1 Samuel 16:12-13
“And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.”
King James Version
Samuel, sent to Bethlehem past seven older brothers, anoints the shepherd boy: 'Arise, anoint him: for this is he.' Every Messianic lineage prophecy on this site runs through this moment — the covenant line, the city, and the office all begin converging at Bethlehem a millennium before the manger.
Fulfillment References
2 Samuel 7:12-16 Micah 5:2 Luke 2:4-11
How Traditions Read This Prophecy
Apostolic (Oneness) PentecostalBethlehem twice: the first anointed shepherd-king points to the Shepherd-King anointed 'with the Holy Ghost and with power' (Acts 10:38) — same town, same office, one God directing both scenes.
JewishMashiach means 'anointed' — this scene defines the term; the Davidic anointing is the template of all messianic expectation.
CatholicThe rejected-older-brothers pattern (God sees the heart, v.7) prefigures the election of grace over appearance.
ProtestantMicah 5:2 later names Bethlehem as Messiah's origin precisely because David's line began there — prophecy compounding across centuries.
AcademicThe anointing narrative legitimates the Davidic dynasty; 'Ruach YHWH came upon David from that day forward' (v.13) links king and Spirit in a pattern the prophets universalize (Isa. 11:1-2).
Scholarship & Sources
The Bethlehem-Davidic-Messianic chain (1 Sam. 16 → Mic. 5:2 → Mt. 2:5-6) is traced in Kaiser (The Messiah in the Old Testament).
Open the full interactive entry →Cross-references, Hebrew/Greek, Dead Sea Scrolls notes, study tools and multi-tradition analysis in the interactive explorer.
Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, PhD · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.