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1 Samuel 16

VBL · Chapter 16/31

1El Señor un día le preguntó a Samuel: “¿Hasta cuándo vas a seguir llorando a Saúl porque lo he rechazado como rey de Israel? Llena tu frasco con aceite de oliva y vete. Ve donde Isaí de Belén, porque he elegido un rey para mí de entre sus hijos”.

2“¿Cómo puedo ir a hacer eso?” preguntó Samuel. “¡Saúl se enterará y me matará!”.

3Invita a Isaí al sacrificio, y yo te enseñaré lo que tienes que hacer. Unge para mí al que yo te diga”.

4Samuel hizo lo que el Señor le había dicho y fue a Belén. Cuando los ancianos de la ciudad le salieron al encuentro, se asustaron y le preguntaron: “¿Vienes en son de paz?”

5“Sí, vengo en son de paz”, respondió. “He venido a presentar sacrificio al Señor. Purifíquense y vengan conmigo a hacer el sacrificio”. Entonces purificó a Isaí y a sus hijos y los invitó al sacrificio.

6Cuando llegaron y Samuel vio a Eliab, pensó para sí: “¡Este tiene que ser el ungido del Señor!”.

7Pero el Señor le dijo a Samuel: “No te fijes en su aspecto exterior ni en su altura porque lo he rechazado. Porque el Señor no mira como los seres humanos. Los seres humanos sólo ven con sus ojos lo que está en el exterior, pero el Señor mira la forma de pensar de las personas en su interior”.

8Entonces Isaí llamó a Abinadab y lo hizo venir ante Samuel, quien dijo: “El Señor tampoco ha elegido a éste”.

9Entonces Isaí hizo que Simea se presentara. Pero Samuel dijo: “El Señor tampoco ha elegido a éste”.

10Isaí hizo que siete de sus hijos se presentaran ante Samuel, pero éste le dijo: “El Señor no ha elegido a ninguno de éstos”.

11Entonces le preguntó a Isaí: “¿No tienes más hijos?” .

12Así que Isaí mandó a buscarlo y lo trajo delante de Samuel. Tenía una tez roja y unos ojos hermosos, y tenía buen parecer. El Señor dijo: “Ve a ungirlo, porque es él”.

13Samuel tomó el frasco de aceite de oliva y lo ungió en presencia de sus hermanos, y el Espíritu del Señor vino sobre David con poder desde aquel día. Luego Samuel se fue y regresó a Ramá.

14El Espíritu del Señor había abandonado a Saúl, y un espíritu maligno del Señor lo atormentaba.

15Los siervos de Saúl le dijeron: “Sin duda es un espíritu maligno de Dios el que te atormenta.

16Danos aquí la orden de encontrar a alguien que sea bueno tocando el arpa, para que cuando el espíritu maligno de Dios venga sobre ti, pueda tocar y te sientas mucho mejor”.

17Saúl dio la orden a sus siervos: “Busquen a alguien que sea bueno tocando el arpa y tráiganlo aquí”.

18Uno de los criados respondió: “Conozco a un hijo de Isaí, de Belén, que es bueno tocando el arpa. Es un hombre valiente, buen luchador, de buen hablar y guapo, y el Señor está con él”.

19Saúl envió mensajeros a Isaí, diciéndole: “Envíame a tu hijo David, el que cuida las ovejas”.

20Así que Isaí cargó un asno con pan, un odre de vino y un cabrito y los envió con su hijo David a Saúl.

21David llegó a Saúl y comenzó a trabajar para él. Saúl lo apreciaba mucho, y David se convirtió en su escudero.

22Saúl envió un mensaje a Isaí, diciendo: “Por favor, permite que David siga trabajando para mí, porque estoy complacido con él”.

23Así, cada vez que el espíritu de Dios se apoderaba de Saúl, David tomaba su arpa y tocaba, y Saúl se aliviaba y se sentía mejor, y el espíritu maligno lo dejaba.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

God sends Samuel to Bethlehem to secretly anoint David, the youngest of Jesse's sons, as the next king. Meanwhile, a tormenting spirit afflicts Saul, and David is brought to the royal court to play the harp and bring him relief.

Explanation

God's famous statement to Samuel — 'the Lord seeth not as man seeth... the Lord looketh on the heart' (v.7) — corrects the human tendency to judge leadership and worth by impressive outward appearance alone, as had happened with Saul's initial selection for his height and good looks. It is ironic and significant that the same David, secretly anointed as future king, is brought to Saul's court not as a political rival but as a hired musician to soothe him, entering the king's life in a humble, useful way well before any direct confrontation over the throne. This chapter shows how God prepares people for great responsibilities through gradual, seemingly minor steps, allowing character and experience to mature before the calling is fully revealed.

Fun facts

  • The physical description of David as 'ruddy, and of a beautiful countenance' uses the Hebrew term 'admoni,' the same root as 'Adam' and the word for 'red/earth,' possibly indicating reddish hair or skin tone.
  • The 'evil spirit from the Lord' that tormented Saul (v.14) is interpreted by commentators in various ways — some view it as divine permission for spiritual oppression as a consequence of Saul's rejection, others as an ancient Hebrew description of severe depression or mental instability.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 1 Samuel 16:1God gently rebukes Samuel’s prolonged mourning — even the prophet needs reminding to move forward and act on God’s new choice.
  2. 1 Samuel 16:2God acknowledges the real danger Samuel faces — anointing a new king while the old one still reigns would be seen as treason — and so provides a safe pretext for the trip.
  3. 1 Samuel 16:3The public sacrifice serves as the perfect cover: no one would suspect that the true purpose of Samuel’s visit was to secretly choose the next king.
  4. 1 Samuel 16:4The elders’ fear at seeing an important prophet suddenly arrive shows that such visits usually came with bad news or judgment — hence the anxious question.
  5. 1 Samuel 16:5“Sanctify yourselves” involved purification rituals before taking part in a sacrifice — a normal religious preparation that here also serves to quietly gather all of Jesse’s sons.
  6. 1 Samuel 16:6Samuel repeats the very mistake of judging by appearance that the people made when choosing Saul — impressed by the oldest brother even before asking God about him.
  7. 1 Samuel 16:7The idea that God looks “on the heart,” not on appearance, is said right after Samuel had already been impressed by the height of Eliab, David’s oldest brother — the verse exists to correct the prophet’s own first wrong impression.
  8. 1 Samuel 16:8With the next son, Samuel no longer repeats his first mistake — this time he waits for divine confirmation before assuming anything.
  9. 1 Samuel 16:9The same negative answer repeating, son after son, builds the tension of the scene: none of the obvious candidates is the chosen one.
  10. 1 Samuel 16:10Seven sons pass through the evaluation without a single one being approved — the pattern of repeated rejection sets up the final surprise: someone is missing whom no one had even called.
  11. 1 Samuel 16:11David had not even been invited to the gathering — his absence, tending sheep far from home, shows how much he was seen as the least likely of the brothers.
  12. 1 Samuel 16:12Despite David’s pleasant appearance, mentioned here, the chapter’s central point remains that God’s choice came through direct revelation, not visual impression, as verse 7 had already made clear.
  13. 1 Samuel 16:13The anointing happens privately, right in the middle of his own family, with no public ceremony — very different from the national acclamation Saul received at Mizpah and Gilgal.
  14. 1 Samuel 16:14Saying that “an evil spirit from the Lord” torments Saul sounds strange today, but it reflects an ancient way of thinking in which everything — good or bad — ultimately came from God, with no separate devil competing for power with Him. There is no developed theology of possession here as it would be understood later.
  15. 1 Samuel 16:15It is Saul’s own servants who notice and name the problem — suggesting the king’s troubled behavior was already visible enough to worry those around him.
  16. 1 Samuel 16:16Music as a remedy for spiritual anguish was an accepted idea at the time — the servants propose a practical, culturally recognized solution for Saul’s suffering.
  17. 1 Samuel 16:17Saul accepts the suggestion without resistance, showing how desperate he already was for some relief from the suffering he had been facing.
  18. 1 Samuel 16:18The glowing description of David, given by a stranger at Saul’s court, already lists almost every quality — musician, warrior, wise man — that will be confirmed throughout the coming chapters.
  19. 1 Samuel 16:19Saul calls David to the court with no idea that he is bringing close to himself the very replacement already secretly anointed by Samuel.
  20. 1 Samuel 16:20Sending gifts along with his son was a courtesy custom when introducing someone at the royal court — a gesture that also helped ensure a good reception for David.
  21. 1 Samuel 16:21Becoming the king’s personal armor-bearer was a position of high trust — David enters the court not as just any musician, but already in a role of direct closeness to Saul.
  22. 1 Samuel 16:22Saul formally asks that David stay in permanent service, showing just how quickly he won the trust of the king who, unknowingly, would later become his greatest rival.
  23. 1 Samuel 16:23The solution works exactly as the servants predicted — but the chapter’s greater irony is that Saul’s relief comes precisely from the hands of the man already chosen by God to take his place.

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