1 Samuel

1 Samuel 16:19–23

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

²⁰And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat and sent them to Saul with his son David. ²¹When David came to Saul and entered his service, Saul loved him very much, and David became his armor-bearer.

²²Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.” ²³And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play. Then Saul would find relief and feel better, and the spirit of distress would depart from him.

Read all of 1 Samuel 16

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Samuel 16:19

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So Saul	שָׁא֛וּל	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
sent	וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח	way·yiš·laḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7971 send
messengers	מַלְאָכִ֖ים	mal·’ā·ḵîm	Noun - masculine plural	H4397 messenger
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Jesse	יִשָׁ֑י	yi·šāy	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3448 Jishai
and said	וַיֹּ֕אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Send	שִׁלְחָ֥ה	šil·ḥāh	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H7971 send
me	אֶת־	’eṯ-	Direct object marker	H853 mark of the accusative
your son	בִּנְךָ֖	bin·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H1121 son
David	דָּוִ֥ד	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
who	אֲשֶׁ֥ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
is with the sheep	בַּצֹּֽאן׃	baṣ·ṣōn	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - common singular	H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks

1 Samuel 16:20

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And Jesse	יִשַׁ֜י	yi·šay	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3448 Jishai
took	וַיִּקַּ֨ח	way·yiq·qaḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3947 take
a donkey	חֲמ֥וֹר	ḥă·mō·wr	Noun - masculine singular	H2543 heap
bread	לֶ֙חֶם֙	le·ḥem	Noun - masculine singular	H3899 bread, food
a skin	וְנֹ֣אד	wə·nōḏ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H4997 skin-bottle, skin
of wine	יַ֔יִן	ya·yin	Noun - masculine singular	H3196 wine
and one	אֶחָ֑ד	’e·ḥāḏ	Number - masculine singular	H259 one
young goat	וּגְדִ֥י	ū·ḡə·ḏî	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H1423 kid
and sent them	וַיִּשְׁלַ֛ח	way·yiš·laḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7971 send
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Saul	שָׁאֽוּל׃	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
with	בְּיַד־	bə·yaḏ-	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct	H3027 hand
his son	בְּנ֖וֹ	bə·nōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1121 son
David	דָּוִ֥ד	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David

1 Samuel 16:21

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When David	דָוִד֙	ḏā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
came	וַיָּבֹ֤א	way·yā·ḇō	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Saul	שָׁא֔וּל	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
and entered his service	וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד	way·ya·‘ă·mōḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5975 take one's stand, stand
Saul loved him	וַיֶּאֱהָבֵ֣הֽוּ	way·ye·’ĕ·hā·ḇê·hū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H157 love
very much	מְאֹ֔ד	mə·’ōḏ	Adverb	H3966 muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly
and David became	וַֽיְהִי־	way·hî-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
his	ל֖וֹ	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
armor-bearer	נֹשֵׂ֥א	nō·śê	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct	H5375 lift, take, carry

1 Samuel 16:22

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then Saul	שָׁא֔וּל	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
sent	וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח	way·yiš·laḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7971 send
word to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Jesse	יִשַׁ֖י	yi·šay	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3448 Jishai
saying	לֵאמֹ֑ר	lê·mōr	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H559 utter, say
Let David	דָוִד֙	ḏā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
remain in my service	יַעֲמָד־	ya·‘ă·māḏ-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5975 take one's stand, stand
for	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
I am pleased with	מָ֥צָא	mā·ṣā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H4672 attain to, find
him	בְּעֵינָֽי׃	bə·‘ê·nāy	Preposition-b; Noun - cdc; first person common singular	H5869 eye

1 Samuel 16:23

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And whenever	וְהָיָ֗ה	wə·hā·yāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
the spirit	רֽוּחַ־	rū·aḥ-	Noun - common singular construct	H7307 breath, wind, spirit
from God	אֱלֹהִים֙	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
came	בִּֽהְי֤וֹת	bih·yō·wṯ	Preposition-b; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
upon	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Saul	שָׁא֔וּל	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
David	דָּוִ֛ד	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
would pick up	וְלָקַ֥ח	wə·lā·qaḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H3947 take
his harp	הַכִּנּ֖וֹר	hak·kin·nō·wr	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3658 lyre
and play	וְנִגֵּ֣ן	wə·nig·gên	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H5059 touch
Then Saul	לְשָׁאוּל֙	lə·šā·’ūl	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
would find relief	וְרָוַ֤ח	wə·rā·waḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H7304 breathe, revive, have ample room
and feel better	וְט֣וֹב	wə·ṭō·wḇ	Conjunctive waw; Adjective - masculine singular	H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
and the spirit	ר֥וּחַ	rū·aḥ	Noun - common singular construct	H7307 breath, wind, spirit
of distress	הָרָעָֽה׃פ	hā·rā·‘āh	Article; Adjective - feminine singular	H7451 bad, evil
would depart	וְסָ֥רָה	wə·sā·rāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H5493 turn aside
from him	מֵעָלָ֖יו	mê·‘ā·lāw	Preposition-m; third person masculine singular	H5921 height