1 Samuel 16:13
Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
Study Note
Study Note
Samuel's anointing of David 'in the midst of his brethren' and the immediate descent of the Spirit upon him presents the transfer of divine election from Saul to David as a pneumatological event — the Spirit departs from Saul (verse 14) as it comes upon David. The anointing with oil ('yitsok ha-shemen') is the physical enactment of the Hebrew 'mashiach' (anointed), making David the paradigmatic Messiah from whom all future messianic expectation flows. The choice of the youngest, least impressive brother ('the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart' — verse 7) establishes a principle of divine election by interior quality rather than social prestige, echoed in 1 Corinthians 1:27-28. Acts 13:22 quotes God's testimony ('I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart') as the theological ground for messianic continuity between David and Jesus.
Other Translations
Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
And Samuel taketh the horn of oil, and anointeth him in the midst of his brethren, and prosper over David doth the Spirit of Jehovah from that day and onwards; and Samuel riseth and goeth to Ramath.
Then Samuel took the bottle of oil, and put the oil on him there among his brothers: and from that day the spirit of the Lord came on David with power. So Samuel went back to Ramah.
Cross References
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And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a …
Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it …
And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned …
And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: …
And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God …