Shmuel I Chapter 16 | A King Chosen by the Lord Your God

The commandment to appoint a king emphasizes that it is God who selects the king: "Set a king over you, whom the Lord your God chooses" (Devarim 17:15). In the Book of Shmuel, this commandment is fulfilled when Shmuel, acting on God’s behalf, chooses and anoints the king. He first anoints Sha’ul and later, in our chapter, anoints David.

A closer examination reveals that the selection of kings by God in the Book of Shmuel is, in some ways, only superficial. Sha’ul was anointed as king and presented to the people by Shmuel in chapter 10. However, when the Amonite king threatens Israel, Sha’ul is still described as coming “after the oxen from the field” — not yet functioning as a king. Even after his glorious victory, he requires a renewed coronation, this time driven by the people's support.

Shmuel decides to terminate Sha’ul's kingship after his sin during the war against Amalek, declaring, "The Lord has torn the kingship of Israel away from you today and has granted it to your peer, who is better than you." Yet Sha’ul continues to reign until his death, and his son even establishes an independent kingdom that competes with David until the people ultimately transfer their loyalty.

In our chapter, when David arrives, the Lord commands, “Arise, anoint him - for he is the one.” However, David returns to shepherding his father's sheep and only becomes king after enduring many trials, Sha’ul’s death, and the people's acceptance.

While God is meant to choose the king — and He does — the people and the kings themselves insist on being the ultimate decision-makers. It’s impossible to know what Sha’ul’s dynasty might have looked like if, instead of clinging to the throne, Sha’ul had obeyed God’s command, stepped down with dignity, and helped David transition smoothly into leadership. Likewise, it’s unclear how monarchy might have evolved if both the people and the king had remembered that the king's authority derives from God’s bidding. Perhaps we might have been privileged to see a monarchy closer to the model intended — God as the true King, with those wearing crowns acting merely as emissaries seated on His throne.