This page gives you ready-made study questions for 1 Samuel 16, the chapter where the LORD sends Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint a new king and passes over every older brother until David, the youngest, is called in from the sheep. It works for a small group, a Sunday school class, or personal study. Each set of questions comes with a leader’s answer so you can move through the chapter without preparing a separate summary.
1 Samuel 16 at a Glance
The chapter moves in three steps. First, God rebukes Samuel’s grief over Saul and sends him to Jesse’s house with oil and a sacrifice as cover. Second, Samuel examines Jesse’s sons one by one, and each is turned away until the LORD makes clear that he looks at the heart rather than outward appearance. Third, David is brought in from the field and anointed, and the Spirit comes upon him, while the Spirit departs from Saul and an evil spirit troubles the king.
The final section shows David entering Saul’s court as a harp player and armor bearer. The chapter ends with two kings in view at once, one already chosen by God and one still on the throne, which sets up the story that follows.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an interpretation. Ask the group to point to specific verses and keep answers close to the words on the page. Let silence sit for a moment before moving on.
1 Samuel 16:1
The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided a king for myself among his sons.”
(WEB)
Reading the opening verse first sets the scene: God addresses Samuel’s grief directly and announces a new king already provided. It frames everything that follows as God’s initiative rather than human planning.
1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t look on his face, or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for I don’t see as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
(WEB)
This is the theological center of the chapter, the statement that the LORD looks at the heart. Reading it aloud gives the group a shared phrase to return to throughout the discussion.
1 Samuel 16:12-13
12 He sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with a handsome face and good appearance. The LORD said, “Arise! Anoint him, for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the middle of his brothers. Then the LORD’s Spirit came mightily on David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.
(WEB)
The anointing of David is the climax of the search. Reading it aloud lets the group feel the moment when the long line of rejections ends and the chosen one stands in the room.
1 Samuel 16:14
Now the LORD’s Spirit departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
(WEB)
This verse introduces the sober contrast with Saul’s decline. Hearing it alongside David’s anointing helps the group see the two kings side by side without rushing to explain the difficulty.
1 Samuel 16:23
When the spirit from God was on Saul, David took the harp, and played with his hand; so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
(WEB)
The chapter closes its main movement with David’s music bringing Saul relief. Reading this last among the key verses gives the group a gentle, concrete image to end the discussion of the chapter’s story.
Memory Verse for 1 Samuel 16
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come to you as people who often look first at what is visible. Thank you that you look at the heart, and that you saw David in the field when no one else thought to call him in. Help us to notice the quiet faithfulness of others and to hold our first impressions loosely. Where we are stuck in grief or in old decisions, gently ask us what you are asking, and give us the courage to take the next step. Use our ordinary gifts to bring rest to someone who is weary this week. Amen.
