The Meaning of 1 Samuel 16:1 Explained

1 Samuel 16:1

KJV: 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.

YLT: And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, 'Till when art thou mourning for Saul, and I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I send thee unto Jesse the Beth-Lehemite, for I have seen among his sons for Myself a king.

Darby: And Jehovah said to Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons.

ASV: And Jehovah said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go: I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Samuel 16:1 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 16:1-13 - God's Choice Of His Anointed
The anointing of the young shepherd, with his ruddy cheeks and deep, poetic eyes, is a beautiful episode, in very marked contrast to the events preceding. He had already given proof of his indomitable courage, 1 Samuel 17:34. They had to fetch him from his sheep, which he was pasturing beside the still waters and on the hillside. God had found him beforehand, Psalms 89:20. "He chose David also His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds"¦ to feed Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance," Psalms 78:70-71.
The procession of David's brethren before Samuel was very impressive. They probably remembered that Saul had been chosen for his splendid physique, and each held himself high and proud. "Surely," said Jesse to himself, "one of them will captivate the prophet's eye." But no! God chooses by the inward temper and disposition. He knew that David was a man after His own heart. The lad had been faithful in a few things and was now to be made ruler over many. The anointing oil reminds us of the anointing for service which was communicated to our Lord at His baptism. In David's case it was accompanied by a glorious Pentecost, 1 Samuel 16:13. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 16

1  Samuel sent by God, under pretense of a sacrifice, comes to Bethlehem
6  His human judgment is reproved
11  He anoints David
15  Saul sends for David to quiet his evil spirit

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 16:1 mean?

And said Yahweh to Samuel until when will you mourn for Saul and seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel Fill your horn with oil and go I am sending you Jesse in the Bethlehemite for I have provided among his sons Myself a king
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־ שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל עַד־ מָתַי֙ אַתָּה֙ מִתְאַבֵּ֣ל אֶל־ שָׁא֔וּל וַאֲנִ֣י מְאַסְתִּ֔יו מִמְּלֹ֖ךְ עַל־ ؟ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מַלֵּ֨א קַרְנְךָ֜ שֶׁ֗מֶן וְלֵ֤ךְ אֶֽשְׁלָחֲךָ֙ יִשַׁ֣י בֵּֽית־ הַלַּחְמִ֔י כִּֽי־ רָאִ֧יתִי בְּבָנָ֛יו לִ֖י מֶֽלֶךְ

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֜ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל  Samuel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁמוּאֵל  
Sense: son of Elkanah by his wife Hannah and judge or prophet of Israel during the days of Saul and David.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
אַתָּה֙  will  you 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
מִתְאַבֵּ֣ל  mourn 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָבַל 
Sense: to mourn, lament.
שָׁא֔וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
וַאֲנִ֣י  and  seeing  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
מְאַסְתִּ֔יו  have  rejected  him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine singular
Root: מָאַס 
Sense: to reject, despise, refuse.
מִמְּלֹ֖ךְ  from  reigning 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: מָלַךְ 
Sense: to be or become king or queen, reign.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
؟ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
מַלֵּ֨א  Fill 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
קַרְנְךָ֜  your  horn 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: קֶרֶן 
Sense: horn.
שֶׁ֗מֶן  with  oil 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁמֶן  
Sense: fat, oil.
וְלֵ֤ךְ  and  go 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אֶֽשְׁלָחֲךָ֙  I  am  sending  you 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
יִשַׁ֣י  Jesse 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישַׁי 
Sense: son of Boaz and the father of king David.
הַלַּחְמִ֔י  the  Bethlehemite 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֵּית־הַלַּחְמִי 
Sense: an inhabitant of Bethlehem.
רָאִ֧יתִי  I  have  provided 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בְּבָנָ֛יו  among  his  sons 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
לִ֖י  Myself 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
מֶֽלֶךְ  a  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.