1 Samuel 16:18
in 1 Samuel 16One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and the LORD is with him.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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 valor, and a man of war, and prudent in speech, and a comely person; and Jehovah is with him.
KJV
Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth–lehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 16
Commentary
9 notes on this verseIt is fitting to raise the eyes of faith to the power of this craftsman, and to consider here and there the Fathers of the new and old testament. Behold, with these same eyes of faith opened, I gaze upon David, Amos, Daniel, Peter, Paul, Matthew, and I wish to consider what kind of craftsman this Holy Spirit is, but in my very consideration I fall short. For he fills a boy who plays the harp, and makes him a psalmist. He fills a herdsman shepherd picking sycamore figs, and makes him a prophet.
This site's exposition
Surely a spirit of distress from God is tormenting you
on 1 Samuel 16:15-18
Saul’s servants propose music, someone who can "skillfully play the harp" when the spirit of distress comes. Their description of David, "a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome," already sounds like more than a shepherd. Albert Barnes notes the difficulty beside chapter 17, where Saul asks whose son David is, and the usual answer is that the report ran ahead of what Saul had seen.
This site's exposition
a son of Jesse of Bethlehem
Gregory the Great marvelled that the Spirit of the LORD fills this son of Jesse, a boy who can play the harp, and makes him a psalmist. Verse 13 gives the moment. Adam Clarke reports that Bishop Warburton set David's fight with Goliath before this service to Saul.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
Behold, I have seen the son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, skilled in playing, etc. One of the youths is the unity of the humble of Christ, with one and the same heart and soul agreed. To the Jews inquiring about the faith, and knocking step …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? 5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the L ORD : sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:96%@v4-5
), that he was not only fit for his purpose as a comely person and skilful in playing, but a man of courage and conduct, a mighty valiant man, and prudent in all matters, fit to be further preferred, and (which crowned his character) the Lord is with him.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Then answered one of the servants,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
I have seen a son of Jesse - Dr. Warburton supposes the story is anticipated from 1Sa 16:14-23, and that the true chronology of this part of David’s life is the following: - 1. David is anointed by Samuel; 2. Carries provisions to his brethren in the army; 3. Fights with and kills Goliath; 4. Is received into the king’s court, 5. Contracts a friendship with Jonathan; 6. Incurs Saul’s jealousy; 7. Retires to his father’s house; 8. Is after some time sent for by Saul to sooth his melancholy with his harp;
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
A mighty valiant man ... - David’s reputation for courage, skill, discretion, and manly beauty, was already great. Since “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him,” his natural qualities and powers had been greatly enhanced. His feat of killing the lion and the bear (see the marginal references) had been performed, like Samson’s feats of strength Jdg 14:6, Jdg 14:19; Jdg 15:14, under the same supernatural influence, and was probably more or less known.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּעַן֩ | vaiyaan | and he answered | H6030 → | 331 times |
| אֶחָ֨ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| מֵהַנְּעָרִ֜ים | mehanearim | from the young men | H5288 → | 239 times |
| וַיֹּ֗אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הִנֵּ֨ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| רָאִ֜יתִי | raiti | I have seen | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| בֵּ֣ן | ben | a son | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| לְיִשַׁי֮ | leyishai | of Jesse | H3448 → | 42 times |
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | [the] Beth- | H1022 → | 8 times |
| הַלַּחְמִי֒ | halachmi | <the> -lehemite | H1022 → | 8 times |
| יֹדֵ֣עַ | yodea' | [who] knows | H3045 → | 945 times |
| נַ֠גֵּן | nagen | to play | H5059 → | 15 times |
| וְגִבּ֨וֹר | vegibor | and a mighty [man] of | H1368 → | 158 times |
| חַ֜יִל | chayil | strength | H2428 → | 246 times |
| וְאִ֧ישׁ | veish | and a man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מִלְחָמָ֛ה | milchamah | war | H4421 → | 320 times |
| וּנְב֥וֹן | unevon | and [one] discerning of | H995 → | |
| דָּבָ֖ר | davar | word | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| וְאִ֣ישׁ | veish | and a man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| תֹּ֑אַר | toar | form | H8389 → | 15 times |
| וַיהוָ֖ה | vayahweh | and Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עִמּֽוֹ׃ | imo | [is] with him | H5973 → | 1050 times |
וַיַּעַן֩and he answered
vaiyaanH6030 →331 times
אֶחָ֨דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
מֵהַנְּעָרִ֜יםfrom the young men
mehanearimH5288 →239 times
וַיֹּ֗אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הִנֵּ֨הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
רָאִ֜יתִיI have seen
raitiH7200 →1300 times
בֵּ֣ןa son
benH1121 →4930 times
לְיִשַׁי֮of Jesse
leyishaiH3448 →42 times
בֵּ֣ית[the] Beth-
beitH1022 →8 times
הַלַּחְמִי֒<the> -lehemite
halachmiH1022 →8 times
יֹדֵ֣עַ[who] knows
yodea'H3045 →945 times
נַ֠גֵּןto play
nagenH5059 →15 times
וְגִבּ֨וֹרand a mighty [man] of
vegiborH1368 →158 times
חַ֜יִלstrength
chayilH2428 →246 times
וְאִ֧ישׁand a man of
veishH376 →1663 times
מִלְחָמָ֛הwar
milchamahH4421 →320 times
וּנְב֥וֹןand [one] discerning of
unevonH995 →
דָּבָ֖רword
davarH1697 →1440 times
וְאִ֣ישׁand a man of
veishH376 →1663 times
תֹּ֑אַרform
toarH8389 →15 times
וַיהוָ֖הand Yahweh
vayahwehH3068 →6520 times
עִמּֽוֹ׃[is] with him
imoH5973 →1050 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 39:2And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 18:14
and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him.
- Psalms 91:15
When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.
- Jeremiah 15:20
Then I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to save and deliver…
- Genesis 26:28
“We can plainly see that the LORD has been with you,” they replied. “We recommend that there should now be an oath between us and you. Let us make a covenant with you
- Acts 7:9–10
Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him
- 1 Samuel 18:14
Through
Genesis 39:23The warden did not concern himself with anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.
it leads to
- Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched;…
- Psalms 1:3
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.
- Genesis 39:2–3
And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.
- Isaiah 43:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 30; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.