Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.”
- BSB Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel, who said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.”
- NKJV So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.”
- NASB Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass before Samuel. But he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one, either.”
- NLT Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “This is not the one the Lord has chosen.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesse presents Abinadab, but Samuel says the LORD has not chosen him. God's selection continues to defy human expectation.
Overview
The second son is passed over, reinforcing that God's choice is not based on birth order or appearance. The repeated rejections build suspense and underline that this king is God's sovereign pick. Each 'no' prepares for the surprising choice of the overlooked youngest son.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- 1 Sam 17:13And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
- 1 Chr 2:13And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.
How 1 Samuel 16:8 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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