1 Samuel 16 · Verse 1

1 Samuel 16:1

And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth–lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
1 Samuel 16:1, King James Version

1 Samuel 16:1 in other translations

BSBNow the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.”
WEBThe LORD 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.”
ASVAnd Jehovah said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go: I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons.
YLTAnd Jehovah saith unto Samuel, ‘Till when art thou mourning for Saul, and I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I send thee unto Jesse the Beth-Lehemite, for I have seen among his sons for Myself a king.
DARBYAnd Jehovah said to Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons.
BBEAnd the Lord said to Samuel, How long will you go on sorrowing for Saul, seeing that I have put him from his place as king over Israel? Take oil in your vessel and go; I will send you to Jesse, the Beth-lehemite: for I have got a king for myself among his sons.
WebsterAnd the LORD said to Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

What does 1 Samuel 16:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
1Sa 16:1-10. Samuel Sent by God to Bethlehem. 1. the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul--Samuel's grief on account of Saul's rejection, accompanied, doubtless, by earnest prayers for his restitution, showed the amiable feelings of the man; but they were at variance with his public duty as a prophet. The declared purpose of God to transfer the kingdom of Israel into other hands than Saul's was not an angry menace, but a fixed and immutable decree; so that Samuel ought to have sooner submitted to the peremptory manifestation of the divine will. But to leave him no longer room to doubt of its being unalterable, he was sent on a private mission to anoint a successor to Saul (see on 1Sa 10:1). The immediate designation of a king was of the greatest importance for the interests of the nation in the event of Saul's death, which, to this time, was dreaded; it would establish David's title and comfort the minds of Samuel and other good men with a right settlement, whatever contingency might happen. I have provided me a king--The language is remarkable, and intimates a difference between this and the former king. Saul was the people's choice, the fruit of their wayward and sinful desires for their own honor and aggrandizement. The next was to be a king who would consult the divine glory, and selected from that tribe to which the pre-eminence had been early promised (Ge 49:10).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Samuel is sent from Ramah to Bethlehem, to anoint David, 1Sam 16:1-13. The Spirit of the Lord departs from Saul, and an evil spirit comes upon him, 1Sam 16:14. His servants exhort him to get a skillful harper to play before him, 1Sam 16:15, 1Sam 16:16. He is pleased with the counsel, and desires them to find such a person, 1Sam 16:17. They recommend David, 1Sam 16:18. He is sent for, comes, plays before Saul, and finds favor in his sight, 1Sam 16:19-23. Verse 1 Fill thine horn with oil - Horns appear to have been the ancient drinking vessels of all nations; and we may suppose that most persons who had to travel much, always carried one with them, for the purpose of taking up water from the fountains to quench their thirst. Such a horn had Samuel; and on this occasion he was commanded to fill it with oil, for the purpose of consecrating a king over Israel from among the sons of Jesse.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 16:1-5
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 God's messengers, and to tremble at his word. His answer was, I come peaceably, for I come to sacrifice. When our Lord Jesus came into the world, though men had reason to fear that his errand was to condemn the world, yet he gave full assurance that he came peaceably, for he came to sacrifice, and he brought his offering with him; A body hast thou prepared me. Let us sanctify ourselves, and depend upon His sacrifice.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

1 Samuel 16:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יְהוָ֜הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֶל\־'el-toH413
שְׁמוּאֵ֗לshe.mu.'ElSamuelH8050
עַד\־'ad-untilH5704
מָתַי֙ma.Taiwhen?H4970
אַתָּה֙'a.Tah[are] youH859
מִתְאַבֵּ֣לmit.'a.BelmourningH56
אֶל\־'el-toH413
שָׁא֔וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
וַאֲנִ֣יva.'a.Niand IH589
מְאַסְתִּ֔יוme.'as.TivI have rejected himH3988
מִמְּלֹ֖ךְmi.me.Lokhfrom reigningH4427
עַל\־'al-overH5921
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
מַלֵּ֨אma.Le'fillH4390
קַרְנְךָ֜kar.ne.Chahorn yourH7161
שֶׁ֗מֶןShe.menoilH8081
וְלֵ֤ךְve.Lekhand goH1980
אֶֽשְׁלָחֲךָ֙'esh.la.cha.KhaI will send youH7971
אֶל\־'el-toH413
יִשַׁ֣יyi.ShaiJesseH3448
בֵּֽית\־beit-[the] Beth-H1022
הַלַּחְמִ֔יha.lach.Mi<the> -lehemiteH1022
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
רָאִ֧יתִיra.'I.tiI have seenH7200
בְּבָנָ֛יוbe.va.Navamong sons hisH1121
לִ֖יlifor <the> myself
מֶֽלֶךְ\׃Me.lekha kingH4428

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 16:1

  • 2 Kings 9:1

    And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramoth–gilead:

  • 1 Samuel 15:23

    For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

  • 1 Samuel 15:35

    And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

  • Psalms 78:68-71

    But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved. And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever. He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

  • Romans 15:12

    And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

  • 1 Samuel 10:1

    Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?

  • 1 Samuel 16:15

    And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

  • 1 Samuel 15:26

    And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

  • 1 Samuel 13:13-14

    And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.

  • 1 Samuel 9:16

    To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.

  • 1 Samuel 15:11

    It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night.

  • 1 Chronicles 2:10-15

    And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah; And Nahshon begat Salma, and Salma begat Boaz, And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third, …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 Samuel sent by God, under pretence of a sacrifice, comes to Beth-lehem.
6 His human judgment is reproved.
11 He anoints David.
15 Saul sends for David to quiet his evil spirit.

A.M. 2941. B.C. 1063. An. Ex. Is. 428. How long.
15:11,35; Jer 7:16; 11:14
seeing.
15,23; 13:13,14; 15:23,26; Jer 6:30; 14:11,12; 15:1; 1Jo 5:16
horn with oil.
9:16; 10:1; 2Ki 9:1,3,6
Jesse.
13:14; Ge 49:8-10; Ru 4:18-22; 1Ch 2:10-15; Ps 78:68-71; 89:19,20
Isa 11:1,10; 55:4; Ac 13:21,22; Ro 15:12

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 16:1

    And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth–lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

  • 1 Samuel 16:2

    And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.

Read all of 1 Samuel 16

1 Samuel 16:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y DIJO Jehová á Samuel: ¿Hasta cuándo has tú de llorar á Saúl, habiéndolo yo desechado para que no reine sobre Israel? Hinche tu cuerno de aceite, y ven, te enviaré á Isaí de Beth-lehem: porque de sus hijos me he provisto de rey.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		*Et l’ Éternel dit à Samuel: Jusques à quand mèneras-tu deuil sur Saül, vu que moi je l’ai rejeté pour qu’il ne soit pas roi sur Israël? Remplis ta corne d’huile, et va: je t’enverrai vers Isaï, le Bethléhémite; car j’ai vu parmi ses fils un roi pour moi.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jehova sprach zu Samuel: Bis wann willst du um Saul trauern, da ich ihn doch verworfen habe, daß er nicht mehr König über Israel sei? Fülle dein Horn mit Öl und gehe hin, ich will dich zu Isai, dem Bethlehemiter, senden; denn ich habe mir unter seinen Söhnen einen König ersehen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixitque Dominus ad Samuelem: Usquequo tu luges Saul, cum ego projecerim eum ne regnet super Israël? Imple cornu tuum oleo, et veni, ut mittam te ad Isai Bethlehemitem: providi enim in filiis ejus mihi regem.