The Meaning of 1 Samuel 16:2 Explained

1 Samuel 16:2

KJV: And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.

YLT: And Samuel saith, 'How do I go? when Saul hath heard, then he hath slain me.' And Jehovah saith, 'A heifer of the herd thou dost take in thy hand, and hast said, To sacrifice to Jehovah I have come;

Darby: And Samuel said, How shall I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah.

ASV: And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Samuel  said,  How can I go?  if Saul  hear  [it], he will kill  me. And the LORD  said,  Take  an heifer  with thee,  and say,  I am come  to sacrifice  to the LORD. 

What does 1 Samuel 16:2 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 16:1-13 - God's Choice Of His Anointed
The anointing of the young shepherd, with his ruddy cheeks and deep, poetic eyes, is a beautiful episode, in very marked contrast to the events preceding. He had already given proof of his indomitable courage, 1 Samuel 17:34. They had to fetch him from his sheep, which he was pasturing beside the still waters and on the hillside. God had found him beforehand, Psalms 89:20. "He chose David also His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds"¦ to feed Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance," Psalms 78:70-71.
The procession of David's brethren before Samuel was very impressive. They probably remembered that Saul had been chosen for his splendid physique, and each held himself high and proud. "Surely," said Jesse to himself, "one of them will captivate the prophet's eye." But no! God chooses by the inward temper and disposition. He knew that David was a man after His own heart. The lad had been faithful in a few things and was now to be made ruler over many. The anointing oil reminds us of the anointing for service which was communicated to our Lord at His baptism. In David's case it was accompanied by a glorious Pentecost, 1 Samuel 16:13. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 16

1  Samuel sent by God, under pretense of a sacrifice, comes to Bethlehem
6  His human judgment is reproved
11  He anoints David
15  Saul sends for David to quiet his evil spirit

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 16:2 mean?

And said Samuel how can I go and if hears [it] Saul and he will kill me - Yahweh a heifer a heifer take with you and say to sacrifice to Yahweh I have come
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל֙ אֵ֣יךְ ؟ אֵלֵ֔ךְ וְשָׁמַ֥ע שָׁא֖וּל וַהֲרָגָ֑נִי ס יְהוָ֗ה עֶגְלַ֤ת בָּקָר֙ תִּקַּ֣ח בְּיָדֶ֔ךָ וְאָ֣מַרְתָּ֔ לִזְבֹּ֥חַ לַֽיהוָ֖ה בָּֽאתִי

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
שְׁמוּאֵל֙  Samuel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁמוּאֵל  
Sense: son of Elkanah by his wife Hannah and judge or prophet of Israel during the days of Saul and David.
אֵ֣יךְ  how 
Parse: Interjection
Root: אֵיךְ 
Sense: how? interj.
؟ אֵלֵ֔ךְ  can  I  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְשָׁמַ֥ע  and  if  hears  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
שָׁא֖וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
וַהֲרָגָ֑נִי  and  he  will  kill  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עֶגְלַ֤ת  a  heifer 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עֶגְלָה 
Sense: heifer.
בָּקָר֙  a  heifer 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
תִּקַּ֣ח  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
בְּיָדֶ֔ךָ  with  you 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וְאָ֣מַרְתָּ֔  and  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לִזְבֹּ֥חַ  to  sacrifice 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: זָבַח  
Sense: to slaughter, kill, sacrifice, slaughter for sacrifice.
לַֽיהוָ֖ה  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בָּֽאתִי  I  have  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.