1 Samuel 16:11–13
Bible Verses. Also called 1 Samuel 16:11-13, 1 Sam 16:11–13, Anointing of David, David's anointing by Samuel.
11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
Scripture quotation from the King James Version (KJV). Read this chapter
This passage recounts how Samuel anointed David, the youngest son of Jesse, and how the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. It marks the turning point at which kingship passes from Saul to David and is frequently cited in discussions of divine election and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
About this articleAI draft from a Korean source. Notes on Korean Protestant practice. No sources listed. Not yet reviewed by a person.
- Origin
Drafted by AI from the Korean church.wiki article, then translated and adapted for English readers on 5 November 2026.
- Perspective
Includes notes on Korean Protestant practice; other traditions are noted where they differ.
- Sources
None listed yet. The article draws on the biblical text and general reference works. Add a source
- Review
Not yet reviewed by a person. Last edited by a person: never. Translation updated 5 November 2026. Edit history
Context
After God rejects Saul as king (1 Samuel 15:23–24), He sends Samuel to the house of Jesse the Bethlehemite. When Samuel sees Eliab, the firstborn, he assumes that Eliab is the one to be anointed, but God tells him, "for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). After all seven sons have passed before him, Samuel asks whether there is another son, and David, "the youngest," who has been keeping the sheep in the field, is summoned. Samuel takes the horn of oil (an animal horn used as a container for oil) and anoints David in the presence of his brothers. The following verses, 1 Samuel 16:13–14, draw a contrast: the Spirit of the LORD comes upon David and departs from Saul. This anointing took place within the family; David actually became king later at Hebron, when the men of Judah and then all Israel anointed him (2 Samuel 2:4; 5:3).
Interpretation
- Historical and narrative reading: The passage is read as the starting point of the story in which kingship passes from the house of Saul to the house of David. Interpreters taking this approach note the narrative pattern in which God's choice is first made in private and only later made public.
- Christological reading: Because the Hebrew word meaning "anointed one" is mashiach ("Messiah"), many Protestant commentators read David, the shepherd from Bethlehem, as a figure who foreshadows Jesus Christ.
- Pneumatological reading: The Reformed tradition generally explains the coming of the Spirit in the Old Testament as an endowment of power for carrying out an office and a mission. In Pentecostal and charismatic circles, the passage is often viewed as a model in which anointing and the presence of the Holy Spirit occur together, and it is frequently linked to ministers receiving the power of the Holy Spirit.
Questions of Application
Verse 7 states that God does not look on the outward appearance, yet verse 12 describes David's appearance favorably. Commentators typically explain that David was clearly not chosen for his looks and that the narrator intends a contrast with the description of Saul's appearance in 1 Samuel 9:2. The Hebrew word admoni, rendered "ruddy," is the same word used to describe Esau in Genesis 25:25. Interpreters differ on whether it refers to complexion or to hair color.
The term "anointing" is sometimes used in churches to elevate the authority of particular leaders. Critics respond that the passage concerns the royal succession of one individual, David, and that applying it directly to the status of present-day pastors is a reading that takes it out of context.
Perspective: Korean Protestant practiceHow this idea is used in Korean churches, kept from the original Korean article.
In Korean Protestant preaching, this passage is commonly cited together with verse 7. It is used to emphasize that God looks on a person's heart, that He chose the least among the brothers, and that David's faithfulness in tending the sheep entrusted to him led to his calling.
In Korean Bible translation, the phrase rendered yeohowa-ui sin in the Korean Revised Version was changed to yeohowa-ui yeong ("the Spirit of the LORD") in the New Korean Revised Version.
Related Passages
See also 8
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