And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
The LORD said to Samuel, 'How long will you keep grieving over Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go to Jesse in Bethlehem, because I have chosen one of his sons to be king.'
God is telling Samuel to stop mourning over Saul's failure as king and go anoint a new king from Jesse's family in Bethlehem.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs after King Saul repeatedly disobeyed God's commands, particularly his failure to completely destroy the Amalekites as instructed. Samuel, who had anointed Saul as Israel's first king, was deeply grieved by Saul's rejection. God now directs Samuel to Jesse of Bethlehem, whose youngest son David would become Israel's greatest king.
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