EasyEnglish Bible 2018
1 Samuel 16:4
4Samuel obeyed the Lord. He went to Bethlehem. The leaders of the town went to meet Samuel, but they were very afraid. They asked him, ‘Have you come to visit us as a friend?’
1 Samuel 16:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Beth–lehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
- New International Version (NIV)Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, "Do you come peaceably?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)So Samuel did what the Lord said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”
Context of 1 Samuel 16:4
2Samuel said, ‘If I go to do that, people will tell Saul about it. Then he will kill me.’ The Lord said, ‘Take a calf with you. Tell the people that you have come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. 3Then ask Jesse to come to the sacrifice. I will show you what to do after that. I will show you the person that you must anoint with the oil.’ Samuel obeyed the Lord. He went to Bethlehem. The leaders of the town went to meet Samuel, but they were very afraid. They asked him, ‘Have you come to visit us as a friend?’ 5Samuel replied, ‘Yes. I do not bring any trouble. I have come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. Make yourselves clean. Then come to the sacrifice with me.’ Samuel made Jesse and his sons clean to worship the Lord. Then he took them with him to the sacrifice. 6When they arrived, Samuel saw Jesse's son Eliab. Samuel thought, ‘I am sure that the Lord has chosen this man to be king.’
Read all of 1 Samuel 161 Samuel 16:4 word by word
וַיַּ֣עַשׂ שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל אֵ֚ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה וַיָּבֹ֖א בֵּ֣ית לָ֑חֶם וַיֶּחֶרְד֞וּ זִקְנֵ֤י הָעִיר֙ לִקְרָאת֔וֹ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר שָׁלֹ֥ם בּוֹאֶֽךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלshemû'êl · SamuelH8050
- didעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- that which the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- and cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- to Beth–lehemבֵּית לֶ֫חֶםbêyth lechem · BethlehemH1035
- And the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
- of the townעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- trembledחָרַדchârad · to trembleH2729
- at his comingקִרְאָהqir'âh · befallH7125
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- thou peaceablyשָׁלוֹםshâlôm shâlôm · peaceH7965
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 16:4
- 1 Samuel 21:1David went to visit Ahimelech the priest. He lived in the town of Nob. Ahimelech shook with fear when he saw David. He asked David, ‘Why are you alone? Why is nobody with you?’
- 2 Samuel 6:9So David now became afraid of the Lord. He said, ‘The Lord's Covenant Box is too holy to come with me!’
- 1 Kings 17:18The woman said to Elijah, ‘Servant of God, why have you come to hurt me like this? Did you come to kill my son so that I would remember all my sins?’
- Hosea 6:5I sent my prophets to warn you. They gave you my messages that I would punish you. Now that punishment will certainly happen to you! I will suddenly come to judge you, like the sun that rises at dawn.
- Hosea 11:10I will roar loudly like a lion, so that my children come to follow me. When I roar, my children will shake with fear, as they come from the west.
- Luke 5:8When Simon saw all the fish, he went down on his knees in front of Jesus. ‘Sir,’ he said, ‘I am a bad man. So please go away from me.’
- Luke 8:37Then all the Gerasene people who lived in that place said to Jesus, ‘Please go away and leave us.’ They said this because they were very afraid. So Jesus got back into the boat to leave that place.
- 1 Kings 2:13Haggith's son Adonijah visited Bathsheba, Solomon's mother. She asked him, ‘Do you come in peace?’ He answered, ‘Yes, I come in peace.’
- 2 Kings 9:22When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, ‘Have you come as a friend, Jehu?’ Jehu replied, ‘We cannot be friends. Your mother Jezebel still causes people to worship idols and to use magic.’
- 1 Chronicles 12:17David went out to meet them. He said to them, ‘I hope that you have come here as my friends. If you have come to help me, I will make an agreement with you. But I hope that you have not come here to help my enemies and to tell them where I am hiding. I have not done anything wrong. So I pray that the God of our ancestors will see what you do. He will punish you as you deserve!’
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 16:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4The elders of the town trembled at his coming - They knew he was a prophet of the Lord, and they were afraid that he was now come to denounce some judgments of the Most High against their city.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Trembled - There was evidently something unusual in Samuel‘s coming to Bethlehem; and the elders, knowing that Samuel was no longer at friendship with Saul, foreboded some evil.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The elders … trembled: The elders were afraid because news had likely reached Bethlehem that Samuel had rebuked Saul and put Agag to death.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. the elders of the town trembled at his coming--Beth-lehem was an obscure town, and not within the usual circuit of the judge. The elders were naturally apprehensive, therefore, that his arrival was occasioned by some extraordinary reason, and that it might entail evil upon their town, in consequence of the estrangement between Samuel and the king.Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 16:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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