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1 Samuel 16:2
ESV And Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me." And the Lord said, "Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’
NIV But Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me." The Lord said, "Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’
NASB But Samuel said, 'How can I go? When Saul hears about it, he will kill me.' But the Lord said, 'Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’
CSB Samuel asked, "How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!" The Lord answered, "Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’
NLT But Samuel asked, 'How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.' 'Take a heifer with you,' the Lord replied, 'and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord.
KJV 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.
NKJV And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’

What does 1 Samuel 16:2 mean?

For the first time, Samuel expresses fear of Saul. Until now, Samuel has shown no fear in confronting Saul for his sin and delivering messages from the Lord. Their relationship has changed. Samuel has declared to Saul the Lord's rejection (1 Samuel 15:23). Samuel is convinced that Saul will kill him if he learns that the prophet is about to anoint a new king over Israel.

The Lord provides Samuel with a better approach. Instead of announcing that he is traveling to Bethlehem to anoint a new king, the Lord tells Samuel to bring a young female cow and simply say that he has come to sacrifice to the Lord. In this case, the sacrifice would be a peace offering: shared as a meal between those present and the Lord.

Some wonder whether God is instructing Samuel to lie; He is not. Samuel is, indeed, going to make a sacrifice to the Lord in Bethlehem. The prophet is not obligated to announce each aspect of the purpose of the trip to anyone who asks. There is no record of Saul asking or knowing about this event. In fact, the only ones who are recorded as asking Samuel what he is doing are the town elders, who first respond to the prophet's presence with fear.
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