1 Samuel 16:7

_BUT THE LORD SAID UNTO SAMUEL, LOOK NOT ON HIS COUNTENANCE, OR ON THE HEIGHT OF HIS STATURE; BECAUSE I HAVE REFUSED HIM: FOR THE LORD SEETH NOT AS MAN SEETH; FOR MAN LOOKETH ON THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE, BUT THE LORD LOOKETH ON THE HEART._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

6-13 It was strange that Samuel, who had been so disappointed in Saul, whose countenance and stature recommended him, should judge of another man by that rule. We can tell how men look, but God can tell what they are. He judges of men by the heart. We often form a mistaken judgment of characters; but the Lord values only the faith, fear, and love, which are planted in the heart, beyond human discernment. And God does not favour our children according to our fond partiality, but often most honours and blesses those who have been least regarded. David at length was pitched upon. He was the youngest of the sons of Jesse; his name signifies Beloved; he was a type of God's beloved Son. It should seem, David was least set by of all the sons of Jesse. But the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. His anointing was not an empty ceremony, a Divine power went with that institu...

Verse 1 Samuel 16:7. _MAN LOOKETH ON THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE_] And it is well he _should_, and confine his looks to _that_; for when he pretends to sound the _heart_, he usurps the prerogative of God. In what way were these communications made from God to Samuel? It must have been by direct inspirations into his heart. But what a state of holy familiarity does this argue between God and the prophet! I believe Moses himself was not more highly favoured than Samuel....

DAVID ANOINTED AS THE FUTURE KING, AND HIS FIRST INTRODUCTION TO SAUL. (1 Samuel 16:1) EXPOSITION CHOICE OF DAVID AS SUCCESSOR TO SAUL (1 Samuel 16:1). 1 SAMUEL 16:1 HOW LONG WRIT THOU MOURN? The grief of Samuel was prolonged almost to a sinful extent, nor can we wonder at it. We who see Saul's whole career, and know how deeply he fell

BUT THE LORD SAID TO SAMUEL,.... By a secret impulse upon his mind, as if he had spoken with an articulate voice to him: LOOK NOT ON HIS COUNTENANCE; which was comely and majestic: OR ON THE HEIGHT OF HIS STATURE; which was like that of Saul's; and because the Lord had chosen him, who was superior to the people in this respect, Samuel thought he meant to have such an one now anointed king: BECAUSE I HAVE REFUSED HIM; or it is not my pleasure that he should be king; though Ben Gersom thinks this refers to Saul, that the Lord had rejected him, though of an high stature, and therefore Samuel should not look out for such a person to be king; and Abarbinel refers it to the height of stature itself, that God had rejected that, and laid it aside as a qualification of a king, or as a rule to judge of a proper person to be a king; but no doubt it respected Eliab: FOR THE LORD SEETH NOT AS MAN...

III. DAVID, THE KING AFTER GOD'S HEART--HIS EXILE AND SUFFERING 1. David Anointed King and the Departure of the Spirit from Saul CHAPTER 16 _ 1. David anointed king (1 Samuel 16:1)_ 2. The Spirit departs from Saul and David with Saul (1 Samuel 16:14) The king after the people's heart has failed and is set aside, and now Jehovah brings forth His king after His own heart. That king like Jonathan, a man of faith, is devoted to Jehovah and in perfect subjection unto Him. Furthermore, from the tribe of Judah (Judah means “praise”) he is a worshipper through whom the Spirit of God pours forth the sweetest strains of praise and worship. He prospers into a great kingdom and Jehovah makes an oathbound covenant with him ...

SAMUEL ANOINTS DAVID (E 2) or (R). A better division would be in the middle of 1 Samuel 15:35, so as to begin the new section with And Yahweh repented. etc. Many authorities regard this section as a late, possibly post-exilic, addition; but it seems the natural sequel to the preceding chapter, and may probably be referred to the same document. By the direction of Yahweh Samuel goes to Bethlehem, ostensibly to sacrifice, but really to anoint a son of Jesse to the kingship. He sanctified Jesse and his sons, _i.e._ he made them perform certain ritual acts, such as washings. At the sacrifice, seven sons of Jesse passed before Samuel, but Yahweh gave no sign, then David was sent for, and came, and he was ruddy [or perhaps, red-haired], a youth with beautiful eyes and comely, as we should probably read and translate. At the bidding of Yahweh, Samuel anointed him, and the Spirit of Ya

THE LORD SEETH. These words correctly supply _the Ellipsis_ (App-6.), from the Septuagint MAN _= 'adam._ App-14. SEETH. looketh to. LOOKETH ON. looketh to. HEART. Compare 1 Chronicles 28:9; Psalms 7:8; Jeremiah 11:20; Jeremiah 17:10; Jeremiah 20:12....

_for_[_the Lord seeth not as man seeth_ The words in brackets are rightly supplied in the Sept. For the thought see 1 Chronicles 28:9; Luke 16:15; Acts 1:24, &c. God first gave the people a king of stately stature and majestic appearance, such as they would have chosen for themselves (1 Samuel 10:24): now He will choose "a man after His own heart" on the true ground of his inner moral worth....

DISCOURSE: 300 GOD INSPECTS THE HEART 1 Samuel 16:7. _The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart._ WHAT a solemn and awful declaration is this! how interesting to every one of us! The generality, it is to be feared, scarcely think of themselves as in the presence of God: whereas his eye is immediately upon our hearts, inspecting the very inmost recesses of them, and marking every imagination of them with a view to a future judgment. The admonition, though arising out of particular circumstances, is general, and deserves from every one of us the most attentive consideration. The occasion of it was this. God having determined to reject Saul from being king over Israel, and to place on the throne one who should fulfil all his will, commanded Samuel to take a horn of oil, and to anoint to the kingly office one