1 Samuel 16:8 (DBY)

Passage

Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one.

Nearby Context

1 Samuel 16:6 And it came to pass when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely Jehovah's anointed is before him.

1 Samuel 16:7 But Jehovah said to Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him; for it is not as man seeth; for man looketh upon the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh upon the heart.

1 Samuel 16:8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one.

1 Samuel 16:9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one.

1 Samuel 16:10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, Jehovah has not chosen these.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "jesse", "abinadab", "pass", "before", "samuel", "said", and "neither". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "jesse", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "But Jehovah said to Samuel Look not..." into verse 9's "Then Jesse made Shammah pass by And...", so "called" and "jesse" belong inside that flow. In 1 Samuel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "called" and "jesse" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.