Samuel anoints the youngest son of Jesse at Bethlehem — 'the LORD looketh on the heart'; the Spirit rests on David, brought to soothe the tormented Saul with his harp.
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And Hashem said to Samuel: ‘How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? fill your horn with oil, and go, I will send you to Jesse the Beth-lehemite; for I have provided Me a king among his sons.’
verse value 6770
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 104 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֜ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for·me" (לִ֖י, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·Beth-lehemite" (בֵּֽית־הַלַּחְמִ֔י, 8 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "mourning" (מִתְאַבֵּ֣ל), "I·have·rejected·him" (מְאַסְתִּ֔יו), "fill" (מַלֵּ֨א). The root איל appears 3 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "to·Samuel" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root מלא ("fill") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'over·Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 11 words.
Rashi
Of Beit-Lechemi. In Bethlehem. And so is the way of every thing whose name is in two words — like: Beit Lechem, Beit Shemesh, Beit El, Kiryat Arba. If it comes to put in it the hey, it puts it between the two words — such as: Kiryat Ha'arba, Beit Ha'eli, Beit Ha'lchemi.
Radak
“Fill your horn with oil.” It says “your horn,” implying that this horn was designated for anointing the kings of the House of David, and it was also designated for the future, according to the prophets. It was kept in the Tent of Meeting together with the vessels of the anointing oil. Thus it is stated regarding the anointing of Solomon: “And Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sanctuary” (1 Kings 1:39). It appears that this horn was prepared there in the Tent of Meeting, together with the vessels of the anointing oil. Therefore, it said to Samuel, “Fill your horn with oil,” because the prophets were charged with the duty of anointing kings by the command of the Lord. Even though Zadok the priest anointed Solomon, Nathan the prophet was there with him, as it is written: “And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him” (1 Kings 1:34). The anointing of kings involved first pouring oil from the horn upon the king’s head, and then anointing him with it in the shape of a crown between the corners of his eyes. Afterward, the remainder in the horn was poured upon his head, for the full capacity of the horn constituted the measure required for both the anointing and the pouring.
"For Me is a king." And it did not say "For Israel is a king," meaning: For Me, that he should be for My service and heed Me in all that I command him, unlike Saul, who transgressed My commandments.
Metzudat David
"And I have rejected him." And it is not fitting to mourn for him for an extended period.
"Unto Me is the King." This means: that He shall be King for Me, to keep My commandments.
Metzudat Zion
Your horn. Some vessel, shaped like a horn.
Bethlehemite. Bethlehem.
Malbim
"How long will you mourn?" he said. "Is the mourning to be perpetual? Is it because of the great merit of the lost thing itself? Yet I have rejected him from being king over Israel, and he has no significance. Or is it because no other thing has been found in his stead? To this it is said, 'Fill your horn with oil,' etc., for I have seen in his sons a king for Me. And 'fill your horn' is with the pronominal suffix, for Saul was anointed with a flask, and therefore his kingship did not endure, for the cause of his selection was because of the will of the people. Therefore, He chose a man of tall stature, that he might find favor in the eyes of the people. But David was anointed with a horn and with the holy oil, for then came the time for a king to reign who sits on the throne of the Lord and is pleasing to the Lord, not merely pleasing to the people alone. And this is what is written, 'Fill your horn,' which is designated for you, to anoint an enduring kingship. Of this Hannah alluded in her prayer: 'My horn is exalted — and not, my flask is exalted,' as our Sages of blessed memory said. And to this it is said, 'I will send you,' not as with Saul, where the circumstance was that he would come to the prophet, but you will go to him by the mission of the Lord. And this is what is written, 'For I have seen in his sons a king for Me,' one designated for Me, not for the people alone. And as it is stated in the Sifrei: 'Everywhere that it is written "for Me," it denotes permanence for all time.'"
And Samuel said: ‘How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me.’ And Hashem said: ‘Take a heifer with you, and say: I am come to sacrifice to Hashem.
verse value 4538
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 71 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "how?" (אֵ֣יךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·will·kill·me" (וַהֲרָגָ֑נִי, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, and·said. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "how?" (אֵ֣יךְ), "these" (אֵלֵ֔ךְ), "and·will·kill·me" (וַהֲרָגָ֑נִי). The root אמר appears 3 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root הרג ("and·will·kill·me") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·will·kill·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 10 words.
Radak
“An ox-calf you shall take in your hand.” We have found that even though the Holy One, blessed be He, promised a prophet or a righteous person, nevertheless he guards himself from going to a place of danger, as we saw with our father Jacob, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, promised when he crossed the Euphrates River, saying to him, “I will bring you back to this land,” and there too the angel appeared to him and promised him, saying, “Return to the land of your fathers and of your birth, and I will be with you.” Yet when he heard that Esau was coming to meet him, “Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed.” Similarly, David, who was anointed king by the word of the Lord, fled from Saul. And even the prophet Gad told him, “You shall not dwell in the fortress.” And also in matters of war, they devised strategies after the promise of God, as Gideon did with the jars and torches. And sometimes they devised strategies by the command of God, as it is written concerning Joshua in the conquest of Jericho: “Go around the city.” And so He commanded the prophet Samuel a strategy, even though he was going in accordance with His command. The reason is that even though the Holy One, blessed be He, performs miracles and wonders for those who fear Him, for the most part they are according to the custom of the world. And according to the custom of the world, Jacob had reason to fear Esau, and David had reason to fear Saul. If he was anointed king during his lifetime, he had to seek a strategy: “How shall I go?” And this was his question: “How shall I go?” And the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “An ox-calf you shall take in your hand,” because in every place they were permitted to offer sacrifices at that time, for the period when the altars were permitted was the entire time that the Tabernacle was at Nob and Gibeon. And our Sages of blessed memory learned from this verse that it is a commandment to employ subterfuge in matters of peace. For the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Samuel, “An ox-calf you shall take in your hand,” and showed him that it is not fitting for a person to go to a place of danger and rely on a miracle, because it is said, “You shall not test the Lord your God.” And there are those who explain that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: “Thus I said to you that you should go in secrecy, and you said, ‘And Saul will hear and kill me.’ Now I say to you that you should go openly and take an ox-calf to make peace-offerings on the day you anoint him king. And this is what He said, ‘Call Jesse to the sacrifice.’ He said to him: Go openly, and let us see who kills you.” In this manner they also explained in the Midrash what the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses our teacher, “Pass on before this people,” because he said to Him, “In a little while they will stone me.” He said to him, “Pass on before the people, and let us see who stones you.”
Ralbag
And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears, he will kill me.” This means that if Saul were to know that I am going to anoint another king, he would kill me.
And He said, “Take with you a heifer of the cattle.” It appears that the intention here was for him to take it to offer a peace-offering, and this was already possible for him, since at that time the high places had been permitted, and it was possible for him to offer it on a private altar, even though the Tabernacle was in Nob. And one of the scholars of our generation, whose name is Rabbi Shlomo HaNasi, said in his explanation of this verse a very fitting thing according to the plain meaning: namely, that he sees that the Lord has already chosen a heifer to indicate that a corpse has already been found in the field, and it is not known who struck him; thus he would go to decapitate the heifer. For this reason, he did not need to ask or inquire how he would go to that place with the heifer, because the heifer would be decapitated in whatever place the corpse was found in the field. And he would say, in the manner of poetic expression, that he ought to fear for his own life, for you, the heifer, were intended to reveal who the striker was; and therefore he should have distanced himself from the killing of Samuel. And as for its saying, and thou shalt say, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.” According to this explanation, it seems to me that when he comes to Bethlehem and it becomes clear to them that no corpse was found in the field in this manner, he will say to the men of that place that he has come to sacrifice to the Lord. And this is very fitting. And for this reason, you will find that Samuel did not inquire of the men of Bethlehem of Judah, but only of Jesse and his sons, so that his secret would not be revealed.
Metzudat David
And you shall say: To the inhabitants of the city:
Malbim
The Questions (2–3): How did Samuel permit himself to go, without relying on God to save him? Is it not the case that “agents of a mitzvah are not harmed”? After all, the prophets did not fear going to places of danger, for they knew that God would fight for them, as was the case with Moses, who went to Pharaoh without fear, and likewise with the other prophets? And why did God not answer him, “Do not be afraid, for I will be with you,” as He said to Jeremiah? And could Samuel not himself have devised this stratagem—to take a heifer of the herd in his hand, etc.? And why did He say to him, “Take a heifer of the herd in your hand, etc.”? Why should he lead the heifer in his hand for a long way? Would it not suffice if he took a calf and a fatling there? And regarding what is stated, “And I will tell you what you shall do,” there is no explanation; did He not already inform him what to do, namely, to anoint a king there? And should it not have been said, “I will tell you whom you shall anoint”?
"How shall I go?" This does not mean that Samuel was afraid, nor that he lacked trust that the Lord, who sent him, would save him, as all the prophets did not cease from going on the missions of the Lord out of fear of flesh and blood. Rather, a prophet relies on a miracle when he knows that the miracle is connected with his mission, as was the case with the missions of Moses and Jeremiah, who went to places of danger and trusted in a miracle, because it was the Divine intention that they be saved by means of a miracle so that the nations would recognize, and so that Israel would recognize, that he is the Lord’s envoy, and that the Lord is at his right hand with His great power. And thus, the miracle would not be for the sake of the envoy himself, but for the sake of the mission. Similarly, had the Lord sent him in such a manner that he would go publicly and anoint him before all Israel, Samuel would not have been afraid, for his heart would have been prepared and confident that the Lord would save him. But since it was not the intention that he go publicly, and that he strengthen his mission through a miracle, if he were to encounter Saul by chance and Saul desired to kill him, and he were saved by a miracle, the miracle would not be for the sake of the mission at all, but would be a private miracle that occurred by chance solely for the salvation of Samuel. And in such a case, all who perform a miracle for him deduct from his merits. Therefore, he said, "How shall I go?" meaning: If Saul hears of it, he will desire to kill me, and I will require a private miracle for myself, which is not good in my eyes. Furthermore, it is possible that his statement "How shall I go?" is a question seeking to know in what manner he should go: whether publicly and in a miraculous manner, because this is necessary for the mission to strengthen the dynasty of the House of David, or secretly, because there is no need for publicity and a miracle. And in this latter case, if Saul hears of it and kills me, I will require a specific miracle for my own needs.
"And the Lord said, 'Take a heifer of cattle.'" Indeed, the prophet could have devised in his heart a scheme to employ such a simple ruse. However, this righteous man did not wish to utter a falsehood from his mouth. Therefore, the Lord commanded him through a mitzvah that he should take a heifer of cattle in his hand and slaughter it as an offering, so that when he said, "I have come to sacrifice to the Lord," truth would be in his mouth. This is what is written: "Take a heifer of cattle"—meaning, "I command you regarding this"—and that he should take it and consecrate it immediately. And thus, he could say, in accordance with the truth, "I have come to sacrifice to the Lord."
And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell you what you shall do; and you shall anoint to Me him whom I name to you.’
verse value 4949
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 52 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֔י, 2 letters) and the longest is "what·you·shall·do" (אֲשֶֽׁר־תַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·you·shall·name" (וְקָרָ֥אתָ), "I·will·make·known·to·You" (אוֹדִֽיעֲךָ֙), "what·you·shall·do" (אֲשֶֽׁר־תַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "what·you·shall·do" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel); "to·you" (root אל, 86x in I Samuel); "and·you·shall·name" (root קרא, 58x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root ישי ("to·Jesse") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·sacrifice', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 9 words.
Radak
That which I say to you. And why did He not tell him from the beginning to anoint David, so that all would know that it is from the Lord, and all would see that He did not choose any of Jesse’s sons except David, since it was said to him by prophecy in the presence of all who were standing there?
Metzudat Zion
At the sacrifice. At the eating of the flesh of the sacrifice.
Malbim
And you shall say, and in this there will be no suspicion whatsoever, and I will inform you of the explanation: since even in this plan you have not yet rectified the matter, for if he returns and says, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord,” it is still not the complete truth, for he has also come for another purpose, namely, to anoint a king. And what will he answer if he is asked whether he came only to sacrifice or also for another matter? In that case, he would necessarily be lying in his faith. Therefore, the Lord said to him: Know that now I am sending you only to sacrifice a sacrifice, and there I will inform you what to do regarding the second mission, so that before I inform you of this, the purpose of your coming is only for the sacrifice, and you will speak the truth in every respect. And concerning this it is said:
And Samuel did that which Hashem spoke, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said: ‘Do you come peaceably?’
verse value 4485
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 63 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 4485 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·trembled" (וַיֶּחֶרְד֞וּ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·they·trembled" (וַיֶּחֶרְד֞וּ), "peace" (שָׁלֹ֥ם). The root בוא appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "that" (root אשר, 229x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'bread', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 7 words.
Rashi
And they trembled. They hurried to go out to meet him.
Radak
And they were afraid. And they trembled and gathered together to go out to meet him. And similarly, “they were afraid” (Yehi’radu) [is used in the verse] “like a bird from Egypt,” and “the children shall come trembling from the west.” And likewise, Jonathan the Targumist rendered it with the language of gathering, “and they assembled.” And one should interpret it as the language of trembling, for they were astonished at his arrival and feared that perhaps there was someone in the city who had committed a great sin, requiring the prophet Samuel to come to the city. And this is what he said to them, “Peace be upon your coming,” and they answered him, “Peace,” meaning: There is nothing [wrong], only peace; do not fear, for I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.
"And he said: Comest thou peaceably?" The greatest of the elders said it; and it is possible that it was Jesse.
Metzudat David
"And he said." The greatest among them said to him: "If his coming is because there is peace with him, or is it because of the absence of peace?"
Metzudat Zion
And they trembled. They hurried with fear.
Malbim
The questions: Why did the elders of the city tremble and also fear with a great fear, to the extent that they said, "Peace be upon your coming," as if they feared some harm?
And Samuel did as the Lord had spoken. For at that time, this was his only commandment: to take a heifer. And they were afraid. It is possible that when he arrived there with a heifer in his hand, they were afraid, perhaps a corpse had been found in the land near Bethlehem, and he had come to behead the heifer in the stream. (And according to Ralbag, this stratagem was indeed that he should take a heifer so that Saul would think that a corpse had been found in the land and that he had gone for the ritual of the broken-necked heifer.) And therefore, the elders of the city specifically were afraid, for upon them rests this commandment, as it is stated: “Your elders and your judges shall go out,” and “all the elders of the city,” etc. And he said, “Peace be upon you,” implying: if you did not come on account of blood shed in the vicinity of the city.
And he said: ‘Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice to Hashem; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.’ And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
verse value 4898
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 69 letters. The shortest word is "with·me" (אִתִּ֖י, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·his·sons" (וְאֶת־בָּנָ֔יו, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 47: to·slaughter, for·the·sacrifice. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "sanctify·yourselves" (הִֽתְקַדְּשׁ֔וּ), "and·he·sanctified" (וַיְקַדֵּ֤שׁ), "Jesse" (אֶת־יִשַׁי֙). The root זבח appears 3 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "I·came" (root בוא, 161x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·sacrifice', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Radak
“Sanctify yourselves.” As the Targum translates it, “Prepare yourselves,” and similarly [the verse states], “And he sanctified.”
Metzudat David
And he said, “Peace.” Behold, peace is with me, and there is no evil; and I have come here to sacrifice to the Lord, etc.
Metzudat Zion
Sanctify yourselves. A matter of preparation, similarly (Jeremiah 6:4): 'prepare against her for war'.
Malbim
"And he said, Peaceably." I have not come for this, but only to sacrifice to the LORD; and he sanctified Jesse among his invited guests, that the matter should not be perceived.
And it came to pass, when they were come, that he beheld Eliab, and said: ‘Surely Hashem’S anointed is before Him.’
verse value 1469
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 39 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 1469 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "indeed" (אַ֛ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "Eliab" (אֶת־אֱלִיאָ֑ב, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "Eliab" (אֶת־אֱלִיאָ֑ב). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "and·it·was" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Eliab', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיְהִ֣י [and·it·was] (31) + בְּבוֹאָ֔ם [in·their·coming] (51) + וַיַּ֖רְא [and·saw] (217) + אֶת־אֱלִיאָ֑ב [Eliab] (445) + וַיֹּ֕אמֶר [and·said] (257) + אַ֛ךְ [indeed] (21) + נֶ֥גֶד [before] (57) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + מְשִׁיחֽוֹ [his·anointed] (364) = 1469.
Rashi
And he said: Surely before the Lord is His anointed. And he said in his heart: Only this is the truth.
Radak
When they come. Into the house:
And he said, “Surely, before the Lord is His anointed.” Explanation: He said this in his heart or with his mouth, for he thought that this was the king whom God had commanded him to anoint, because he was the firstborn among Jesse’s sons, and also because he saw that he was handsome in appearance and stature, like Saul. He reasoned that the Holy One, blessed be He, chooses men of handsome stature and appearance for kingship, so that his awe may rest upon the people. Similarly, it is said regarding Saul: “See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people?” And so it was, as Samuel had thought, that God chooses one of handsome stature and appearance for kingship, so that the people may fear him, provided that his heart is good and upright. The meaning of “before the Lord is His anointed” is like “before the Lord are your ways,” meaning that the Lord will be with him. And the Targum renders: “He prepared before the Lord his anointed.” And so he translated: “Before the Lord, I have prepared.”
Ralbag
"Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him." Some explain that this refers to when he saw that Eliab was unfit for kingship, he said regarding Saul, "For the Lord's anointed is before Him," and he called Saul "His anointed" because he had been anointed by Samuel. And indeed, God had told him not to look at the appearance of Saul or at his tall stature, for He had rejected him, as previously stated in His words, "Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king." However, a difficulty arises with this explanation regarding the statement, "For the Lord has not chosen this one." According to this interpretation, there would be no indication from God’s words to Samuel that He did not choose Eliab; rather, the opposite would appear to be the case from them. And what seems to me is that Samuel said, "Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him," meaning that when he saw Eliab, he thought that he would be the one fit for kingship on account of his good appearance and tall stature, which are qualities fitting for a king, so that he might have the strength and valor to wage the wars of the Lord. And God answered him, telling him not to look at the appearance of Eliab or at his tall stature, for He had rejected him on the grounds that his heart was not upright, for God looks at the heart. And what seemed right in the eyes of God was that he was not fit to be king. And when Samuel understood this from God’s words, he then told Jesse to call another of his sons, for the Lord had not chosen this one. And he called Abinadab. But the verse is abbreviated, and at the end of the matter, David was anointed, and it seems that he had already been anointed with the anointing oil, and he was not commanded upon going there to fill his horn [with oil].
Metzudat David
"Only before the Lord." This means that he is worthy of kingship, but that His anointed one be before the Lord, meaning that the Lord be with him.
Malbim
The questions: After the Lord said to him, “And anoint him whom I shall tell you,” why did he immediately, upon seeing Eliab, say, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before the Lord,” before the Lord had told him that he was the chosen one? And behold, when he saw the other sons, he said, “In this one also the Lord has not chosen.” And this he knew from what he saw, that the Lord did not tell him to anoint him until he came to David, at which time the Lord said to him, “Arise, anoint him.” If so, how was it with Eliab in the opposite manner? What is meant by “I have rejected him”? Is it something that is detestable in itself due to the baseness of its deeds, or something that was initially chosen and later rejected? And neither of these two applies to Eliab. For even though our Sages of blessed memory stated that he was rejected because he was a hothead, and thus it would be correct to say that he was initially chosen and later rejected due to the evil of his temperament, we seek the simple meaning. Furthermore, it is astonishing how Jesse called Abinadab before he heard from Samuel that the Lord had not chosen Eliab. It should have been stated that after Samuel said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before the Lord,” and the Lord answered him, “Do not look at his appearance,” Samuel said this to Jesse, and then he called Abinadab.
And he said, “But behold, the Lord’s anointed stands before Him.” Explanation: When he saw Eliab and the Lord did not tell him to anoint him, he immediately knew that he was not acceptable to the Lord (for if he were, the Lord would have commanded him to anoint him, as it is stated, “And anoint for Me him whom I indicate to you,” and as occurred when he saw David, when He said to him, “Arise, anoint him”). And Samuel thought that the reason for this was because Eliab was short in stature and not handsome in appearance like Saul, and he thought that the Lord would choose only a man of tall stature and handsome appearance, since indeed there was no man in all Israel like Saul, as it is stated, “From his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.” And the Lord would not reject Saul as long as no man like him was found. And this is what is written, “But there is still hope,” meaning that His anointed one, namely Saul, who was already anointed, still stands before the Lord, and He will not reject him as long as no man like him is found. And with this Samuel was comforted, and he desired to intercede so that Saul would not be rejected, since there was no one in all Israel like him.
But Hashem said to Samuel: ‘Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him; for it is not as man sees: for man looks on the outward appearance, but Hashem looks on the heart.’
verse value 4213
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 92 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֜ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·because" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·Samuel" (אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 216: sees, looks, looks. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "do·not·look" (אַל־תַּבֵּ֧ט), "to·his·appearance" (אֶל־מַרְאֵ֛הוּ), "and·to·height·of" (וְאֶל־גְּבֹ֥הַּ). The root כי appears 3 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "to·Samuel" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·have·rejected·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 12 words.
Rashi
Do not look at his appearance, at his good stature.
For I have rejected him. Because he is a hothead — as it is said (below, 17:28): And the anger of Eliab was kindled against David.
For not as man sees. Even though you called yourself 'seer' — you said to Sha'ul (above, 9:19): I am the seer — here I make known to you that you do not see.
Radak
“Do not look at his appearance.” The One who searches the hearts and kidneys of human beings—He knew the heart of Eliab, that it was not upright. Therefore, He said to Samuel: “Do not look at his appearance,” for even though he is handsome and appears fit for kingship according to his outward appearance, I know his heart and have rejected him for kingship, for he is not fit according to his heart.
"Tall." A noun on the pattern of gedol ha-etzah. And some explain that when he said "surely the Lord's anointed is before Him" concerning Saul, he was further asking that the kingship not depart from him; and when he saw Eliab, that he was not as comely as he, he asked of the Lord that He not exchange Saul for another. Therefore God answered him, "Look not on his appearance" — for I have rejected him; and it was Saul who was of fair appearance and tall of stature.
Metzudat David
"For not." The intention is: I do not see fit to attribute it to something that a person can perceive.
"He looks to the eyes." Whether what is seen is fair of appearance, which is the thing a person sees; and one should not base the kingship on this matter.
"And the Lord." But the Lord looks upon the heart; that is the good, and upon this matter it depends.
Malbim
And the LORD said. He answered him: “Do not look at his appearance (that of Saul, concerning whom it is said, “the Lord’s anointed”) nor at his tall stature, for I have rejected him.” This means: “I have rejected the one of tall stature, who was acceptable to Me at that time, but now I have rejected him.” For the king was appointed then in response to the people’s complaint; therefore, a tall man was required, one who would find favor in their eyes. But this is not so with the king now: he will be one who finds favor in the eyes of God, who does not look at appearance or stature. For “not as man sees” was taught to him, meaning that what man sees and judges—who is the handsome man and who is the ugly man—does not accord with the truth. And this is what is written: “for the truth is not as man seeth,” and it may be that the man whom people judge to be handsome and comely is, in truth, ugly and repulsive, and so too the reverse. The reason for this is that “man looks to the eyes,” meaning that man judges beauty and handsomeness according to the perception of the senses, which perceive only the external aspect of the visible thing, not its interior. Therefore, they define beauty according to external appearance: if the body is tall in stature, handsome in features, and pleasing in appearance, and the like, even though his inner, spiritual form may be full of defects and bad traits. Not so does the Lord look to the heart: He looks only to the heart, to its inner form, whether it is beautiful in its traits and comely in its qualities. This man is the handsome one in His eyes, even though externally the man is short in stature and ugly in appearance.
Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said: ‘Neither has Hashem chosen this.’
verse value 2164
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 51 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "Jesse" (יִשַׁי֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·Abinadab" (אֶל־אֲבִ֣ינָדָ֔ב, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "to·Abinadab" (אֶל־אֲבִ֣ינָדָ֔ב), "and·he·made·him·pass" (וַיַּעֲבִרֵ֖הוּ). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "to·Abinadab" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Samuel', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיִּקְרָ֤א [and·called] (317) + יִשַׁי֙ [Jesse] (320) + אֶל־אֲבִ֣ינָדָ֔ב [to·Abinadab] (100) + וַיַּעֲבִרֵ֖הוּ [and·he·made·him·pass] (299) + לִפְנֵ֣י [to·face·of] (170) + שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל [Samuel] (377) + וַיֹּ֕אמֶר [and·said] (257) + גַּם־בָּזֶ֖ה [also·in·this] (57) + לֹא־בָחַ֥ר [not·he·has·chosen] (241) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 2164.
Malbim
And he called: After seeing that Eliab was not chosen:
Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said: ‘Neither has Hashem chosen this.’
verse value 1534
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 1534 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "Jesse" (יִשַׁ֖י, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·he·made·pass" (וַיַּעֲבֵ֥ר, 5 letters). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "also·in·this" (root גם, 40x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Shammah', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיַּעֲבֵ֥ר [and·he·made·pass] (288) + יִשַׁ֖י [Jesse] (320) + שַׁמָּ֑ה [Shammah] (345) + וַיֹּ֕אמֶר [and·said] (257) + גַּם־בָּזֶ֖ה [also·in·this] (57) + לֹא־בָחַ֥ר [not·he·has·chosen] (241) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 1534.
Rashi
And Yishai made Shammah pass by. He is Shimea.
Radak
"Neither hath the Lord chosen this one." Since the Lord did not tell him [so], he knew that He had not chosen him — for He had said to him, "him whom I name unto thee."
And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse: ‘Hashem has not chosen these.’
verse value 3285
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 53 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "Jesse" (יִשַׁ֛י, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·he·made·pass" (וַיַּעֲבֵ֥ר, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 377: Samuel, Samuel. The root שמואל appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "to·Jesse" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Samuel', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיַּעֲבֵ֥ר [and·he·made·pass] (288) + יִשַׁ֛י [Jesse] (320) + שִׁבְעַ֥ת [seven] (772) + בָּנָ֖יו [his·sons] (68) + לִפְנֵ֣י [to·face·of] (170) + שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל [Samuel] (377) + וַיֹּ֤אמֶר [and·said] (257) + שְׁמוּאֵל֙ [Samuel] (377) + אֶל־יִשַׁ֔י [to·Jesse] (351) + לֹא־בָחַ֥ר [not·he·has·chosen] (241) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + בָּאֵֽלֶּה [in·these] (38) = 3285.
Radak
"The LORD has not chosen these" (בָּאֵלֶּה). [The word is vocalized] with a kamats under the letter bet, and there are two instances in Scripture with this kamats: this one, and "I cannot walk in these" (17:39).
Metzudat David
His seven sons. In Chronicles (1 Chronicles 2:15), only seven are counted together with David, as it is stated: “David the seventh.” And in the Midrash, there is a view that Jesse had another son, whose name was Elihu, who is mentioned among the nobles, as it is stated (1 Chronicles 27:18): “For Judah, Elihu, the brother of David.” And similarly it is stated (below, 17:12): “And he had eight sons.” [And the reason he was not counted in Chronicles is apparently because he was from another wife. Tzruya and Abigail were sisters to the seven brothers only on their mother’s side, but not on their father’s side, as it is stated (2 Samuel 17:25): “who came to Abigail, the daughter of Nahash.” And from this it is evident that she was the daughter of Nahash, and not the daughter of Jesse. And if so, they were not sisters to Elihu, neither on their father’s side nor on their mother’s side. Now, in Chronicles (1 Chronicles 2:16) it is stated: “And their sisters were Tzruya and Abigail.” And therefore Elihu was not counted with them, because Elihu did not have sisters, as stated. However, our Sages of blessed memory did not accept this, for they said (Bava Batra 17a): “Nahash is Jesse.”]
And Samuel said to Jesse: ‘Are here all your children?’ And he said: ‘There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he keeps the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse: ‘Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down till he come hither.’
verse value 5136
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 89 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·servants" (הַנְּעָרִים֒, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 377: Samuel, Samuel. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "they·was·complete" (הֲתַ֣מּוּ), "remaining" (שָׁאַ֣ר), "and·take·him" (וְקָחֶ֔נּוּ). The root אמר appears 3 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "to·Jesse" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "for" (root כי, 161x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·flock', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 9 words.
Rashi
The remainder, the youngest. The youngest remained.
We will not sit down. We will not sit to eat — every seating at a meal is called hasibah, reclining.
Radak
"There remaineth yet the youngest." It is an intransitive verb, like nish'ar; and this one alone is from the qal.
"Send and fetch him." Bring him — that is to say, fetch him by a messenger who shall bring him hither.
"For he did not turn back." Explanation: To eat, for they had already slaughtered the peace-offerings, and Jesse, his sons, and the other elders had sanctified themselves to eat with him; and before they ate, David was anointed.
Metzudat David
Are they finished? Have they all been completed:
The youths. Your sons:
For he shall not turn back to the table to eat, until he comes here.
Metzudat Zion
Are they finished? From the word 'finished' and 'completion'.
Remained. Remained.
Reclined. Sitting to eat is called 'masivah,' for they used to sit reclining.
Malbim
The questions: How did he say, "Are the lads all here?" — and did he doubt the word of the LORD, who told him that he should anoint one of the sons of Jesse?
"Are they all here?" He said this by way of wonderment, for he knew necessarily that they had not all come. And Jesse excused himself, saying that David remained of his own accord (and therefore the verb "shar" [remained] appears here in the Qal stem, whereas its binyan is always the nif'al). This was either because he was the youngest, in the manner of "Young men saw me and hid themselves," or on account of the fact that he was tending the sheep and occupied with his work.
And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of beautiful eyes, and goodly to look upon. And Hashem said: ‘Arise, anoint him; for this is he.’
verse value 1984
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 63 letters. Notable word values: "and·he" (וְה֣וּא) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "to·look·upon·and·he·said" (רֹ֑אִי, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·he·brought·him" (וַיְבִיאֵ֙הוּ֙, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·he·brought·him" (וַיְבִיאֵ֙הוּ֙), "red" (אַדְמוֹנִ֔י), "eye" (עֵינַ֖יִם). The root הוא appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "and·he·brought·him" (root בוא, 161x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root יפה ("with·fair") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·look·upon·and·he·said', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח [and·he·sent] (354) + וַיְבִיאֵ֙הוּ֙ [and·he·brought·him] (40) + וְה֣וּא [and·he] (18) + אַדְמוֹנִ֔י [red] (111) + עִם־יְפֵ֥ה [with·fair] (205) + עֵינַ֖יִם [eye] (180) + וְט֣וֹב [and·fair·of] (23) + רֹ֑אִי [to·look·upon·and·he·said] (211) + וַיֹּ֧אמֶר [and·said] (257) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + ק֥וּם [rise] (146) + מְשָׁחֵ֖הוּ [anoint·him] (359) + כִּי־זֶ֥ה [for·this] (42) + הֽוּא [he] (12) = 1984.
Radak
"With beautiful eyes." Like "and beautiful eyes"; like "figs with first-ripe figs," which is like "and first-ripe figs."
"And goodly to look upon." A noun on the pattern of tzuri, choli; and likewise "the eye of him that seeth me shall behold me no more." And this account is to make known that he was fit for the kingship, for he was of fair form.
“Arise, anoint him.” “Arise” is a term of urging; similarly, “Arise, cross over this Jordan” (Joshua 1:2), “Arise, cross over” (Deuteronomy 2:13), “Arise, walk through the land” (Genesis 13:17). And our Sages of blessed memory expounded: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “My Anointed One is standing, and you, the Holy One, are sitting? Arise, anoint him.”
"For this is it." This refers to the one who will be king, not as you might have imagined. Alternatively, it means: "This is the one I spoke to you about, and you anointed for me the one I told you about." There is also a midrashic interpretation derived from this: "This one requires anointing, and no other requires anointing." They support this from the verse that only kings of the House of David are anointed with the anointing oil, and no others.
Metzudat David
For this is the one whom I have chosen:
Metzudat Zion
Ruddy. Red appearance.
Fair of eyes. He means 'and fair of eyes,' similarly (Amos 4:10): 'with the captivity of your horses'.
Sight. Appearance.
Arise. It is a matter of urging.
Malbim
The questions: What excellence is there in his being seen ruddy — and this, according to the naturalists, is a defect, indicating an excess of blood and much heat? And why does it say "with fair eyes" instead of "and fair of eyes" with a vav?
And he was ruddy. He showed him the truth of what he had said earlier, that it is not as a man sees. For David was ruddy, in whom the redness predominated, and by his nature he was predisposed to shedding blood. Yet from another aspect, good marks were also evident in him, for he was handsome of eyes and good of countenance. This indicates that he was sharp in understanding and of good temperament, as the natural philosophers have stated. Had he remained according to Samuel’s human discernment, he would have concluded that he was unfit. But the Lord looks at the heart, and He knew that from the goodness of his choice he would do only judgment and righteousness, and with the redness implanted in his nature he would use it to wage the wars of the Lord and to eradicate from the city of the Lord all workers of iniquity. This is what is pleasing in the eyes of the Lord: that although an evil inclination is found in his nature, he will rule over it by virtue of his righteousness and the goodness of his choice. This is what is written: “Arise, anoint him, for this is the one.” And our Sages of blessed memory said: As soon as Samuel saw that David was ruddy, he was afraid and said, “This one sheds blood like Esau.” The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him, “He is handsome of eyes.” Esau acted on his own knowledge, whereas this one kills by the knowledge of the Sanhedrin (meaning that this is due to the goodness of his temperament and intellect, which is indicated by the mark of being handsome of eyes). “Arise, anoint him, for this is the one.” Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel said: “This is the one” in this world, and “this is the one” for the World to Come. Meaning that although in this world he is inclined by nature to the matters of this world, in which the ruddiness predominates in him, nevertheless, by virtue of the goodness of his temperament, intellect, and choice, he is destined for the World to Come. And the righteous shall hold fast to his way to use it for the will of the Lord. Therefore, this is the one who is pleasing to Me. And according to the interpretation of our Sages of blessed memory, it is appropriate that the word “with” (im) precedes “handsome of eyes” instead of the conjunctive vav.
Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren; and the spirit of Hashem came mightily upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
verse value 5084
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 83 letters. The shortest word is "him" (אֹתוֹ֮, 3 letters) and the longest is "spirit·of·Hashem" (רֽוּחַ־יְהֹוָה֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 377: Samuel, Samuel. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "horn·of" (אֶת־קֶ֣רֶן), "and·anointed" (וַיִּמְשַׁ֣ח), "in·midst·of" (בְּקֶ֣רֶב). The root שמואל appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "spirit·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "upon·David" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "from·the·day" (root יום, 154x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·unfaithful or treacherous act', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 4 words.
Rashi
And the Spirit of the Lord went forth upon him. The spirit of might.
Radak
Among his brothers. To teach that he was chosen from among all of them.
“And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David.” As Targum Jonathan renders it: “And the Spirit of prophecy from before the Lord rested upon David.” And similarly, “The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul”: its Targum renders it, “The Spirit of might from before the Lord, which had been with Saul, departed from him.” And this Spirit of might stirred David to kill the lion, the bear, and the Philistine. And furthermore, from that day onward, the Holy Spirit was born within him, and he composed the songs and psalms by means of the Holy Spirit that was born within him; for the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of might are included within the general category of “the Spirit of the Lord.”
Ralbag
And behold, he relates that on that day the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David, in such wise that he prospered in all that he did; and the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, which had previously been with him in all his endeavors. And the Lord caused an evil spirit to torment him, to kill him out of season, for He had rejected him from being king over the people. And this served as a means for David to approach the kingship. Blessed be the Name, to Whom all plans are devised.
Metzudat Zion
And it passed over. And it passed, similarly (above 10:10): 'and a spirit of God passed over him'.
The Spirit of the LORD. A spirit of valor from the LORD.
Malbim
"And he anointed him among his brothers": It is possible that after he desired to bestow upon him through this anointing holiness, purity, and a spirit of might, he chose that it be done in the presence of ten—Yishai and his eight sons, and Samuel—since the Divine Presence does not rest upon fewer than ten. However, the Abarbanel is unwilling to allow that the anointing was in the presence of his brothers, for the matter was a secret; and "among his brothers" means "from among his brothers." So too does Radak explain.
Now the spirit of Hashem had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Hashem terrified him.
verse value 2838
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 37 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 2838 is divisible by 86, the value of Elohim. The shortest word is "turned·aside" (סָ֖רָה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·terrified·him" (וּבִעֲתַ֥תּוּ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "turned·aside" (סָ֖רָה), "and·terrified·him" (וּבִעֲתַ֥תּוּ), "spirit·evil" (רֽוּחַ־רָעָ֖ה). The root רוח appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel); "with" (root עם, 128x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Saul', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְר֧וּחַ [and·spirit·of] (220) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + סָ֖רָה [turned·aside] (265) + מֵעִ֣ם [with] (150) + שָׁא֑וּל [Saul] (337) + וּבִעֲתַ֥תּוּ [and·terrified·him] (884) + רֽוּחַ־רָעָ֖ה [spirit·evil] (489) + מֵאֵ֥ת [from] (441) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 2838.
Radak
"And it terrified him." It terrified him, until he was not in his right mind.
Metzudat David
From the Lord. And it did not come to him by chance:
Metzudat Zion
And it terrified him. From the word 'terror' and 'dread'.
An evil spirit. A spirit that terrifies and shakes.
Malbim
“And the Spirit of the Lord departed from him.” The “Spirit of the Lord” is the intensification of the flow of spirituality upon a divine matter, which affects his spiritual faculties, clothing him with a spirit of might, and filling him with a spirit of wisdom, understanding, and fear of the Lord. This man, along with his physical instruments that bear the spiritual faculties, is prepared for this flow so that they may serve as the dwelling place of the Glory. However, when the flow is withdrawn from him due to his sin, and his instruments are emptied of the spirituality that dwelt within them, he perceives this deficiency and is astonished and terrified. In place of the exalted spirit, another spirit dwells within him—a melancholic spirit, full of terror and sorrow, anxiety and dread. This is what is written: “and an evil spirit terrified him,” etc.
And Saul’s servants said to him: ‘Behold now, an evil spirit from God terrifies you.
verse value 1951
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 39 letters. The shortest word is "evil" (רָעָ֖ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "servants·of·Saul" (עַבְדֵֽי־שָׁא֖וּל, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "servants·of·Saul" (עַבְדֵֽי־שָׁא֖וּל), "terrifies·you" (מְבַעִתֶּֽךָ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "to·him" (root אל, 86x in I Samuel); "servants·of·Saul" (root עבד, 71x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּאמְר֥וּ [and·they·said] (263) + עַבְדֵֽי־שָׁא֖וּל [servants·of·Saul] (423) + אֵלָ֑יו [to·him] (47) + הִנֵּה־נָ֧א [please] (111) + רוּחַ־אֱלֹהִ֛ים [spirit·of·God] (300) + רָעָ֖ה [evil] (275) + מְבַעִתֶּֽךָ [terrifies·you] (532) = 1951.
Radak
"Troubleth thee." The dagesh in the tav stands for the missing tav that is the third radical of the verb.
Metzudat David
"Ruach Elokim" – meaning: a great and mighty wind, for when Scripture wishes to magnify something, it couples it with the word "Elohim." Similarly, above (14:15), "and it was a terror of Elohim." Or, alternatively, it means: an evil wind that comes from God.
Malbim
And the servants of Saul said: When the black bile is in motion, it sometimes arises due to the corruption of the external organs, namely the brain and the blood vessels; and at other times it arises due to an imaginary corruption, as the Abarbanel wrote that after the spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, he did not remain like other men, but was always anxious, constantly pondering over his punishment and the loss of his kingship because of his sin. Consequently, his blood became scorched, and the illness of melancholia was formed in him, which is produced by the scorching of the blood and the red bile. At other times, the matter of providence may cause an imaginary spirit to afflict his soul’s faculty, causing him to be constantly agitated and trembling. And he may be healed either through an external cause, by means of bloodletting and medicines to repair the damaged organs, or through an internal cause, by rectifying the faculty of imagination and thought toward joy and tranquility. His servants chose music, which transfers the soul from one disposition to another, and which also removes the illness of black bile by transferring him to other joyful thoughts. Therefore, they said:
Let our lord now command your servants, that are before you, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the harp; and it shall be, when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, that he shall play with his hand, and you shall be well.’
verse value 3301
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 79 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·you" (לָֽךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "spirit·of·God" (רֽוּחַ־אֱלֹהִים֙, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "let·him·say·please" (יֹֽאמַר־נָ֤א), "our·lord" (אֲדֹנֵ֙נוּ֙), "your·servants" (עֲבָדֶ֣יךָ). The root נגן appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "let·him·say·please" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "man" (root איש, 201x in I Samuel); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root נגן ("playing") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·harp', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 9 words.
Rashi
Your servants are before you. Behold, your servants are before you — who will do your commandments.
Radak
"Your servants are before you" – to do whatever You, our Master, will command them, that they should seek a musician.
"One that knoweth how to play on the harp." One who knows the art of music, who plays on the harp; or it stands in place of an infinitive — that is to say, a man who knows how to play on the harp. And so Jonathan rendered: a man who knows how to play on the harp.
Metzudat David
"Your servants are before you." This means: You will issue the command, and behold, your servants are before you, ready to do whatever you command. Therefore, say to them: "Let them seek a man skilled in the art of music, who plays the lyre."
And it is good for you. For on account of the joy of the voice of song, trembling will depart.
Malbim
“Let him say, please, our Master” (and are not your servants before you to do all that you command?) They sought a man who knows how to play the lyre, and behold, they did not ask for one who merely knows how to play and plays the lyre, for this alone suffices for what is requested of him, namely, to play when needed. However, Saul, on account of the strategies of his kingship, saw that this alone was insufficient, for one who stands continually before the king, so that the king may be affected by the pleasantness of his melodies, must also possess other desirable qualities. And this is what is written:
And Saul said to his servants: ‘Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.’
verse value 2041
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 46 letters. Verse gematria: 2041 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֗י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·bring" (וַהֲבִיאוֹתֶ֖ם, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "skilled" (מֵיטִ֣יב), "to·play" (לְנַגֵּ֔ן), "and·bring" (וַהֲבִיאוֹתֶ֖ם). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "to·his·servants" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root יטב ("skilled") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·his·servants', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֥אמֶר [and·said] (257) + שָׁא֖וּל [Saul] (337) + אֶל־עֲבָדָ֑יו [to·his·servants] (123) + רְאוּ־נָ֣א [see·please] (258) + לִ֗י [to·me] (40) + אִ֚ישׁ [man] (311) + מֵיטִ֣יב [skilled] (71) + לְנַגֵּ֔ן [to·play] (133) + וַהֲבִיאוֹתֶ֖ם [and·bring] (470) + אֵלָֽי [to·me] (41) = 2041.
Metzudat David
“Who is good at playing music.” One who plays well and beautifully.
Malbim
Questions (17-18): Why did Saul repeat and specify, saying “a man skilled in playing,” and what did he intend by saying “See now for me”? And what did he mean when one of the young men said, “I have seen the son of Jesse, who knows how to play, and is a mighty man of valor, etc.”? Why did he recount all these virtues, whereas the primary requirement was that he know how to play?
And Saul said, etc.: “Look now for me a man skilled in playing,” — he implies that he should be one who excels in playing, being proficient in this wisdom with greater excellence, with good taste and understanding, whose requirement is also to compose songs that stir the soul, and that he be an eloquent speaker and wise, so as to arrange the words of his songs and hymns according to wisdom and understanding, which encompasses all desirable qualities. This is what is written: “Look now for me,” meaning: look carefully for a man suitable for me to stand before the king.
Then answered one of the young men, and said: ‘Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valour, and a man of war, and prudent in affairs, and a comely person, and Hashem is with him.’
verse value 4687
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 87 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֨ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "son" (בֵּ֣ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "from·the·servants" (מֵהַנְּעָרִ֜ים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 317: and·man·of, and·man·of. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "playing" (נַ֠גֵּ֠ן), "and·mighty" (וְגִבּ֨וֹר), "and·discerned" (וּנְב֥וֹן). The root איש appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "and·Hashem" (root יהוה, 316x in I Samuel); "and·man·of" (root איש, 201x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root תאר ("form") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'form', dividing the verse into phrases of 20 and 2 words.
Rashi
One of the boys. The unique one among them — Doeg the Edomite.
Who knows to play. His entire intention was to bring the evil eye of Sha'ul upon David — that he become jealous of him.
Radak
"And mighty in strength." That he possesses courage of heart in every matter, as his valor was demonstrated in the incident of the lion and the bear.
“And a man of war” – one who is knowledgeable in matters of war and accustomed to it.
"And prudent in affairs." As its Targum renders: and understanding in counsel — that is to say, in every matter of counsel he is discerning, like "and one discerning in whispering."
"And a man of appearance." The meaning is: a man of good appearance. And similarly, "men of stature" means men of great stature. And so did Jonathan render it: "And a man who is good in his appearance."
And the Lord was with him. For in all that he did, he succeeded. And all the matters in which the youth praised David are matters such that any person who possesses them is worthy to stand in the king’s palace. And [he] knew how to play [the lyre]; he said [this] according to the need of the hour.
Ralbag
“And a mighty man of valor, and a man of war.” Behold, “a mighty man of valor” refers to one who possesses strength and power, and “a man of war” refers to one who knows how to devise strategies against his enemies and defeat them. And behold, David is described with these attributes, for one who possesses these qualities is more fit to enter the king’s palace, even though he was not initially sought for anything other than being skilled in playing music.
"And a discerning man." This refers to the person who conducts his words with justice and wisdom.
"And a man of appearance." To this one it is more fitting to enter the king's palaces.
"And the Lord was with him." Whatever he does, the Lord makes successful. For this reason, it is possible that the evil spirit will depart from you when he is with you, for from the blessing of those who succeed, their masters are blessed. This too was a cause for David to become more worthy to enter the king's palace. For this reason, they praised him with all these attributes, for although many skilled musicians may be found, they are not complete in all these matters as David was. For this reason, they chose him among the other musicians.
Metzudat David
"And mighty in strength, etc." These are the things fitting for one who stands in the king's palace:
"And the Lord is with him." This means that he is a successful man, and through his success he will benefit you.
Metzudat Zion
And understanding in speech. Understanding every word of wisdom.
Malbim
And one of the youths answered him, saying, “For it has been found in David other excellences besides his skill in melody, by virtue of which he is fit to stand in the king’s palace.” And the Abarbanel has explained that he listed for him six attributes: 1) “A skillful player,” meaning that he knew the art of music perfectly; 2) “And mighty in valor,” not like the manner of poets, most of whom are perfected in the faculty of imagination and are, for the most part, of weak temperament and feeble constitution; 3) “And a man of war,” meaning that he knew the stratagems of war, and this too is a matter of wonder, for one who occupies himself with the stratagems of war would not occupy his time with melody and song, since they are opposing arts; 4) “And wise in speech,” and this too is contrary to the usual nature of poets, who are perfected in imagination and lack true intellect for the most part; therefore, poets are not usually men of intellect and counsel, only in small measure; 5) “And handsome in appearance,” and this too is not usual among poets, who are melancholic, and rarely are they ruddy and fair of form; 6) “And the Lord is with him,” meaning that he is God-fearing and turns away from evil, and this too is rare, for a musician who is handsome in appearance will not be pursued by his desires and by the lust for women. And these attributes are fitting for a man who will stand in the king’s palace. And although David was still a youth, they praised him with these attributes, for he was prepared for them by his innate disposition.
Wherefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said: ‘Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.’
verse value 2955
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלַ֛י, 3 letters) and the longest is "messengers" (מַלְאָכִ֖ים, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "your·son" (בִּנְךָ֖). The root שלח appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·Jesse" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Jesse', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח [and·he·sent] (354) + שָׁא֛וּל [Saul] (337) + מַלְאָכִ֖ים [messengers] (141) + אֶל־יִשָׁ֑י [to·Jesse] (351) + וַיֹּ֕אמֶר [and·said] (257) + שִׁלְחָ֥ה [send] (343) + אֵלַ֛י [to·me] (41) + אֶת־דָּוִ֥ד [David] (415) + בִּנְךָ֖ [your·son] (72) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [who] (501) + בַּצֹּֽאן [in·the·flock] (143) = 2955.
Metzudat David
"Which is in the flock." Which he shepherds in the flock.
Malbim
"Send him to me." He did not yet know whether he would find favour in his eyes so as to remain with him, and he wished only to see him.
And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son to Saul.
verse value 1880
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 52 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֑ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "Jesse" (יִשַׁ֜י, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·hand·of·David" (בְּיַד־דָּוִ֥ד, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·skin" (וְנֹ֣אד), "and·kid·of" (וּגְדִ֥י). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·hand·of·David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·Saul" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "and·took" (root לקח, 78x in I Samuel). First appearance of the root עז ("goats") in I Samuel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'one', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words.
Radak
"An ass laden with bread, and a flask full of wine." An ass laden with bread, and a flask full of wine; and so did Jonathan translate: "An ass laden with bread," and some say: "A heap gathered from small heaps, little by little."
Metzudat David
“An ass laden with bread.” An ass laden with bread:
Malbim
"And Jesse took" – such was their custom to bring a gift when appearing before a king or a great man.
And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour-bearer.
verse value 1305
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 46 letters. The shortest word is "David" (דָוִד֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·he·loved·him" (וַיֶּאֱהָבֵ֣הֽוּ, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "and·he·became·his" (וַֽיְהִי־ל֖וֹ), "vessels" (כֵלִֽים). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·Saul" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "and·he·became·his" (root היה, 167x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·his·face', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיָּבֹ֤א [and·came] (19) + דָוִד֙ [David] (14) + אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל [to·Saul] (368) + וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד [and·stood] (130) + לְפָנָ֑יו [to·his·face] (176) + וַיֶּאֱהָבֵ֣הֽוּ [and·he·loved·him] (35) + מְאֹ֔ד [very] (45) + וַֽיְהִי־ל֖וֹ [and·he·became·his] (67) + נֹשֵׂ֥א [lifting] (351) + כֵלִֽים [vessels] (100) = 1305.
Radak
Carrying vessels. Carrying his weapons:
Metzudat David
Carrying utensils. His utensils of war:
Malbim
"And there was for him a bearer of vessels" – this too should be explained as meaning that David was elevated to the point that he had a bearer of vessels, as is the custom of nobles.
And Saul sent to Jesse, saying: ‘Let David, I pray you, stand before me; for he has found favour in my sight.’
verse value 2033
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "favour" (חֵ֖ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "let·him·stand·please" (יַעֲמׇד־נָ֤א, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "let·him·stand·please" (יַעֲמׇד־נָ֤א), "for·he·has·found" (כִּי־מָ֥צָא). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 418x in I Samuel); "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·Jesse" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח [and·he·sent] (354) + שָׁא֔וּל [Saul] (337) + אֶל־יִשַׁ֖י [to·Jesse] (351) + לֵאמֹ֑ר [saying] (271) + יַעֲמׇד־נָ֤א [let·him·stand·please] (175) + דָוִד֙ [David] (14) + לְפָנַ֔י [to·my·face] (170) + כִּי־מָ֥צָא [for·he·has·found] (161) + חֵ֖ן [favour] (58) + בְּעֵינָֽי [in·the·eyes·of] (142) = 2033.
Malbim
“Let him now stand, please,”—a request that he remain with him on a permanent basis.
And it came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; so Saul found relief, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him.
verse value 3655
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 76 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֔וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "spirit·of·God" (רֽוּחַ־אֱלֹהִים֙, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Samuel. Unique to this verse in I Samuel (hapax): "the·harp" (אֶת־הַכִּנּ֖וֹר), "and·will·turn·aside" (וְסָ֥רָה). The root רוח appears 3 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "David" (root דוד, 262x in I Samuel); "to·Saul" (root איל, 238x in I Samuel); "to·Saul" (root שאול, 226x in I Samuel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·his·hand', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 8 words.
Radak
“The Spirit of God came upon Saul.” Explanation: “Spirit” here means an evil spirit, as it was stated above, “an evil spirit from God,” and so did Jonathan translate it: “An evil spirit from before the Lord.”
"And Saul found relief." From the distress that was upon him from the evil spirit.
"And it is good for him." A past-tense verb.
Metzudat David
And relief to Saul. Relief comes to him, and fear departs from him.
Malbim
And he was relieved — it relates that David’s songs bore fruit in three matters: a) First, he found relief from the internal distress that had constrained his soul; b) It was well for him, as he transformed into a disposition of joy; c) Through this, the evil spirit departed from him. Now, in this, it relates how the Lord orchestrated that David would come to Saul, which was the primary cause of all his subsequent events, until he attained the kingship destined for him. From now on, it will begin to relate how the second attribute, that David was a mighty warrior and a man of war, came into effect, and how the horn of David sprouted, was exalted, and was raised high.
Rashi
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim