1 Samuel 16:1 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 16 Samuel is sent by God; who, under pretence of a sacrifice for fear of Saul, cometh to Bethlehem; sanctifieth Jesse and his sons, 1 Samuel 16:1-5. His human judgment in choosing Eliab the eldest son is reproved, 1 Samuel 16:6,7. God had chosen David the youngest to be king in Saul's place, 1 Samuel 16:8-12. Samuel anointeth him, and the Spirit of God cometh upon him; but departeth from Saul, and an evil spirit cometh on him, 1 Samuel 16:13,14. He sends for David to quiet it: his praise: Saul loveth him, and maketh him his armour-bearer: he playeth before Saul when the evil spirit disquieted him, 1 Samuel 16:15-23. How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, and pray for his restitution? which the following words imply that he did. I have rejected him from reigning over Israel: the manifestation of my peremptory will should make thee submit to my pleasure. Fill thine horn with oil; which was used in the inauguration of kings, as 1 Samuel 10:1 1 Kings 1:39. But here it is used in the designation of a king, though David was not actually made king by it, but still remained a subject, as is evident from 1 Samuel 24:6. And the reason of this anticipation was, partly the comfort of Samuel, and other good men, against their great fears in case of Saul's death, of which they expected every day to hear; and partly the assurance of David's title, which otherwise would have been very doubtful. For the prevention of which doubts, it was very meet that the same person and prophet who had anointed Saul, might now, upon God's rejection of Saul, anoint David to succeed him upon his death; and because Samuel was now not far from his death, and was to die before Saul, it was fit that David's anointing should be hastened and done before its proper time. I have provided me a king: this phrase is very emphatical, and implies the difference between this and the former king. Saul was a king of the people's providing, he was the product of their inordinate and sinful desires; they desired him for themselves, and for their own glory and safety, as they supposed; but this is a king of my own providing, one that I have spied out, one of that tribe to which I have allotted the kingdom, Genesis 49:10. A king for me; not one to gratify the people's desires, but to fulfil all my will, as is said, Acts 13:22, and to serve my glory. Or, my king; the Hebrew phrase, to me, or for me, being commonly used for the word mine.