“Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his
brethren. And the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David….”
After the Maker approved David to replace King Saul, the prophet made it official; he daubed
“him in the midst of his brethren.” As our lead verse shows, anointment fortified Jesse’s
youngest son – “And the spirit of LORD came mightily upon David.” King Saul’s trajectory
plummeted, while David’s blasted upward.
Let’s unpack an important aspect regarding both men’s respective tenures. Did they overlap?
Did two men vie for, or share, one crown? Here’s Abravanel’s approach.
To put the queries into proper perspective, we turn to our verse describing how Samuel
“anointed him in the midst of his brethren.” What does it mean? If, in fact, Jesse’s family and
fellow townspeople attended the coronation, there’s an incongruity. In the very next chapter,
we read that Jesse’s son Eliab berated David for dueling Goliath. “And Eliab his eldest brother
heard when he spoke unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said:
Why are you come down? and with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness?”
Eliab had more harsh words for David. Here’s the point. Clearly, if David’s inauguration had
been “in the midst of his brethren” Eliab would not have lambasted David. Just the opposite.
Big brother would have showed respect for David, the king-select. Perforce, Abravanel reworks
the verse. Anointing had been a hushed affair. “In the midst of his brethren” does not convey
that Samuel anointed him in the town’s square. Rather, Samuel designated David from amongst
the people. Secluded from all others, the prophet “anointed him.” Possibly, Samuel allowed
Jesse, but no one else, to witness the anointment of his son. Nominally, David became king on
that day; nonetheless, his rise to power took years and years.