1 Samuel 16:2

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.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.'
• 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.’

Context of 1 Samuel 16:2

1Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for 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, because I have chosen a king for Myself among his sons.” But Samuel said, “How can I go? When Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3And you shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one whom I designate to you.” 4So Samuel did what the Lord told him, and he came to Bethlehem. Then the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, “Do you come in peace?”

1 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

• But Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלshemû'êl · SamuelH8050
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Howאֵיךְ'êyk 'êykâh 'êykâkâh · how?H349
• can I goהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• When Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• hearsשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• he will killהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• me.” But the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• Takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• a heiferעֶגְלָה‛eglâh · heiferH5697
• a heiferבָּקָרbâqâr · cattleH1241
• I have 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 that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”
• 1 Kings 18:9But he said, “What sin have I committed, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab, to put me to death?
• Matthew 10:16“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as wary as serpents, and as innocent as doves.
• Luke 1:34But Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
• 1 Samuel 9:12They answered them and said, “He is; see, he is ahead of you. Hurry now, for he has come into the city today, because the people have a sacrifice on the high place today.
• 1 Samuel 20:29He said, ‘Please let me go, because our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has ordered me to attend. So now, if I have found favor in your sight, please let me slip away so that I may see my brothers.’ For this reason he has not come to the king’s table.”
• Jeremiah 38:26then you are to say to them, ‘I was presenting my plea before the king, not to make me return 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

• Church and State
• Cowardice
• Doubting
• Jesse
• King
• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Samuel
• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Appearance
• Comely
• David
• Heifer
• Jesse
• Palestine
• Sacrifice

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