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World English Bible

1 Samuel 16:4

Samuel did that which Yahweh spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Come you peaceably?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church and State;   Government;   Jesse;   King;   Minister, Christian;   Reverence;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Children;   Home;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Religion;   Stories for Children;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Courts of Justice;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - David;   Jesse;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Samuel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Covenant;   Elect, Election;   Leadership;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Bethlehem;   David;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Pentateuch;   Samuel;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bethlehem;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Bethlehem;   David;   Priests and Levites;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Elder (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Bethlehem ;   Jesse ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elder;   Jesse;   Kingdom of christ of heaven;   Kingdom of god;   Kingdom of heaven;   Saul;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Jes'se;   Tel'a-Im;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Altar;   Anoint;   Government of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bethlehem;   Elder in the Old Testament;   Jesse;   Samuel;   Samuel, Books of;   Shammah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Samuel did what the Lord directed and went to Bethlehem. When the elders of the town met him, they trembled and asked, “Do you come in peace?”
Hebrew Names Version
Shemu'el did that which the LORD spoke, and came to Beit-Lechem. The Zakenim of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Come you peaceably?
King James Version
And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
Lexham English Bible
So Samuel did what Yahweh said. He came to Bethlehem, and the elders of the city came trembling to meet him. They said, "Have you come in peace?"
English Standard Version
Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, "Do you come peaceably?"
New Century Version
Samuel did what the Lord told him to do. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of Bethlehem shook with fear. They met him and asked, "Are you coming in peace?"
New English Translation
Samuel did what the Lord told him. When he arrived in Bethlehem, the elders of the city were afraid to meet him. They said, "Do you come in peace?"
Amplified Bible
So Samuel did what the LORD said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, "Do you come in peace?"
New American Standard Bible
So Samuel did what the LORD told him, and he came to Bethlehem. Then the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, "Do you come in peace?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
So Samuel did that the Lorde bade him, and came to Beth-lehem, and the Elders of the towne were astonied at his comming, and sayd, Commest thou peaceablie?
Legacy Standard Bible
So Samuel did what Yahweh said and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, "Do you come in peace?"
Contemporary English Version
Samuel did what the Lord told him and went to Bethlehem. The town leaders went to meet him, but they were terribly afraid and asked, "Is this a friendly visit?"
Complete Jewish Bible
Sh'mu'el did what Adonai said and arrived at Beit-Lechem. The leaders of the city came trembling to meet him and asked, "Are you coming in peace?"
Darby Translation
And Samuel did what Jehovah said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him, and said, Dost thou come peaceably?
Easy-to-Read Version
Samuel did what the Lord told him to do and went to Bethlehem. The elders of Bethlehem shook with fear. They met Samuel and asked, "Do you come in peace?"
George Lamsa Translation
And Samuel did as the LORD had commanded him, and came to Bethlehem of Judah. And the elders of the town went out to meet him, and said, Is your coming peaceable?
Good News Translation
Samuel did what the Lord told him to do and went to Bethlehem, where the city leaders came trembling to meet him and asked, "Is this a peaceful visit, seer?"
Literal Translation
And Samuel did what Jehovah said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city trembled to meet him, and said, Do you come in peace?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Samuel dyd as the LORDE sayde, and came to Bethleem. Then were the Elders of the cite astonnyed, and wente forth to mete him, and sayde: Is thy commynge peaceable?
American Standard Version
And Samuel did that which Jehovah spake, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
Bible in Basic English
And Samuel did as the Lord said and came to Beth-lehem. And the responsible men of the town came out to him in fear and said, Do you come in peace?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And so Samuel did as the Lord bade him, and came to Bethlehem: and the elders of the towne were astonyed at his comming, and saide: Commest thou peaceably?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Samuel did that which the LORD spoke, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said: 'Comest thou peaceably?'
King James Version (1611)
And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem: and the elders of the towne trembled at his comming, and said, Commest thou peaceably?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Samuel did all that the Lord told him; and he came to Bethleem: and the elders of the city were amazed at meeting him, and said, Dost thou come peaceably, thou Seer?
English Revised Version
And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Beth–lehem. And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
Berean Standard Bible
So Samuel did what the LORD had said and went to Bethlehem. When the elders of the town met him, they trembled and asked, "Do you come in peace?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor Samuel dide, as the Lord spak to hym; and he cam in to Bethleem, and the eldere men of the citee wondriden, and camen to hym, and seiden, Whether thin entryng is pesible?
Young's Literal Translation
And Samuel doth that which Jehovah hath spoken, and cometh in to Beth-Lehem, and the elders of the city tremble to meet him, and [one] saith, `Is thy coming peace?'
Update Bible Version
And Samuel did that which Yahweh spoke, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Do you come peaceably?
Webster's Bible Translation
And Samuel did that which the LORD spoke, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
New King James Version
So Samuel did what the LORD said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, "Do you come peaceably?"
New Living Translation
So Samuel did as the Lord instructed. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town came trembling to meet him. "What's wrong?" they asked. "Do you come in peace?"
New Life Bible
So Samuel did what the Lord said, and came to Bethlehem. The leaders of the city came shaking with fear to meet him. They said, "Do you come in peace?"
New Revised Standard
Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Samuel did that which Yahweh had spoken, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him, and one said - Peaceably, comest thou?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then Samuel did as the Lord had said to him. And he came to Bethlehem, and the ancients of the city wondered, and meeting him, they said: Is thy coming hither peaceable?
Revised Standard Version
Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?"
THE MESSAGE
Samuel did what God told him. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the town fathers greeted him, but apprehensively. "Is there something wrong?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So Samuel did what the LORD said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, "Do you come in peace?"

Contextual Overview

1 Yahweh said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? fill your horn with oil, and go: I will send you to Jesse the Beth-lehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons. 2 Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. Yahweh said, Take a heifer with you, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Yahweh. 3 Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do: and you shall anoint to me him whom I name to you. 4 Samuel did that which Yahweh spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Come you peaceably? 5 He said, Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice to Yahweh: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. He sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

trembled: 1 Samuel 21:1, 2 Samuel 6:9, 1 Kings 17:18, Hosea 6:5, Hosea 11:10, Luke 5:8, Luke 8:37

coming: Heb. meeting

Comest: 1 Kings 2:13, 2 Kings 9:22, 1 Chronicles 12:17, 1 Chronicles 12:18

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 18:12 - afraid 2 Kings 9:17 - Is it peace Matthew 8:34 - they besought Matthew 21:10 - all Mark 5:15 - and they Luke 2:4 - unto Luke 8:47 - she came John 7:42 - where Acts 5:13 - of 1 Thessalonians 5:19 - the Spirit

Cross-References

Genesis 16:4
He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
Genesis 16:5
Sarai said to Abram, "This wrong is your fault. I gave my handmaid into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Yahweh judge between me and you."
Genesis 16:6
But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes." Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face.
Genesis 16:8
He said, "Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, where did you come from? Where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai."
2 Samuel 6:16
It was so, as the ark of Yahweh came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before Yahweh; and she despised him in her heart.
Proverbs 30:23
For an unloved woman when she is married; And a handmaid who is heir to her mistress.
1 Corinthians 4:6
Now these things, brothers, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us you might learn not to think beyond the things which are written, that none of you be puffed up against one another.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Samuel did that which the Lord spake,.... He filled a horn of oil, and took an heifer with him:

and came to Bethlehem; where Jesse and his family lived, which, according to Bunting y, was sixteen miles from Ramah; though it could hardly be so much, since Ramah was six miles from Jerusalem on one side, as Bethlehem lay six miles from it on the other z;

and the elders of the town trembled at his coming; for he being now an old man, and seldom went abroad, they concluded it must be something very extraordinary that brought him thither; and they might fear that as he was a prophet of the Lord, that he was come to reprove them, or denounce some judgment upon them for their sins. The Targum is,

"the elders of the city gathered together to meet him;''

out of respect and in honour to him, and to the same sense Jarchi's note is,

"they hasted to go out to meet him'';

see Hosea 11:11

and, said comest thou peaceably? the word "said" is singular; one of the elders put this question, the chiefest of them, perhaps Jesse; and the meaning of it is, whether he came with ill news and bad tidings, or as displeased with them himself on some account or another; or with a message from God, as displeased with them; or whether he came there for his own peace and safety, to be sheltered from Saul; and which, if that was the case, might not be for their peace and good; but would draw upon them the wrath and vengeance of Saul; for they doubtless knew that there was a variance, at least a shyness, between Saul and Samuel.

y Travels of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 125. z Vid. Hieron. de loc. Heb. fol. 89. F. & 94. B.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Trembled - There was evidently something unusual in Samuel’s coming to Bethlehem; and the elders, knowing that Samuel was no longer at friendship with Saul, foreboded some evil.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 16:4. The elders of the town trembled at his coming — They knew he was a prophet of the Lord, and they were afraid that he was now come to denounce some judgments of the Most High against their city.


 
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