Bible Strands
1 Samuel 16:6
When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Surely here before the LORD is His anointed.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Samuel speaks at the moment Jesse’s sons present themselves for consecration and sacrifice. He addresses the scene directly as he observes Eliab step forward.
The words — אַ֛ךְ ('akh) translates as “surely,” and נֶ֥גֶד (Ne.ged) means “before.” These terms anchor Samuel’s immediate declaration that physical presence signals divine selection.
The thread — Eliab appears in 1 Samuel 17:13 and 1 Chronicles 2:13 as Jesse’s firstborn, establishing his birth order outside this verse. Judges 8:18 uses a comparative phrase to describe outward resemblance.
Why it lands — The text records Samuel’s assumption that outward appearance indicates God’s choice. It requires the reader to note that human visual assessment precedes the narrative correction in 1 Samuel 16:7.
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
And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 17:13 The three older sons of Jesse had followed Saul into battle: The firstborn was Eliab, the second was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah.
- 1 Chronicles 2:13 Jesse was the father of Eliab his firstborn; Abinadab was born second, Shimea third,
- Judges 8:18 Next, Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” “Men like you,” they answered, “each one resembling the son of a king.”
- 1 Samuel 17:22 Then David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing.
- 1 Kings 12:26 Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom might revert to the house of David.
- 1 Chronicles 27:18 over Judah was Elihu, one of David’s brothers; over Issachar was Omri son of Michael;