Bible Strands
1 Samuel 16:10
Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel told him, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesse brings his first seven sons before Samuel one by one, and Samuel responds to Jesse that the Lord has not chosen any of them. This exchange occurs during the anointing search immediately after Samuel rejects Shammah.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַ/יַּעֲבֵ֥ר (va/i.ya.'a.Ver) literally means "and he made pass by," describing Jesse's action of advancing each son. The numeral שִׁבְעַ֥ת (shiv.'At) explicitly marks the count of "seven of" sons presented before the prophet.
The thread — The sequence continues in 1 Samuel 16:11 when Samuel asks if these are all the sons Jesse has, and the family list is recorded in 1 Chronicles 2:13. The text moves from the rejection of the firstborn and seven others to the summons of the youngest shepherd.
Why it lands — The passage requires a reader to note that the divine choice rests entirely on God's declaration rather than human appearance or birth order. It demands attention to the explicit statement that none of the presented sons were chosen before the narrative shifts to the youngest.
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
Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these.
Cross-references
- 1 Chronicles 2:13 Jesse was the father of Eliab his firstborn; Abinadab was born second, Shimea third,