Bible Strands
1 Samuel 16:17
And Saul commanded his servants, “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him to me.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Saul speaks to his servants immediately after they suggest finding a harpist to soothe him when a distressing spirit from God comes upon him. He orders them to locate and bring him a skilled musician.
The words — The Hebrew רְאוּ (re'u) literally means "see" or "look," functioning here as a command to search or investigate. מֵיטִיב (meitiv) translates to "does well" or "is skillful," specifying the required competence of the musician.
The thread — The narrative sequence of a ruler receiving a servant's recommendation for a specific role continues in 1 Samuel 16:18, where one servant identifies David of Bethlehem. The same context frames the exchange in 1 Samuel 16:16.
Why it lands — The text records a practical command to solve an immediate psychological and spiritual problem through human means. It asks the reader to note the procedural shift from identifying a need to mobilizing a response without adding interpretive commentary.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.