1 Samuel 16

1 Samuel 16 is the sixteenth of the thirty-one chapters of 1 Samuel. In this chapter the focus of the narrative begins to shift from Saul to David. It follows 1 Samuel 15, in which Saul is rejected for disobeying God's command and Samuel mourns for him.

Outline

• Verses 1–5: The LORD sends Samuel to Jesse of Bethlehem. Because Samuel fears Saul, the LORD tells him to take a heifer with him and say that he has come to offer sacrifice.
• Verses 6–10: Samuel sees Eliab and assumes that he is the chosen one, but the LORD says that he looks not on the outward appearance but on the heart. Seven sons, including Abinadab and Shammah, are all passed over.
• Verses 11–13: When the youngest son, who has been keeping the sheep, is brought in, the LORD says, "this is he," and Samuel anoints him in the midst of his brothers. From that day on the Spirit of the LORD comes mightily upon David, and Samuel returns to Ramah.
• Verses 14–23: The Spirit of the LORD departs from Saul, and an evil spirit troubles him. His servants recommend David as a skilled harpist. Saul makes David his armorbearer, and whenever David plays the harp, the evil spirit departs.

Key Verses

• 1 Samuel 16:7: "for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." This stands in contrast to 1 Samuel 9:2, which introduces Saul as a man of great stature.
• 1 Samuel 16:13: "the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward." This verse marks the starting point of the David narrative.
• 1 Samuel 16:14: "But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul." Paired with verse 13, it shows the transfer of kingship.

Characters and Places

• Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah: Sons of Jesse and older brothers of David.
• Ramah: The place where Samuel lived.

Points for Reflection

• Regarding "an evil spirit from the LORD" in verse 14, some interpreters understand it as a spirit sent directly by God, while others understand it as something permitted under God's sovereignty.
• Whether the departure of the Spirit from Saul should be connected to the question of whether a believer today can lose the Holy Spirit is a point on which denominational views of the perseverance of the saints diverge. David's prayer in Psalm 51:11–12 is also read alongside this passage.
• In this chapter David is portrayed as the eighth son, whereas 1 Chronicles 2:15 lists him as the seventh.
• Concerning the relationship between this chapter and the end of 1 Samuel 17, where Saul asks whose son David is, one view harmonizes the two accounts, while another sees them as a combination of distinct traditions.
• The chapter connects to the New Testament in two ways: Acts 13:22 refers to God's choice of David the son of Jesse, and the term "anointed one" is linked to the meaning of Messiah and Christ.

In the Korean Church

• Verse 7 is frequently used in sermons and as a memory verse emphasizing the heart over outward appearance.
• In Sunday school, the scene of David's anointing is taught in connection with the story of David and Goliath.
• Verse 23 is cited in sermons on praise and worship music.