No matter the more general significance, in 1 Samuel 16:1–3 anointing with oil is clearly used as a sign of God’s election of a particular person to serve as king over Israel. Samuel is to take his horn filled with oil to Bethlehem because God had chosen one of Jesse’s sons as king to replace the rejected Saul. This time God’s royal choice is unrelated to Israel’s desire for a king (1 Sam. 9:20) and the stark contrast is accentuated by Samuel’s initial response to Jesse’s sons. When