Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 16:6
And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’s anointed [is] before him.
6. and said ] Said to himself: thought. “Eliab by his height and his countenance seemed the natural counterpart of Saul, whose successor the Prophet came to select. But the day was gone when kings were chosen because they were head and shoulders taller than the rest.” Stanley’s Lect. II. 40.
Eliab is probably the same as “Elihu one of the brethren of David” whom David appointed “ruler of the tribe of Judah” (1Ch 27:18).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
When they were come; when the most of Jesses sons were come, either to the place of the feast, or to some other place near it, appointed for this private discourse, whither they were to come before they went to the feast. It must also be understood that Samuel had acquainted Jesse with his design, which is easily gathered out of the context, and needed not be expressed.
Is before him, i.e. is in this place where God is now present. For it is observable, that not only the sacrifice is said to be offered, but even the feast upon the remainders of it is said to be eaten, before the Lord, Deu 12:7, i.e. before or near his altar, where God was present in a special manner. And the ground of this expression seems to be this, that Jesse brought not all his sons together, but made one after another to come to the place, and to pass before Samuel, who stood before the Lord, in some place near the altar, that this great business might be managed with more solemnity. And Eliab being the person now before Samuel, is said to be now before the Lord. But whatsoever the ground of this phrase is, this is certain and confessed, that this is his meaning, This I take to be the person whom I am sent to anoint; wherein yet he was greatly mistaken, as other prophets sometimes were, when they hastily spake their own thoughts, before they had consulted God in the case, as 2Sa 7:3.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6-10. Samuel said, Surely the Lord’sanointed is before himHere Samuel, in consequence of takinghis impressions from the external appearance, falls into the sameerror as formerly (1Sa 10:24).
1Sa16:11-14. HE ANOINTSDAVID.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And it came to pass, when they were come,…. Jesse and his sons, into the house where the entertainment was; and perhaps before they sat down, went into a private apartment by the direction of Samuel, where he acquainted Jesse with the business he came upon:
that he looked on Eliab; who was Jesse’s firstborn, 1Ch 2:13, called Elihu, 1Ch 27:18
and said, surely the Lord’s anointed is before him; or this is the person it is his pleasure should be anointed king.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
| David Anointed by Samuel. | B. C. 1065. |
6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD‘s anointed is before him. 7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. 9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. 10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these. 11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. 12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
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,
I. How all the elder sons, who stood fairest for the preferment, were passed by.
1. Eliab, the eldest, was privately presented first to Samuel, probably none being present but Jesse only, and Samuel thought he must needs be the man: Surely this is the Lord’s anointed, v. 6. The prophets themselves, when they spoke from under the divine direction, were as liable to mistake as other men; as Nathan, 2 Sam. vii. 3. But God rectified the prophet’s mistake by a secret whisper to his mind: Look not on his countenance, v. 7. It was strange that Samuel, who had been so wretchedly disappointed in Saul, whose countenance and stature recommended him as much as any man’s could, should be so forward to judge of a man by that rule. When God would please the people with a king he chose a comely man; but, when he would have one after his own heart, he should not be chosen by the outside. Men judge by the sight of the eyes, but God does not, Isa. xi. 3. The Lord looks on the heart, that is, (1.) He knows it. We can tell how men look, but he can tell what they are. Man looks on the eyes (so the original word is), and is pleased with the liveliness and sprightliness that appear in them; but God looks on the heart, and sees the thoughts and intents of that. (2.) He judges of men by it. The good disposition of the heart, the holiness or goodness of that, recommends us to God, and is in his sight of great price (1 Pet. iii. 4), not the majesty of the look, or the strength and stature of the body. Let us reckon that to be true beauty which is within, and judge of men, as far as we are capable, by their minds, not their mien.
2. When Eliab was set aside, Abinadab and Shammah, and, after them, four more of the sons of Jesse, seven in all, were presented to Samuel, as likely for his purpose; but Samuel, who not attended more carefully than he did at first to the divine direction, rejected them all: The Lord has not chosen these,1Sa 16:8; 1Sa 16:10. Men dispose of their honours and estates to their sons according to their seniority of age and priority of birth, but God does not. The elder shall serve the younger. Had it been left to Samuel, or Jesse, to make the choice, one of these would certainly have been chosen; but God will magnify his sovereignty in passing by some that were most promising as well as in fastening on others that were less so.
II. How David at length was pitched upon. He was the youngest of all the sons of Jesse; his name signifies beloved, for he was a type of the beloved Son. Observe, 1. How he was in the fields, keeping the sheep (v. 11), and was left there, though there was a sacrifice and a feast at his father’s house. The youngest are commonly the fondlings of the family, but, it should seem, David was least set by of all the sons of Jesse; either they did not discern or did not duly value the excellent spirit he was of. Many a great genius lies buried in obscurity and contempt; and God often exalts those whom men despise and gives abundant honour to that part which lacked. The Son of David was he whom men despised, the stone which the builders refused, and yet he has a name above every name. David was taken from following ewes to feed Jacob (Ps. lxxviii. 71), as Moses from keeping the flock of Jethro, an instance of his humility and industry, both which God delights to put honour upon. We should think a military life, but God saw a pastoral life (which gives advantage for contemplation and communion with heaven), the best preparative for kingly power, at least for those graces of the Spirit which are necessary to the due discharge of that trust which attends it. David was keeping sheep, though it was a time of sacrifice; for there is mercy that takes precedence of sacrifice. 2. How earnest Samuel was to have him sent for: “We will not sit down to meat” (perhaps it was not the feast upon the sacrifice, but a common meal) “till he come hither; for, if all the rest be rejected, this must be he.” He that designed not to sit at table at all is now waited for as the principal guest. If God will exalt those of low degree, who can hinder? 3. What appearance he made when he did come. No notice is taken of his clothing. No doubt that was according to his employment, mean and coarse, as shepherds’ coats commonly are, and he did not change his clothes as Joseph did (Gen. xli. 14), but he had a very honest look, not stately, as Saul’s, but sweet and lovely: He was ruddy, of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to (v. 12), that is, he had a clear complexion, a good eye, and a lovely face; the features were extraordinary, and there was something in his looks that was very charming. Though he was so far from using any art to help his beauty that his employment exposed it to the sun and wind, yet nature kept its own, and, by the sweetness of his aspect, gave manifest indications of an amiable temper and disposition of mind. Perhaps his modest blush, when he was brought before Samuel, and received by him with surprising respect, made him look much the handsomer. 4. The anointing of him. The Lord told Samuel in his ear (as he had done, ch. ix. 15) that this was he whom he must anoint, v. 12. Samuel objects not the meanness of his education, his youth, or the little respect he had in his own family, but, in obedience to the divine command, took his horn of oil and anointed him (v. 13), signifying thereby, (1.) A divine designation to the government, after the death of Saul, of which hereby he gave him a full assurance. Not that he was at present invested with the royal power, but it was entailed upon him, to come to him in due time. (2.) A divine communication of gifts and graces, to fit him for the government, and make him a type of him who was to be the Messiah, the anointed One, who received the Spirit, not by measure, but without measure. He is said to be anointed in the midst of his brethren, who yet, possibly, did not understand it as a designation to the government, and therefore did not envy David (as Joseph’s brethren did him), because they saw no further marks of dignity put upon him, no, not so much as a coat of divers colours. But bishop Patrick reads it, He anointed him from the midst of his brethren, that is, he singled him out from the rest, and privately anointed him, but with a charge to keep his own counsel, and not to let his own brethren know it, as by what we find (ch. xvii. 28), it should seem, Eliab did not. It is computed that David now was about twenty years old; if so, his troubles by Saul lasted ten years, for he was thirty years old when Saul died. Dr. Lightfoot reckons that he was about twenty-five, and that his troubles lasted but five years. 5. The happy effects of this anointing: The Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward, v. 13. The anointing of him was not an empty ceremony, but a divine power went along with that instituted sign, and he found himself inwardly advanced in wisdom, and courage, and concern for the public, with all the qualifications of a prince, though not at all advanced in his outward circumstances. This would abundantly satisfy him that his election was of God. The best evidence of our being predestinated to the kingdom of glory is our being sealed with the Spirit of promise, and our experience of a work of grace in our own hearts. Some think that his courage, by which he slew the lion and the bear, and his extraordinary skill in music, were the effects and evidences of the Spirit’s coming upon him. However, this made him the sweet psalmist of Israel, 2 Sam. xxiii. 1. Samuel, having done this, went to Ramah in safety, and we never read of him again but once (ch. xix. 18), till we read of his death; now he retired to die in peace, since his eyes had seen the salvation, even the sceptre brought into the tribe of Judah.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
CRITICAL AND EXPOSITORY NOTES
1Sa. 16:7. The Lord said. In like manner the Lord in the days of His flesh read and answered mens thoughts. Compare Mat. 12:25; Luk. 5:22, etc. (Biblical Commentary.) Outward appearance. Literally the eyes. The eyes, as contrasted with the heart, are figuratively employed to denote the outward form. (Keil).
1Sa. 16:9. Shammah. The name is written Shimeah, 2Sa. 13:3; and Shimma, 1Ch. 2:13; 1Ch. 20:7. The proper orthography is probably that in 2Sa. 13:3. He was the third son of Jesse, and father of Jonadab a very subtil man, Ammons friend, 2Sa. 13:3, and of Jonathan who slew a giant of Gath, 1Ch. 20:6-7. (Biblical Commentary.)
1Sa. 16:10. Seven, i.e. including the three who had already passed. It appears from this, and from 1Sa. 17:12, that Jesse had eight sons; but in 1Ch. 2:13-15, only seven are ascribed to him. (Bibical Commentary). Samuel said to Jesse. It is not till this verse that the words to Jesse are added, expressly indicating an address of Samuel to him. It does not, however, follow from these words, that Samuel made Jesse a sharer of the divine secret. That address to Jesse is merely a negative declaration that the divine selection, with which Samuel was concerned, and which in the absence of express intimation of its nature might refer to the prophetic office, rested on none of these seven sons. (Erdmann).
1Sa. 16:11. Sit down; literally, turn round, or surround, i.e., not sit at the table. The ancient Hebrews sat round a low table with their legs crossed, as the modern Orientals do, for the luxurious practice of reclining was not introduced into Judea until a late period of Old Testament history. (Jamieson.)
1Sa. 16:12. Ruddy, red, or auburn-haired. This was regarded as a mark of beauty in a country where the hair was generally black. Josephus refers the expression to his tawny complexion.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.1Sa. 16:6-12
THE ANOINTING OF DAVID
I. There is a tendency in even the best men to be carried away by appearances. Because Eliabs countenance was comely and his stature imposing, Samuel said at once, Surely the Lords anointed is before me. Yet he knew nothing of Eliabs inner man, and he knew from the sad example of Saul that external beauty was no guarantee of internal worth. The estimate that men form of human character must always be grounded on outward manifestations, just as the physician forms his estimate of the state of a mans health from the symptoms which present themselves to his observation. They cannot do as God canpenetrate into the hidden recesses of both soul and body, and read there as in a book the exact condition of the physical and moral nature. Man should therefore be very careful in pronouncing a judgment or forming an opinion concerning his fellow-man, remembering the Lord seeth not as man seeth; he should not be hasty to decide, but should wait until the character has had time to develop itselfuntil long experience and observation have in some measure qualified him to be a judge in the matter. To argue that because a man possesses gifts of person or of intellect he is also the possessor of moral worth, is more foolish than to argue that a man is wealthy because he is dressed in gay clothing, and yet everyone of us is prone to be influenced more than we ought to be by outward appearance, and to form our judgments of those we meet upon very insufficient grounds. Even this prophet of God was not free from this weakness.
II. However men may err in their estimate of men, Gods estimate will decide who is to come uppermost. No member of Jesses household thought it worth while to call the shepherd-boy in to partake of the sacrificial feast, or to bring him under the notice of the man of God; but the feast notwithstanding had to be delayed until his arrival, and it was concerning him that Samuel heard the Divine voice, saying, Arise, anoint him, for this is he. There is always a levelling force at work in the universe, which only needs time to place each man where he ought to belifting up this one and putting down the othermaking the last first and the first last according to the moral worth of each. This levelling force is the hand of God, who will see to it that no true man of worth shall lack position and opportunity to let the light that is in him shine forth to the glory of God, and the good of his fellow-creatures. Gods election and approval is not always so perceptible to the eye of man as it was in the case of Jesses youngest son, but it is always as real and as certain. Some men do not reach their destined throne among their fellows until they have left the world; they must pass away from earth before men can realise that a king has been among them. It may be that many who have lived and died in obscurity are yet awaiting their coronation day, or they may have been elected to high and honourable service in another world. However this may be there is a deeply-rooted conviction in all who confide in the righteousness of the Judge of all the earth, that no moral king shall miss his throne. Appearances may be strongly against it, but appearances were likewise strongly against the fact that the despised and crucified Nazarene carpenter was He who at the right hand of God should judge the world and receive the homage of the universe. But time has made the one truth certain, and it will establish the other. It must be so
1. Because God can never be ignorant of what His creatures are best fitted for.
2. Because no selfish motive or lack of power can ever interfere with the justice of His dealings.
3. Because the infinite goodness of God must make Him ever in favour of using any good that He finds in His creatures for the benefit of the race. The subject teaches us
(1Sa. 16:1.) That moral worth is the true beauty. All the beauty of material things is but a shadow of a higher beautyof that beauty which makes God the most beautiful Being in the universe. As He is a Spirit, and cannot be apprehended by our senses, that which makes Him the object of admiration and worship to the best of His creatures is that beauty of goodness which appeals to their spiritual nature. And the truest and highest beauty of men or angels is that beauty which is of the same kind as Gods.
(II.) We should form our standard of excellence upon Gods standard. To honour and exalt a man for any superiority of physical beauty or birth, is to render him homage for that for which he is not responsible, and is consequently most foolish. Yet it is a mistake into which men often fall. But in this respect, as in many others, Gods thoughts are not as mans thoughts, neither are His ways our ways. If we are wise we shall, so far as finite creatures can, make Gods standard of excellence ours, by looking not at the outward appearance nor regarding external circumstances, but by giving our honour and confidence to those who possess the beauty of the Lord God. (Psa. 90:17).
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
1Sa. 16:6; 1Sa. 16:12. Difficulty of selecting men for important positions.
1. Causes (a). Intrinsic difficulty of properly estimating character. (b). Management of partial friends.
2. Lessons (a). To avoid haste in deciding. (b.) To make diligent inquiries.Translator of Langes Commentary.
1Sa. 16:6-7. So when godly men see their neighbours lovely in their lives, civil in their practices, high in their profession, strict in performances, they, according to their duty, say, inwardly at least, Surely the Lords anointed is before Him, these are the blessed of the Lord, anointed to the kingdom of heaven; but God may often answer them, Look not on their profession or their performances, for I see their hearts, that they serve not me, but themselves of me Observe at what a high rate that which is nothing worth is valued in a time of famine. Truly so, there is such a scarcity of true godliness, that godly men, who exceedingly long for the advancement of Christ and Christianity in mens hearts and houses, prize and encourage anything that cometh near it.Swinnock.
1Sa. 16:7. Muscularity is not Christianity, and bodily beauty is not holiness. Not how you look, but what you are, ought to be the first care of your lives; for if you have a selfish disposition, a sordid soul, or a sinful life, your outward beauty will be like a jewel in a swines snout, and your bodily vigour will only be like the strength of a safe in which nothing worth preserving is locked up.Dr. W. M. Taylor.
Objectors to the history of the Old Testament have dwelt much upon the title, the man after Gods own heart, which is continually given to David. Is he not, they have said, directly chargeable with adultery and murder. Is this the man whom a righteous God would declare to be the object of His special complacency? Divines have met these questions with an answer of this kind: The epithet which you complain of belongs not to David personally but officially He did the work he was appointed to do. He fulfilled Gods counsel. So far he was a man after Gods own heart. A very little reflection upon the words themselves, still more a slight study of the history of David, should surely have prevented any man from employing this kind of apology. God trieth the reins. That general principle is here applied expressly to the case of David.Maurice.
I. A solemn thought. He knows fully all that characterises the inward and spiritual nature of man.
II. How comforting! You may be misunderstood by men. Your purest motives may be misinterpreted But there is an appeal to the Judge of all.Steel.
1Sa. 16:11. One of our greatest poets once remembered this question of Samuels after he had studied and mastered the writings of the most prominent philosophers and wise men of this world, and had found in none of them anything stable and satisfactory. Then with scorn he wrote these lines:
Ach ich war auch in diesem Falle!
Ais ich die Weisen hrtund las;
Da jeder diese Welten alle
Mit seiner Menschenspaune masy
Da fragt ich! Aber sind sie das
Sind das die Knaben alle?
This case was mine too when at leisure,
What all the sages wrote I read,
When with their small wits they would measure
The wealth of worlds around us spread:
I thought of Samuel then, when he
Made Jesses sons in row appear,
And when the seven were counted, said,
Are all thy children here?
Goethe.
O that this prince of poets had not after all omitted to count in One!Krummacher.
It was certainly not by accident that the son on whom the Divine choice fell was at the very moment keeping his fathers sheep. His early employment had a direct and Divine bearing on the latter.
1. As a shepherd, the sense of responsibility to another was powerfully called into exercise. The flock was not his own. In keeping it he was acting merely as his fathers servant. The servant-feeling thus beautifully called into play was transferred, in full integrity, to the higher sphere of the kingdom.
2. The shepherd-occupation of David led him, from its very nature, to seek the welfare of the flock. It demanded unceasing attention to its condition as a whole, and to the state of each several animal; frequent exposure to danger, and constant readiness to sacrifice his own ease or comfort. These were the ideas of duty with which David became familiar as a shepherd. And when his charge was changed these ideas of duty remaining in his heart, and influencing his public conduct, made him the eminent ruler he became.
3. In his office as a shepherd David had constantly to study the increase and improvement of the flock. It was not enough for the shepherd to keep the flock as he got it. The flock was not properly kept unless every season brought a great increase to its number. The same thought manifestly influenced Davids kingly administration. He constantly consulted for the progressive improvement and elevation of his people.
4. The shepherd employment of David, by leading him to give special attention to the weak, helpless, and distressed of the flock, trained him for one of the most blessed and Christ-like functions of a godly ruler.Blaikie.
When we look forward in the light of Divine revelation, the early part of Davids consecrated life contains many typical elements as factual prophecies or pre-figurations of the future. His shepherd lifecontinued after he was anointed, in which on the one hand, self-consecrated, he immerses himself in the contemplation of Gods revelation in nature and in His word, and on the other hand must be ready at any moment to meet the greatest dangers, and exhibit boldness and prowess (1Sa. 17:34-37)presents on these two sides types of his religious life as king, the Spirit of God developing on the basis of this double natural ground two sides of his character which not merely co-exist but are interwoven with each other:
(1) intensively the innermost concentration and immersion of his thoughtful meditative heart into the depths of Gods revelation of His power, grace, and wisdom in nature, word, history, and into the depths of the sinful human heart, whence sprang in his psalms partly the inspired praise of God, with furtherance and deepening of the knowledge of God, partly advance in the natural grace, lacking condition of the human heart;
(2) extensively his admirable energy and heroic courage in the life of conflict which he had evermore to lead. In the hiddenness of his royal calling from the people, the gradual ripening of his inner life for his office, and the lowliness of the sphere whence he was raised to the throne, he is a type of Christ, who sprang from him according to the flesh. passes His holy youth in privacy, and then at the end of this Divine-human development steps forth from the lowliness of a natural human life as the King of Israel, who completes in his person and work Gods revelations for the establishment of His kingdom on earth, and therein enters on the war of subjugation against the ungodly world.Langes Commentary.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
(6) He looked on Eliab.There was something in the tall and stately presence of the eldest born of Jesse which reminded the old man of the splendid youth of Saul. Eliab seemed to Samuel in all respects a fit successor to the great warrior whom the Lord rejected. But the Divine voice gave no reply back to the prophets mute questioning; and the other sons of Jesse, an imposing band of gallant youths, passed in review before the old seer, and were severally introduced to him; but the Divine voice only warned the seer that these external advantages of mere human beauty and strength, were no mark of true greatness.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(6) And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’S anointed is before him. (7) But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
There is somewhat very interesting in this account of the review of Jesse’s sons. The prophet is not acquainted on whom the Lord’s lot will fall, but they are all to be brought before him. So is it in the ministry of the word. The commission of the gospel is; Go out to every creature. But, we are told, while many are called few are chosen. The minister, like Samuel, knows not when he goes forth, to whom it will prove the savor of life unto life, or of death unto death. 2Co 2:15-16 . In the conclusion Samuel made in favor of Eliab, we see how apt men are, and even the wisest of men, to be taken with things outward. He had been deceived in this once before, in the case of Saul. And though indeed this was by God’s appointment, yet the Reader should remember that the appointment of Saul was to gratify the people; not to please the Lord; whereas the choice to be made now, was to please himself. Dearest Jesus! do thou choose for me, and guide me in my all supposed choice of things, that I may behold thee in everything!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Sa 16:6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’S anointed [is] before him.
Ver. 6. He looked on Eliab. ] Who was of a goodly stature and presence, but proud and uncourteous. 1Sa 17:28 Fronti nulla fides. Samuel had seen how ill Saul proved, though proper and personable.
And said, Surely, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Eliab: 1Sa 17:13, 1Sa 17:22, 1Ch 2:13, 1Ch 27:18, Elihu
Surely: Jdg 8:18, 1Ki 12:26
Reciprocal: Jdg 14:11 – saw him 1Sa 9:17 – Behold 1Ch 5:1 – and 1Ch 28:4 – chose me 2Ch 11:18 – Eliab Lam 4:20 – the anointed
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Sa 16:6. He looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lords anointed, &c. Struck with the gracefulness and dignity of his person, he immediately concluded that this was the person whom God designed for his anointed; wherein, however, he was mistaken, as other prophets sometimes were, when they hastily spake their own thoughts, before they had consulted God. Before him That is, in this place, where God is now present. For it is observable, that not only the sacrifice is said to be offered, but even the feast upon the remainders of it, is said to be eaten before the Lord, Deu 12:7; that is, before, or near his altar, where God was present in a special manner.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
16:6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’S {d} anointed [is] before him.
(d) Thinking that Eliab had been appointed by God to be made king.