1 Samuel 16:18

_THEN ANSWERED ONE OF THE SERVANTS, AND SAID, BEHOLD, I HAVE SEEN A SON OF JESSE THE BETHLEHEMITE, THAT IS CUNNING IN PLAYING, AND A MIGHTY VALIANT MAN, AND A MAN OF WAR, AND PRUDENT IN MATTERS, AND A COMELY PERSON, AND THE LORD IS WITH HIM._ Then answered one of the servants. Jewish tradition points to Doeg (Jerome, 'Quaest Hebraicae'). Whether he or some other of the king's attendants, it appears that David's talents and accomplishments as a musician were already celebrated....

14-23 Saul is made a terror to himself. The Spirit of the Lord departed from him. If God and his grace do not rule us, sin and Satan will have possession of us. The devil, by the Divine permission, troubled and terrified Saul, by the corrupt humours of his body, and passions of his mind. He grew fretful, peevish, and discontented, and at times a madman. It is a pity that music, which may be serviceable to the good temper of the mind, should ever be abused, to support vanity and luxury, and made an occasion of drawing the heart from God and serious things. That is driving away the good Spirit, not the evil spirit. Music, diversions, company, or business, have for a time often been employed to quiet the wounded conscience; but nothing can effect a real cure but the blood of Christ, applied in faith, and the sanctifying Spirit sealing the pardon, by his holy comforts. All other plans to dis...

Verse 1 Samuel 16:18. _I HAVE SEEN A SON OF JESSE_] Dr. _Warburton_ supposes the story is anticipated from 1 Samuel 16:14-9, and that the true chronology of this part of David's life is the following: - 1. David is anointed by Samuel; 2. Carries provisions to his brethren in the army; 3. Fights with and kills Goliath; 4. Is received into the king's court, 5. Contracts a friendship with Jonathan; 6. Incurs Saul's jealousy; 7. Retires to his father's house; 8. Is after some time sent for by Saul to sooth his melancholy with his harp; 9. Again excites Saul's jealousy, who endeavours to smite him with his javelin. This anticipation between the 14th and 23d verse comes in, in the order of time, between verses 9 and 10,...

A MIGHTY VALIANT MAN ... - David’s reputation for courage, skill, discretion, and manly beauty, was already great. Since “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him,” his natural qualities and powers had been greatly enhanced. His feat of killing the lion and the bear (see the marginal references) had been performed, like Samson’s feats of strength Judges 14:6, Judges 14:19; Judges 15:14, under the same supernatural influence, and was probably more or less known....

DAVID ANOINTED AS THE FUTURE KING, AND HIS FIRST INTRODUCTION TO SAUL. (1 Samuel 16:1) EXPOSITION CHOICE OF DAVID AS SUCCESSOR TO SAUL (1 Samuel 16:1). 1 SAMUEL 16:1 HOW LONG WRIT THOU MOURN? The grief of Samuel was prolonged almost to a sinful extent, nor can we wonder at it. We who see Saul's whole career, and know how deeply he fell

THEN ANSWERED ONE OF THE SERVANTS,.... Which the Jews say m was Doeg the Edomite, who out of envy and ill will to David spake of him, that Saul might have an opportunity of slaying him; but this is not at all likely; rather it was one of David's friends and acquaintance, that was desirous of promoting him at court, and no doubt was directed to that motion by the overruling providence of God: AND SAID, BEHOLD, I HAVE SEEN A SON OF JESSE THE BETHLEHEMITE; he does not mention the name of his son, but so describes him, that he might be easily known by those who knew anything of the family of Jesse; besides it was sufficient that he was one of Jesse's sons, to find him out: [THAT IS] CUNNING IN PLAYING; that is, on the harp; has good skill in music, and is expert in it: AND A MIGHTY VALIANT MAN; as appeared by his encountering with and slaying the lion and the bear; an event now past, as v...

III. DAVID, THE KING AFTER GOD'S HEART--HIS EXILE AND SUFFERING 1. David Anointed King and the Departure of the Spirit from Saul CHAPTER 16 _ 1. David anointed king (1 Samuel 16:1)_ 2. The Spirit departs from Saul and David with Saul (1 Samuel 16:14) The king after the people's heart has failed and is set aside, and now Jehovah brings forth His king after His own heart. That king like Jonathan, a man of faith, is devoted to Jehovah and in perfect subjection unto Him. Furthermore, from the tribe of Judah (Judah means “praise”) he is a worshipper through whom the Spirit of God pours forth the sweetest strains of praise and worship. He prospers into a great kingdom and Jehovah makes an oathbound covenant with him ...

DAVID, SAUL'S MINSTREL. (J), the ancient narrative, continues 1 Samuel 14:52. The earlier and more authentic of the two accounts of David's introduction to Saul (_cf._ 1 Samuel 17:55 ff.). Saul became possessed with some form of recurrent mania, which the primitive combination of pathology and theology explained by saying that the Spirit of Yahweh had departed from him, and that Yahweh had sent an evil spirit to torment him; so, according to Micaiah, 1 Kings 22:23, Yahweh put a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahab's prophets. For us such statements connect themselves with the problem of the relation between the Divine Omnipotence and the origin of evil, but here they show that the Israelites did not yet ful

SERVANTS. Not the same word as in verses: 1 Samuel 16:15, but "young men "as in 1 Samuel 14:1. Perhaps Saul's body-guard; possibly fellow-pupils of Samuel at Naioth. AND. Note Figure of speech _Polysyndeton_ (App-6) in these verses. MATTERS. speech....

David's introduction to the Court of Saul 14. _But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul_ Note the contrast to 1 Samuel 16:13. As David rose, Saul sank. _an evil spirit from the Lord_ The cause of Saul's mental disorder is described as "an evil spirit from Jehovah," or "of Jehovah" (1 Samuel 19:9); "an evil spirit of God" (1 Samuel 16:15; 1 Samuel 18:10); "the spirit of evil" (1 Samuel 16:23); even "the spirit of God" (1 Samuel 16:23