Saul's Rejection And David's Anointing Explained

The rejection of Saul as king and the subsequent anointing of David mark a pivotal transition in the biblical narrative of Israel's monarchy, detailed primarily in the book of 1 Samuel. Saul, the first king of Israel, was chosen by God through the prophet Samuel ^[9]. However, his reign was characterized by disobedience, leading to God's decision to remove his dynasty from the throne ^{[11, 13]}.

Saul's rejection was not an immediate removal from power but rather a divine decree that his lineage would not continue to rule ^[11]. One significant instance of Saul's disobedience occurred when he failed to completely destroy the Amalekites as commanded by God, instead sparing their king Agag and the best of their livestock ^[16]. This act of partial obedience, coupled with his attempt to justify himself, led Samuel to declare God's rejection of Saul as king ^[16]. Samuel mourned for Saul, but God instructed him to cease mourning, emphasizing that the decision was final: "How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?" ^{[12, 13]}.

Following Saul's rejection, God commanded Samuel to go to Bethlehem to anoint a new king from the sons of Jesse ^{[2, 12]}. Samuel, taking a horn filled with oil, went to Jesse's house. After reviewing Jesse's older sons, God revealed that He looks not at outward appearance but at the heart ^[12]. Ultimately, David, the youngest son, who was tending sheep, was brought before Samuel. Samuel then anointed David in the midst of his brothers, and "the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward" ^[11]. This anointing was initially a private affair, signifying God's choice, but David did not immediately assume the throne ^{[2, 14]}.

The consequences of Saul's rejection became evident as "the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit began to terrify him, so that he fell into melancholy" ^[11]. David, known for his skill with the harp, was brought to Saul's court to soothe him with music ^[11]. This introduced David into the royal household, setting the stage for future conflicts.

Saul's envy and hatred toward David intensified after David's victory over Goliath and the women's songs praising David more than Saul ^[8]. Saul began to see David as a threat to his kingdom and his life ^[10]. He made several attempts to kill David, including throwing a spear at him and sending him on dangerous missions against the Philistines, hoping David would be killed in battle ^{[4, 7]}. For example, Saul demanded a dowry of one hundred Philistine foreskins for his daughter Michal, intending for David to fall by their hand ^[4]. Josephus records that Saul sought to entrap David by promising him his daughter in marriage on the condition of bringing him six hundred heads of the Philistines ^{[3, 8]}.

Despite Saul's relentless pursuit, David consistently showed respect for Saul as the Lord's anointed. On at least two occasions, David had the opportunity to kill Saul but refrained ^{[1, 5, 6, 17]}. In the cave of En-gedi, David cut off a corner of Saul's robe but would not allow his men to harm Saul, saying, "The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord's anointed, to put out my hand against him, since he is the Lord's anointed" ^[1]. Afterward, David called out to Saul, bowing down to him as "my lord the king" ^{[5, 6]}. This demonstrated David's understanding that Saul's authority, though divinely withdrawn, was still to be respected while he remained king ^[17].

Saul remained king until his death, but his reign was marked by increasing instability and divine disfavor ^[11]. David, though anointed, waited for God's timing to assume the throne, first over Judah after Saul's death, and then over all Israel ^[15]. This period highlights the theological principle that divine rejection does not always entail immediate removal, but rather a shift in God's favor and a predetermined succession.

Sources

1 Samuel “1 Samuel 24:7 (NASB) — David persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, left the cave, and went on his way.”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 8, section 1: . How, Upon Saul's Transgression Of The Prophet's Commands, Samuel Ordained Another Person To Be King Privately, Whose Name Was David, As God Commanded Him. 1. Now Saul being sensible of the miserable condition he had brought himself into, and that he had made God to be his enemy, he went up to his royal palace at Gibeah, which name denotes a hill, and after that day he came no more into the presence of the prophet. And when Samuel mourned for him, God bid him leave off his concern for him, and to take the holy oil, and go to Bet”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 10, section 1: . Saul Envies David For His Glorious Success, And Takes An Occasion Of Entrapping Him, From The Promise He Made Him Of Giving Him His Daughter In Marriage; But This Upon Condition Of His Bringing Him Six Hundred Heads Of The Philistines.”
1 Samuel “1 Samuel 18:25 (NASB) — Saul then said, "Thus you shall say to David, 'The king does not desire any dowry except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king's enemies.'" Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.”
1 Samuel “1 Samuel 24:8 (NASB) — Now afterward David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, "My lord the king!" And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself.”
I Samuel “I Samuel 24:8 (ASV) — David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance.”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 10, section 2: should aim to get him great glory, by undertaking a thing so dangerous and incredible, he would immediately set about it, and so perish by the Philistines; and my designs about him will succeed finely to my mind, for I shall be freed from him, and get him slain, not by myself, but by another man." So he gave order to his servants to try how David would relish this proposal of marrying the damsel. Accordingly, they began to speak thus to him: That king Saul loved him, as well as did all the people, and that he was desirous of his”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 10, section 1: . Saul Envies David For His Glorious Success, And Takes An Occasion Of Entrapping Him, From The Promise He Made Him Of Giving Him His Daughter In Marriage; But This Upon Condition Of His Bringing Him Six Hundred Heads Of The Philistines. 1. Now the women were an occasion of Saul's envy and hatred to David; for they came to meet their victorious army with cymbals, and drums, and all demonstrations of joy, and sang thus: The wives said, that "Saul had slain his many thousands of the Philistines." The virgins replied, that "David h”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Saul — Asked for. (1.) A king of Edom (Gen. 36:37, 38); called Shaul in 1 Chr. 1:48. (2.) The son of Kish (probably his only son, and a child of prayer, "asked for"), of the tribe of Benjamin, the first king of the Jewish nation. The singular providential circumstances connected with his election as king are recorded in 1 Sam. 8-10. His father's she-asses had strayed, and Saul was sent with a servant to seek for them. Leaving his home at Gibeah (10:5, "the hill of God," A.V.; lit., as in R.V. marg., "Gibeah of God"), Saul and his servant went toward the north-west ov”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 11, section 1: . How David, Upon Saul's Laying Snares For Him, Did Yet Escape The Dangers He Was In By The Affection And Care Of Jonathan And The Contrivances Of His Wife Michal: And How He Came To Samuel The Prophet. 1. However, Saul was not disposed to persevere long in the state wherein he was, for when he saw that David was in great esteem, both with God and with the multitude, he was afraid; and being not able to conceal his fear as concerning great things, his kingdom and his life, to be deprived of either of which was a very great calam”
1 Samuel (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on 1 Samuel 16 (introduction): III. Saul's Fall and David's Election - 1 Samuel 16-31 Although the rejection of Saul on the part of God, which was announced to him by Samuel, was not followed by immediate deposition, but Saul remained king until his death, the consequences of his rejection were very speedily brought to light. Whilst Samuel, by the command of God, was secretly anointing David, the youngest son of Jesse, at Bethlehem, as king (Sa1 16:1-13), the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit began to terrify him, so that he fell into melancholy; and his”
1 Samuel (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on 1 Samuel 16:1: Anointing of David. - Sa1 16:1. The words in which God summoned Samuel to proceed to the anointing of another king, "How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, whom I have rejected, that he may not be king over Israel?" show that the prophet had not yet been able to reconcile himself to the hidden ways of the Lord; that he was still afraid that the people and kingdom of God would suffer from the rejection of Saul; and that he continued to mourn for Saul, not merely from his own personal attachment to the fallen king, but also, or perhaps still more, from anxiety for ”
1 Samuel (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Samuel 16:1: And the Lord said unto Samuel,.... In a vision or dream, or by an articulate voice: how long wilt thou mourn for Saul? he does not blame him for mourning, but for mourning so long; but how long that was cannot be said; and though his affection for him might cause him to indulge to it, yet it was in vain, seeing the sentence was irreversible: seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? that is, his posterity; for he himself reigned as long as he lived, though in a very inglorious manner: fill thine horn with oil; with common oil; for that this was the h”
1 Samuel (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 10:1: Samuel is here executing the office of a prophet, giving Saul full assurance from God that he should be king, as he was afterwards, according to these prophecies which went before of him. I. He anointed him and kissed him, Sa1 10:1. This was not done in a solemn assembly, but it was done by divine appointment, which made up the want of all external solemnities, nor was it ever the less valid for its being done in private, under a hedge, or, as the Jews say, by a fountain. God's institutions are great and honourable, though the circumstances of their administrati”
2 Samuel (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on 2 Samuel 2:1: David's return to Hebron, and anointing as king over Judah. - Sa2 2:1. "After this," i.e., after the facts related in 2 Samuel 1, David inquired of the Lord, namely through the Urim, whether he should go up to one of the towns of Judah, and if so, to which. He received the reply, "to Hebron," a place peculiarly well adapted for a capital, not only from its situation upon the mountains, and in the centre of the tribe, but also from the sacred reminiscences connected with it from the olden time. David could have no doubt that, now that Saul was dead, he would ha”
1 Samuel (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 15:24: Saul is at length brought to put himself into the dress of the penitent; but it is too evident that he only acts the part of a penitent, and is not one indeed. Observe, I. How poorly he expressed his repentance. It was with much ado that he was made sensible of his fault, and not till he was threatened with being deposed. This touched him in a tender part. Then he began to relent, and not till then. When Samuel told him he was rejected from being king, then he said, I have sinned, Sa1 15:24. His confession was not free nor ingenuous, but extorted by the rack, a”
1 Samuel (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 24 (introduction): Saul is informed that David is at En-gedi, and goes to seek him with three thousand men, Sa1 24:1, Sa1 24:2. He goes into a cave to repose, where David and his men lay hid; who, observing this, exhort David to take away his life: David refuses, and contents himself with privily cutting off Saul's skirt, Sa1 24:3-7. When Saul departed, not knowing what was done, David called after him; showed him that his life had been in his power; expostulates strongly with him; and appeals to God, the Judge of his innocence, Sa1 24:8-15. Saul confesses David's uprig”

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