English Standard Version
1 Samuel 16:2
2And 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.'
1 Samuel 16:2 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (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.’
- New King James Version (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.’
- New Living Translation (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.
Context of 1 Samuel 16:2
1The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." 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.' 3And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you." 4Samuel 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?"
Read all of 1 Samuel 161 Samuel 16:2 word by word
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל֙ אֵ֣יךְ אֵלֵ֔ךְ וְשָׁמַ֥ע שָׁא֖וּל וַהֲרָגָ֑נִי ס וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֗ה עֶגְלַ֤ת בָּקָר֙ תִּקַּ֣ח בְּיָדֶ֔ךָ וְאָ֣מַרְתָּ֔ לִזְבֹּ֥חַ לַֽיהוָ֖ה בָּֽאתִי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלshemû'êl · SamuelH8050
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- How can I goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- if Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
- hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- he will killהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
- me. And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- Takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- an heiferעֶגְלָה‛eglâh · heiferH5697
- an heiferבָּקָרbâqâr · cattleH1241
- with theeיָדyâd · hand: themselvesH3027
- I am comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- to sacrificeזָבַחzâbach · to sacrificeH2076
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 16:2
- Exodus 3:11But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
- 1 Kings 18:9And he said, "How have I sinned, that you would give your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?
- Matthew 10:16"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
- Luke 1:34And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"
- 1 Samuel 9:12They answered, "He is; behold, he is just ahead of you. Hurry. He has come just now to the city, because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place.
- 1 Samuel 20:29He said, 'Let me go, for our clan holds a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table."
- Jeremiah 38:26then you shall say to them, 'I made a humble plea to the king that he would not send me back to the house of Jonathan to die there.'"
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 16:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice - This was strictly true; Samuel did offer a sacrifice; and it does not appear that he could have done the work which God designed, unless he had offered this sacrifice, and called the elders of the people together, and thus collected Jesse's sons. But he did not tell the principal design of his coming; had he done so, it would have produced evil and no good: and though no man, in any circumstances…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2It was the purpose of God that David should be anointed at this time as Saul‘s successor, and as the ancestor and the type of His Christ. It was not the purpose of God that Samuel should stir up a civil war, by setting up David as Saul‘s rival. Secrecy, therefore, was a necessary part of the transaction. But secrecy and concealment are not the same as duplicity and falsehood. Concealment of a good purpose, for a good purpose, is clearly justifiable. There…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2say, ‘I have come to sacrifice': God sometimes guides his followers into risky situations. He protects them, sometimes through miracles, sometimes through strategy (compare Exodus 3:18–22). As a priestly judge, Samuel would not have seemed suspicious by offering a sacrifice (see 1 Samuel 10:8).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. How can I go?--This is another instance of human infirmity in Samuel. Since God had sent him on this mission, He would protect him in the execution. I am come to sacrifice--It seems to have been customary with Samuel to do this in the different circuits to which he went, that he might encourage the worship of God.Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 16:2
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries