7 And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, `Look not unto his appearance, and unto the height of his stature, for I have rejected him; for `it is' not as man seeth -- for man looketh at the eyes, and Jehovah looketh at the heart.'
judge not according to appearance, but the righteous judgment judge.'
I Jehovah do search the heart, try the reins, Even to give to each according to his way, According to the fruit of his doings.
`And thou, Solomon, my son, know the God of thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind, for all hearts is Jehovah seeking, and every imagination of the thoughts He is understanding; if thou dost seek Him, He is found of thee, and if thou dost forsake Him, He casteth thee off for ever.
For not My thoughts `are' your thoughts, Nor your ways My ways, -- an affirmation of Jehovah, For high have the heavens been above the earth, So high have been My ways above your ways, And My thoughts above your thoughts.
then Thou dost hear in the heavens, the settled place of Thy dwelling, and hast forgiven, and hast done, and hast given to each according to all his ways, whose heart Thou knowest, (for Thou hast known -- Thyself alone -- the heart of all the sons of man),
but -- the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible thing of the meek and quiet spirit, which is, before God, of great price,
All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, And Jehovah is pondering the spirits.
The grace `is' false, and the beauty `is' vain, A woman fearing Jehovah, she may boast herself.
to whom coming -- a living stone -- by men, indeed, having been disapproved of, but with God choice, precious,
And they run and bring him thence, and he stationed himself in the midst of the people, and he is higher than any of the people from his shoulder and upward. And Samuel saith unto all the people, `Have ye seen him on whom Jehovah hath fixed, for there is none like him among all the people?' And all the people shout, and say, `Let the king live!'
for Jehovah -- His eyes go to and fro in all the earth, to show Himself strong `for' a people whose heart `is' perfect towards Him; thou hast been foolish concerning this, because -- henceforth there are with thee wars.'
Thou -- Thou hast known my sitting down, And my rising up, Thou hast attended to my thoughts from afar.
Sheol and destruction `are' before Jehovah, Surely also the hearts of the sons of men.
The things in presence do ye see? if any one hath trusted in himself to be Christ's, this let him reckon again from himself, that according as he is Christ's, so also we `are' Christ's;
and he hath a son, and his name `is' Saul, a choice youth and goodly, and there is not a man among the sons of Israel goodlier than he -- from his shoulder and upward, higher than any of the people.
and her children I will kill in death, and know shall all the assemblies that I am he who is searching reins and hearts; and I will give to you -- to each -- according to your works.
and there is not a created thing not manifest before Him, but all things `are' naked and open to His eyes -- with whom is our reckoning.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Samuel 16
Commentary on 1 Samuel 16 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 16
At this chapter begins the story of David, one that makes as great a figure in the sacred story as almost any of the worthies of the Old Testament, one that both with his sword and with his pen served the honour of God and the interests of Israel as much as most ever did, and was as illustrious a type of Christ. Here
1Sa 16:1-5
Samuel had retired to his own house in Ramah, with a resolution not to appear any more in public business, but to addict himself wholly to the instructing and training up of the sons of the prophets, over whom he presided, as we find, ch. 19:20. He promised himself more satisfaction in young prophets than in young princes; and we do not find that, to his dying day, God called him out to any public action relating to the state, but only here to anoint David.
1Sa 16:6-13
If the sons of Jesse were told that God would provide himself a king among them (as he had said, v. 1), we may well suppose they all made the best appearance they could, and each hoped he should be the man; but here we are told,
1Sa 16:14-23
We have here Saul falling and David rising.