Bible Strands
1 Samuel 16:9
Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesse presents his son Shammah to Samuel for evaluation. Samuel responds that the Lord has rejected this candidate, continuing a pattern of rejecting Jesse's older sons.
The words — The Hebrew verb בָחַר (ba-char) means "he has chosen," paired with לֹא (lo') "not" to form the negative declaration. This lexical pairing establishes the criterion of divine selection over human presentation.
The thread — The rejection pattern extends to the other sons in 1 Samuel 16:8 and 1 Samuel 16:10, while 1 Samuel 17:13 and 1 Chronicles 2:13 catalog Jesse’s lineage to clarify the family structure being surveyed.
Why it lands — The text requires readers to recognize that human lineage or presentation holds no weight without divine selection. It demands a shift from relying on visible credentials to awaiting God’s specific choice.
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
Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
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.
- 2 Samuel 13:3 Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very shrewd man,
- 1 Chronicles 2:13 Jesse was the father of Eliab his firstborn; Abinadab was born second, Shimea third,