1 Samuel 16:4

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

2But 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. 3Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me.” So Samuel did as the Lord instructed. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town came trembling to meet him. “What’s wrong?” they asked. “Do you come in peace?” 5“Yes,” Samuel replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then Samuel performed the purification rite for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice, too. 6When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!”

1 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 the town of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. “Why are you alone?” he asked. “Why is no one with you?”
• 2 Samuel 6:9David was now afraid of the Lord, and he asked, “How can I ever bring the Ark of the Lord back into my care?”
• 1 Kings 17:18Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?”
• Hosea 6:5I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces— to slaughter you with my words, with judgments as inescapable as light.
• Hosea 11:10For someday the people will follow me. I, the Lord, will roar like a lion. And when I roar, my people will return trembling from the west.
• Luke 5:8When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.”
• Luke 8:37And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them. So Jesus returned to the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake.
• 1 Kings 2:13One day Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, came to see Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Have you come with peaceful intentions?” she asked him. “Yes,” he said, “I come in peace.
• 2 Kings 9:22King Joram demanded, “Do you come in peace, Jehu?” Jehu replied, “How can there be peace as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother, Jezebel, are all around us?”
• 1 Chronicles 12:17David went out to meet them and said, “If you have come in peace to help me, we are friends. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when I am innocent, then may the God of our ancestors see it and punish you.”

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

• Church and State
• Government
• Jesse
• King
• Minister, Christian
• Reverence

In the dictionaries

• Samuel
• Appearance
• Bethlehem
• Comely
• David
• Elder in the Old Testament
• Jesse
• Sacrifice
• Samuel, Books of
• Saul

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