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.
1 Samuel 16:2 in other translations
| BSB | “How can I go?” Samuel asked. “Saul will hear of it and kill me!” The LORD answered, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ |
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| WEB | Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” The LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ |
| ASV | And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah. |
| YLT | And Samuel saith, ‘How do I go? when Saul hath heard, then he hath slain me.' And Jehovah saith, ‘A heifer of the herd thou dost take in thy hand, and hast said, To sacrifice to Jehovah I have come; |
| DARBY | And Samuel said, How shall I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah. |
| BBE | And Samuel said, How is it possible for me to go? If Saul gets news of it he will put me to death. And the Lord said, Take a young cow with you and say, I have come to make an offering to the Lord. |
| Webster | And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul shall hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. |
What does 1 Samuel 16:2 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
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…
1 Samuel 16:2 in the original Hebrew
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Cross references for 1 Samuel 16:2
- 1 Samuel 9:12
And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, he is before you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place:
- 1 Samuel 20:29
And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king’s table.
- Matthew 10:16
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
- Luke 1:34
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
- Jeremiah 38:26-27
Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there. Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.
- Exodus 3:11
And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
- 1 Kings 18:9-14
And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me? As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not. And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth. …
Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ex 3:11; 1Ki 18:9-14; Mt 10:16; Lu 1:34
Take an heifer.For the prudent management of the affair, and to avoid suspicion, Samuel was directed to go to Bethlehem to sacrifice, as he probably did from time to time in many different places; and the answer which he was instructed to return was strictly true though he did not tell the principal design of his coming; for though no man in any circumstances should tell a lie, yet, in all circumstances, he is not bound to tell the whole truth, though he must tell nothing but the truth, and so tell that truth that the hearer shall not believe a lie by it.
with thee. Heb. in thine hand.
9:12
I am come.
9:12; 20:29; Jer 38:26,27
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.
- 1 Samuel 16:3
And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
1 Samuel 16:2 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Y dijo Samuel: ¿Cómo iré? Si Saúl lo entendiere, me matará. Jehová respondió: Toma contigo una becerra de la vacada, y di: A sacrificar á Jehová he venido. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Et Samuel dit: Comment irai-je? Dès que Saül l’entendra, il me tuera. Et l’ Éternel dit: Tu prendras avec toi une génisse, et tu diras: Je suis venu pour sacrifier à l’ Éternel. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Und Samuel sprach: Wie mag ich hingehen? Wenn Saul es hört, so tötet er mich. Und Jehova sprach: Nimm eine Färse mit dir und sprich: Ich bin gekommen, um Jehova zu opfern. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Et ait Samuel: Quomodo vadam? audiet enim Saul, et interficiet me. Et ait Dominus: Vitulum de armento tolles in manu tua, et dices: Ad immolandum Domino veni. |