1 Samuel 16:18

¹⁶ Let our lord command your servants here to seek out someone who can skillfully play the harp. Whenever the spirit of distress from God is upon you, he is to play it, and you will be well.”

¹⁷ And Saul commanded his servants, “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him to me.”

One 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.”

¹⁹ So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”

²⁰ And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat, and sent them to Saul with his son David.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: One 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.”
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.
WEB: Then one of the young men answered and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the LORD is with him.”
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.
DARBY: And one of the young men answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilled in playing, and he is a valiant man and a man of war, and skilled in speech, and of good presence, and Jehovah is with him.
BLB: And one of the servants answered and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, being skilled [in] playing and mighty of valor, and a man of war, and prudent in speech, and a man of [good] appearance, and YHWH [is] with him.”

ÅB: En av de unge menn svarte og sa: Jeg har sett en sønn av betlehemitten Isai som er kyndig i å spille, en djerv mann og en stridsmann, god til å tale for seg og en vakker mann, og Herren er med ham.
OTB: Da svarte en av de unge mennene og sa, «Se, jeg har sett en sønn av Isai, betlehemitten, som er dyktig til å spille, en tapper mann, en kriger, veltalende og en vakker mann; og Herren er med ham.»
B1930: En av de unge menn svarte og sa: Jeg har sett en sønn av betlehemitten Isai som er kyndig i å spille, en djerv mann og en stridsmann, god til å tale for sig og en vakker mann, og Herren er med ham.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

1 Samuel 3:19
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.
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Genesis 39:23
The 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.
Read in context
Genesis 39:2
And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.
Read in context
1 Samuel 17:32–36
And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of this Philistine. Your servant will go and fight him!”
Read in context
1 Samuel 10:7
When these signs have come, do as the occasion demands, for God is with you.
Read in context
Matthew 28:20
and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Read in context
Matthew 1:23
“Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).
Read in context
2 Samuel 14:20
Joab your servant has done this to bring about this change of affairs, but my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that happens in the land.”
Read in context