1 Samuel 16:4 Commentary and Bible Study

‘And the elders of the town’ – this is Bethlehem – ‘trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?’ That is quite a mystery. What had they done? What was going on in Bethlehem? Why would they tremble at the coming of the prophet Samuel? He often bought with him great happiness, and he preached and taught and consoled, and blessed the people in the name of the Lord. Why should they be so anxious that the arrival of Samuel, the prophet? This couldn’t be because they knew why he had come, for if he told the elders, Saul would surely have found out. It was only Jesse and his family who were subsequently told the reason for his visit, and that would not be until later. But perhaps he was also a judge, and if there was some great crime in the vicinity, he might expose it and sit in judgement, and they seemed to have had guilty consciences in Bethlehem. But that wasn't on this occasion the purpose of his coming. ‘And he said, Peaceably’ – I come peaceably. He has come to sacrifice, and he convenes the sacrifice, arranges the time, and asks for Jesse and his sons. ‘I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves.’ Repent, purify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice’, and Jesse and his sons, or at least seven of them, were sanctified. Now obviously Jesse and his sons knew what was going to happen: this anointing. They would have asked, ‘What is this all about? What's this for?’ It is intriguing to wonder how much they took in, how much they understood. This is the anointing of a king. Perhaps in their minds they modified it: ‘Well, one of our sons is going to be a regional prince or dignitary. Perhaps they didn't fully grasp it. But one thing they understood is that it must be a secret. They couldn't talk about it, because then they would perhaps be suspected of treason.