1 Samuel 16:8-13 Meaning: Chosen by the Heart
8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.”
9Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. He said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.”
10Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. Samuel said to Jesse, “Yahweh has not chosen these.”
11Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your children here?” He said, “There remains yet the youngest. Behold, he is keeping the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down until he comes here.”
12He sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with a handsome face and good appearance. Yahweh said, “Arise! Anoint him, for this is he.”
13Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the middle of his brothers. Then Yahweh’s Spirit came mightily on David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.
8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
9Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
10Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these.
11And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
12And 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.
13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath Jehovah chosen this.
9Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath Jehovah chosen this.
10And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Jehovah hath not chosen these.
11And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he is keeping the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down till he come hither.
12And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look upon. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him; for this is he.
13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
8And Jesse calleth unto Abinadab, and causeth him to pass by before Samuel; and he saith, `Also on this Jehovah hath not fixed.'
9And Jesse causeth Shammah to pass by, and he saith, `Also on this Jehovah hath not fixed.'
10And Jesse causeth seven of his sons to pass by before Samuel, and Samuel saith to Jesse, `Jehovah hath not fixed on these.'
11And Samuel saith unto Jesse, `Are the young men finished?' and he saith, `Yet hath been left the youngest; and lo, he delighteth himself among the flock;' and Samuel saith unto Jesse, `Send and take him, for we do not turn round till his coming in hither.'
12And he sendeth, and bringeth him in, and he is ruddy, with beauty of eyes, and of good appearance; and Jehovah saith, `Rise, anoint him, for this is he.'
13And Samuel taketh the horn of oil, and anointeth him in the midst of his brethren, and prosper over David doth the Spirit of Jehovah from that day and onwards; and Samuel riseth and goeth to Ramath.
8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one.
9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one.
10And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, Jehovah has not chosen these.
11And Samuel said to Jesse, Are these all the young men? And he said, There is yet the youngest remaining, and behold, he is feeding the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and fetch him; for we will not sit at table till he come hither.
12And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy, and besides of a lovely countenance and beautiful appearance. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him; for this is he.
13And Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
Meaning in one sentence
Why did God pass over Jesse's seven older sons and choose David? This passage shows that God values the heart above human appearance or status.
Context
Samuel had been grieving over Saul, the king God rejected. Now the Lord sends him to Bethlehem, to Jesse's family, to anoint a new king. One after another, Jesse's seven oldest sons walk before the prophet. Each one looks capable, even kingly. But God says no, every time. Samuel keeps asking until he learns there is one more, the youngest, out in the fields with the sheep. David is brought in, and the Lord says, “Arise! Anoint him, for this is he.” Samuel pours the oil, and the Spirit of God comes upon David from that day forward.
Key Words
The story turns on a word that appears again and again: chosen (the Hebrew bachar). It means to select deliberately, to pick out from a group. God could have chosen any of Jesse's sons, but He kept saying no, not because they were bad, but because His choice was based on something no human eye could see.
When Samuel anoints David, he anoints him (mashach), the same word used for setting apart priests and kings. The oil was a sign that God was taking hold of this person for a special purpose.
Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David (tsalach). The Hebrew verb pictures a surge of water breaking through a barrier. This was not a quiet feeling. It was God's own power flooding into a shepherd boy, equipping him for a future no one else could imagine.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have read this passage as a lesson about God's freedom to choose. Wesley notes that David's own father thought him unfit, so that the choice would plainly be God's work, not human planning. Matthew Henry observes that the anointing was done privately, preparing David quietly for what would unfold over many years.
Some readers focus on the contrast with Saul, who was tall and impressive. Others stress that David's heart was not perfect, he would later fall into grave sin, but God saw something real underneath. The passage does not say David was sinless. It says God looked at his heart and chose him anyway, for reasons only God fully knows.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
This week, when you feel overlooked, passed over for a role, underestimated by someone who doesn't see your whole story, remember David in the fields. God saw him long before Samuel arrived. You do not have to prove your worth to be chosen by Him.
And when you are tempted to judge someone else by their appearance, their résumé, or their reputation, pause. Ask God to show you what He sees. His view is deeper than yours, and His choices often surprise everyone.
Main takeaway: God does not choose by outward appearance. He looks at the heart and calls the one He sees there.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God chose a boy who was out taking care of sheep. His family didn't think he was important, but God knew his heart. God sees what is inside you too.
For ages 9, 12
This story shows that God doesn't choose people the way we do. We look at how someone looks or how popular they are. God looks at what is in their heart. That is what really matters to Him. Even if other people overlook you, God sees you clearly.
Questions People Ask
Why did God reject all of Jesse’s older sons?
The text does not say they were bad or unworthy. It says God looked at their hearts and did not choose them. The point is that God’s criteria are different from human standards. He alone knows what He is looking for.
Was David the youngest son?
Yes. The text calls him “the youngest” and mentions he was keeping the sheep. First Chronicles 2:13, 15 lists seven sons for Jesse, but 1 Samuel 17:12 says Jesse had eight sons. The seventh son may have died young or not been named in the genealogies.
How old was David when Samuel anointed him?
The Bible does not give his exact age. Commentators offer various estimates, from about ten to fifteen years old. David was old enough to tend sheep and to be brought before Samuel, but young enough that his own father hardly thought of him.
Why wasn't David with his brothers when Samuel arrived?
Jesse left him in the fields with the sheep. It seems his father did not consider him a candidate for whatever Samuel was doing. The youngest son was not included in the procession because no one expected God to choose him.
Does this mean God doesn’t care about our appearance at all?
God’s rejection of the older sons does not mean physical appearance is evil. It means it is not the basis for His choice. God cares about the heart, but He also made our bodies. The lesson is that what is inside matters more than what is visible.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study