1 Samuel 16:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here."

NIV: So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered. "He is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives."

NASB: Then Samuel said to Jesse, 'Are these all the boys?' And he said, 'The youngest is still left, but behold, he is tending the sheep.' So Samuel said to Jesse, 'Send word and bring him; for we will not take our places at the table until he comes here.'

CSB: Samuel asked him, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," he answered, "but right now he’s tending the sheep." Samuel told Jesse, "Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he gets here."

NLT: Then Samuel asked, 'Are these all the sons you have?' 'There is still the youngest,' Jesse replied. 'But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.' 'Send for him at once,' Samuel said. 'We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.'

KJV: And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

NKJV: And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.”

Samuel has traveled at the Lord's command to anoint a new king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:1). He will also be offering a sacrifice in Bethlehem (1 Samuel 16:2). Samuel has invited the town elders, Jesse, and Jesse's sons to the sacrifice (1 Samuel 16:5). The new king will be one of Jesse's sons, but Samuel does not know which one (1 Samuel 16:3).

So far, seven of Jesse's sons have passed before Samuel. None is the man God has chosen to be king (1 Samuel 16:10), and there seem to be no sons left. With evident faith in God's command and call, Samuel asks Jesse if all of his sons are present. Jesse says, almost dismissively, that there is one more. The youngest, or smallest, is out watching the sheep. The implication is that Jesse did not intend his youngest boy to come to the sacrifice and feast with the others. He was to stay in the field with the sheep. It is uncertain whether the boy has even been told about Samuel's presence in Bethlehem and the sacrifice.

Samuel tells Jesse to send someone to call him in to be consecrated for the feast. They will not start until the last of Jesse's sons arrives.

First Samuel 16:1–13 describes the anointing of David as Israel's next king. The Lord tells Samuel to go to Bethlehem because He has chosen one of Jesse's sons for that role. Samuel consecrates Jesse and his sons for a sacrifice and feast. Seeing Eliab, Samuel thinks this must be the chosen one. But the Lord rejects all the sons until Jesse calls his youngest from tending sheep. The Lord tells Samuel to anoint this overlooked son, David. When he does, the Lord's Spirit comes into David just as it did on the day Samuel first anointed Saul to be Israel's king. However, in this case, the Spirit of the Lord remains with David for the rest of his life.

The Lord sends Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse's sons as king. The Lord reveals His choice to be David, Jesse's youngest son. Samuel anoints the young man. God's Spirit comes on David but departs from King Saul. When the Lord sends a harmful spirit on Saul, his servant suggests that the king recruit David to play the lyre whenever Saul is tormented. Saul does so, and he quickly bonds with David, making the young man his armor-bearer.

First Samuel 16 introduces David to the story of Israel's kings. David is the son of Jesse, who is the grandson of Ruth (Ruth 4:21–22). He will be anointed king as the Lord has rejected Saul (1 Samuel 15:26). The Lord's Spirit leaves Saul and comes to David (1 Samuel 16:13–14); this is different from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers today (John 14:26; 2 Timothy 1:14). David becomes a beloved musician and servant to Saul, but the king's heart will become violently jealous (1 Samuel 18:8, 11).

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.