”

1. Literally “And it happened at their coming”
2. That is, Samuel

⁷ But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For God does not see what man sees, for a man ⌞looks on the outward appearance⌟,¹ but Yahweh ⌞looks on the heart⌟.”²

1. Literally “sees as far as the eyes”
2. Literally “sees as far as the heart”

⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel, and he said, “This one also Yahweh has not chosen.”

⁹ So Jesse made Shammah pass before Samuel, but he said, “Yahweh also has not chosen this one.”

¹⁰ And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, “Yahweh has not chosen any of these.”

¹¹ Then Samuel said to Jesse, “⌞Are all the young men here⌟?”¹ And he said, “The youngest still remains, but look, he is shepherding the flock.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him, for we cannot ⌞sit down⌟² until he comes here.”

1. Literally “Are the boys finished?”
2. Literally “turn”; for “sit down” see HALOT 739 s.v. 2.c

¹² So he sent and brought him. Now he was ruddy with beautiful eyes and of ⌞handsome⌟¹ appearance. And Yahweh said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.”

1. Literally “good”

¹³ So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. Then the Spirit of Yahweh rushed upon David from that day ⌞on⌟.¹ Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.

1. Literally “and forward”

Saul in Torment

¹⁴ Now the Spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul and an evil spirit from Yahweh tormented him.

¹⁵ So the servants of Saul said to him, “Look please, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

¹⁶ Please, let our lord command your servants who are before you! Let them seek a man skilled in playing on the lyre. ⌞When⌟¹ the evil spirit from God is upon you, he can play ⌞on it⌟² and ⌞you will feel better⌟.”³

1. Literally “And it will happen that”
2. Literally “with his hand”
3. Literally “and it will be good for you”

¹⁷ So Saul said to his servants, “Please select a man ⌞who plays a stringed instrument well⌟¹ and bring him to me.”

1. Literally “doing well to play a stringed instrument”

¹⁸ One of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skillful in playing a stringed instrument, a ⌞brave man, a warrior, prudent in speech, and handsome⌟.¹ And Yahweh is with him.”

1. Literally “a hero of ability, a man of war, discerning of word, and a man of appearance”

¹⁹ So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son who is with the sheep.”

²⁰ And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread and a skin of wine and one ⌞young goat⌟¹ and sent them to Saul by the hand of David his son.

1. Literally “kid of a goat”

²¹ So David came to Saul and ⌞entered his service⌟.¹ He² loved him greatly and ⌞he became Saul’s armor bearer⌟.³

1. Literally “stood before him”
2. That is, Saul
3. Literally “he became for him a carrier of weapons”

²² Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, because he has found favor ⌞in my sight⌟.”¹

1. Literally “in my eyes”

²³ So whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the stringed instrument and play it with his hand. Then ⌞it would bring relief⌟¹ for Saul; ⌞he would feel better⌟² and the evil spirit would depart from him.

1. Literally “it would be relieved”
2. Literally “it would be good for him”