Verse Lens · Concise explanation
1 Samuel 16:8 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 8. 8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Passes over Abinadab after Jesse presents him.
Samuel reads height, and the LORD refuses that measure
This verse is one part of that explanation in 1 Samuel 16:6–16:13. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- 1 Samuel 16:6–16:13
Read 1 Samuel 16:8 as one step in 1 Samuel 16:6–16:13: it passes over Abinadab after Jesse presents him. The complete scene shows that Jesse's seven presented sons are passed over, the youngest is brought from the sheep, and David is anointed as the Spirit comes upon him.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Passes over Abinadab after Jesse presents him. That contribution supplies necessary evidence for “David is selected beyond appearance and anointed,” whose full movement is Jesse's seven presented sons are passed over, the youngest is brought from the sheep, and David is anointed as the Spirit comes upon him.
What Remains True
Passes over Abinadab after Jesse presents him. Within 1 Samuel 16:6–16:13, this contribution supports the unit's enduring claim: Leadership and loyalty remain answerable for the effects traced here: Jesse's seven presented sons are passed over, the youngest is brought from the sheep, and David is anointed as the Spirit comes upon him. The LORD's choice does not make appearance irrelevant in every sense, certify David's later conduct, or identify any modern leader as a divinely chosen successor.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read 1 Samuel 16:6–16:13 — David is selected beyond appearance and anointedSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV words, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete unit coverage.
Exact location: 1 Samuel 16:6–16:13, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: 1 Samuel
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology, with the two KJV-Hebrew versification shifts stated rather than silently offset.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/1Sam.xml, OSIS 16:6–16:13; KJV 20:42 spans Hebrew 20:42–21:1, KJV 21:1–15 maps to Hebrew 21:2–16, KJV 23:29 maps to Hebrew 24:1, and KJV 24:1–22 maps to Hebrew 24:2–23
Open source ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible First Edition Notes: 1 Samuel
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2006
Supports: Only the translator notes actually printed for these verses, used for lexical, grammatical, textual, historical, and older-English controls.
Exact location: NET Bible First Edition Notes, 1 Samuel PDF, printed pp. 504–543, exact tc/tn/sn entries attached to 16:6–16:13
Open source ↗