1 Samuel 16 · Verse 18

1 Samuel 16:18

Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth–lehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him.
1 Samuel 16:18, King James Version

1 Samuel 16:18 in other translations

BSBOne of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and the LORD is with him.”
WEBThen 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 the LORD is with him.”
ASVThen answered one of the young men, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valor, and a man of war, and prudent in speech, and a comely person; and Jehovah is with him.
YLTAnd one of the servants answereth and saith, ‘Lo, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-Lehemite, skilful in playing, and a mighty virtuous man, and a man of battle, and intelligent in word, and a man of form, and Jehovah is with him.'
DARBYAnd one of the young men answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilled in playing, and he is a valiant man and a man of war, and skilled in speech, and of good presence, and Jehovah is with him.
BBEThen one of the servants in answer said, I have seen a son of Jesse, the Beth-lehemite, who is expert at playing, and a strong man and a man of war; and he is wise in his words, and pleasing in looks, and the Lord is with him.
WebsterThen answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is skillful in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.

What does 1 Samuel 16:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 16:14-18

14-18. The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him--His own gloomy reflections, the consciousness that he had not acted up to the character of an Israelitish king, the loss of his throne, and the extinction of his royal house, made him jealous, irritable, vindictive, and subject to fits of morbid melancholy.

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 16:14-18 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 18 I have seen a son of Jesse - Dr. Warburton supposes the story is anticipated from 1Sam 16:14-23, and that the true chronology of this part of David's life is the following: - 1. David is anointed by Samuel; 2. Carries provisions to his brethren in the army; 3. Fights with and kills Goliath; 4. Is received into the king's court, 5. Contracts a friendship with Jonathan; 6. Incurs Saul's jealousy; 7. Retires to his father's house; 8. Is after some time sent for by Saul to sooth his melancholy with his harp; 9. Again excites Saul's jealousy, who endeavors to smite him with his javelin. This anticipation between the 14th and 23d verse comes in, in the order of time, between 1Sam 16:9 and 1Sam 16:10, 1Sam 18:9, 1Sam 18:10, where the breach is apparent.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 16:14-23

Saul is made a terror to himself. The Spirit of the Lord departed from him. If God and his grace do not rule us, sin and Satan will have possession of us. The devil, by the Divine permission, troubled and terrified Saul, by the corrupt humours of his body, and passions of his mind. He grew fretful, peevish, and discontented, and at times a madman. It is a pity that music, which may be serviceable to the good temper…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 16:14-23 →

1 Samuel 16:18 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.

וַיַּעַן֩vai.ya.'Anand he answeredH6030
אֶחָ֨ד'e.ChadoneH259
מֵהַנְּעָרִ֜יםme.ha.ne.'a.Rimfrom the young menH5288
וַיֹּ֗אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
הִנֵּ֨הhi.Nehhere!H2009
רָאִ֜יתִיra.'I.tiI have seenH7200
בֵּ֣ןbena sonH1121
לְיִשַׁי֮le.yi.Shaiof JesseH3448
בֵּ֣יתbeit[the] Beth-H1022
הַלַּחְמִי֒ha.lach.Mi<the> -lehemiteH1022
יֹדֵ֣עַyo.De.a'[who] knowsH3045
נַ֠גֵּןNa.gento playH5059
וְגִבּ֨וֹרve.gi.Borand a mighty [man] ofH1368
חַ֜יִלCha.yilstrengthH2428
וְאִ֧ישׁve.'Ishand a man ofH376
מִלְחָמָ֛הmil.cha.MahwarH4421
וּנְב֥וֹןu.ne.Vonand [one] discerning ofH995
דָּבָ֖רda.VarwordH1697
וְאִ֣ישׁve.'Ishand a man ofH376
תֹּ֑אַרTo.'arformH8389
וַיהוָ֖הva.Yah.wehand YahwehH3068
עִמּֽוֹ\׃i.Mo[is] with himH5973

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 16:18

  • 1 Samuel 3:19

    And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

  • Genesis 39:23

    The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.

  • Genesis 39:2

    And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

  • 1 Samuel 17:32-36

    And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. …

  • 1 Samuel 10:7

    And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.

  • Matthew 28:20

    Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

  • Matthew 1:23

    Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

  • 2 Samuel 14:20

    To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.

  • 2 Samuel 17:10

    And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men.

  • 1 Samuel 18:12-14

    And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul. Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him.

  • 2 Samuel 17:8

    For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
a mighty.
17:32-36; 2Sa 17:8,10
and prudent.
2Sa 14:20
matters. or, speech. a comely.
12
the Lord.
3:19; 10:7; 18:12-14; Ge 39:2,23; Mt 1:23; 28:20

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 16:17

    And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.

  • 1 Samuel 16:18

    Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth–lehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him.

  • 1 Samuel 16:19

    Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.

Read all of 1 Samuel 16

1 Samuel 16:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Entonces uno de los criados respondió, diciendo: He aquí yo he visto á un hijo de Isaí de Beth-lehem, que sabe tocar, y es valiente y vigoroso, y hombre de guerra, prudente en sus palabras, y hermoso, y Jehová es con él.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et l’un des jeunes hommes répondit et dit: Voici, j’ai vu un fils d’Isaï, le Bethléhémite, qui sait jouer, un homme fort et vaillant, et un homme de guerre, et qui a l’intelligence des choses, et un bel homme, et l’ Éternel est avec lui.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und einer von den Knaben antwortete und sprach: Siehe, ich habe einen Sohn Isais, des Bethlehemiters, gesehen, der des Spielens kundig ist, und er ist ein tapferer Held und ein Kriegsmann und der Rede verständig und ein schöner Mann, und Jehova ist mit ihm.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et respondens unus de pueris, ait: Ecce vidi filium Isai Bethlehemitem scientem psallere, et fortissimum robore, et virum bellicosum, et prudentem in verbis, et virum pulchrum: et Dominus est cum eo.