1 Samuel 16:9 (GNV)

Passage

Then Ishai made Shammah come. And he said, Neither yet hath the Lord chosen him.

Nearby Context

1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said vnto Samuel, Looke not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature, because I haue refused him: for God seeth not as man seeth: for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord beholdeth the heart.

1 Samuel 16:8 Then Ishai called Abinadab, and made him come before Samuel. And he saide, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.

1 Samuel 16:9 Then Ishai made Shammah come. And he said, Neither yet hath the Lord chosen him.

1 Samuel 16:10 Againe Ishai made his seue sonnes to come before Samuel: and Samuel saide vnto Ishai, The Lord hath chosen none of these.

1 Samuel 16:11 Finally, Samuel said vnto Ishai, Are there no more children but these? And hee sayde, There remaineth yet a litle one behinde, that keepeth the sheepe. Then Samuel saide vnto Ishai, Sende and set him: for we will not sit downe, till he be come hither.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "ishai", "shammah", "come", "said", "neither", "hath", "lord", and "chosen". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "ishai" and "shammah", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "Then Ishai called Abinadab and made him..." into verse 10's "Againe Ishai made his seue sonnes to...", so "ishai" and "shammah" 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 "ishai" and "shammah" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.