King James Version

What Does 1 Samuel 16:1 Mean?

1 Samuel 16:1 in the King James Version says “And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? ... — study this verse from 1 Samuel chapter 16 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

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 Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

1 Samuel 16:1 · KJV


Context

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 Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

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. with thee: Heb. in thine hand

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.


Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
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.

God's rebuke of Samuel's prolonged mourning reveals the divine imperative to move forward when God has spoken. The Hebrew male' (fill) indicates complete consecration for a sacred task. Bethlehem emerges as the unlikely source of Israel's greatest king, foreshadowing its role as the birthplace of the Messiah. God's declaration 'I have provided me a king' uses the verb ra'ah (to see/provide), connecting to Abraham's naming of Moriah. Divine election operates independently of human merit or expectation.

KJV Study — Public Domain

Historical & Cultural Context

Samuel's journey to Bethlehem (c. 1025 BCE) occurred during Saul's declining reign. The prophet school at Ramah had become Samuel's base of operations. Bethlehem, though small, held significance as the burial place of Rachel and ancestral home of the tribe of Judah.

Reflection Questions

  1. When has God called you to move forward from a situation you were grieving or mourning?
  2. How does God's sovereign provision of David encourage you to trust His timing in raising up leaders?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 29 words
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר1 of 29

said

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

יְהוָ֜ה2 of 29

And the LORD

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

אֶל3 of 29
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל4 of 29

unto Samuel

H8050

shemuel, the name of three israelites

עַד5 of 29
H5704

as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)

מָתַי֙6 of 29
H4970

properly, extent (of time); but used only adverbially (especially with other particle prefixes), when (either relative or interrogative)

אַתָּה֙7 of 29
H859

thou and thee, or (plural) ye and you

מִתְאַבֵּ֣ל8 of 29

How long wilt thou mourn

H56

to bewail

אֶל9 of 29
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

שָׁא֔וּל10 of 29

for Saul

H7586

shaul, the name of an edomite and two israelites

וַֽאֲנִ֣י11 of 29
H589

i

מְאַסְתִּ֔יו12 of 29

seeing I have rejected

H3988

to spurn; also (intransitively) to disappear

מִמְּלֹ֖ךְ13 of 29

him from reigning

H4427

to reign; hence (by implication) to take counsel

עַל14 of 29
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל15 of 29

over Israel

H3478

he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity

מַלֵּ֨א16 of 29

fill

H4390

to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and figuratively)

קַרְנְךָ֜17 of 29

thine horn

H7161

a horn (as projecting); by implication, a flask, cornet; by resemblance. an elephant's tooth (i.e., ivory), a corner (of the altar), a peak (of a moun

שֶׁ֗מֶן18 of 29

with oil

H8081

grease, especially liquid (as from the olive, often perfumed); figuratively, richness

וְלֵ֤ךְ19 of 29
H1980

to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)

אֶֽשְׁלָחֲךָ֙20 of 29

I will send

H7971

to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)

אֶל21 of 29
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

יִשַׁ֣י22 of 29

thee to Jesse

H3448

jishai, david's father

בֵּֽית23 of 29
H0
הַלַּחְמִ֔י24 of 29

the Bethlehemite

H1022

a beth-lechemite, or native of bethlechem

כִּֽי25 of 29
H3588

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

רָאִ֧יתִי26 of 29

for I have provided

H7200

to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)

בְּבָנָ֛יו27 of 29

among his sons

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

לִ֖י28 of 29
H0
מֶֽלֶךְ׃29 of 29

me a king

H4428

a king


Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of 1 Samuel. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

1 Samuel 16:1 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to 1 Samuel 16:1 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

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