שמואל א 16:7

Hebrew Modern Translation

ויאמר יהוה אל שמואל אל תבט אל מראהו ואל גבה קומתו כי מאסתיהו כי לא אשר יראה האדם כי האדם יראה לעינים ויהוה יראה ללבב׃

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Aleppo Codex
ויאמר יהוה אל שמואל אל תבט אל מראהו ואל גבה קומתו כי מאסתיהו כי לא אשר יראה האדם כי האדם יראה לעינים ויהוה יראה ללבב

Biblia Hebrica Stuttgartensia (1967/77)
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל אַל־תַּבֵּ֧ט אֶל־מַרְאֵ֛הוּ וְאֶל־גְּבֹ֥הַּ קוֹמָתֹ֖ו כִּ֣י מְאַסְתִּ֑יהוּ כִּ֣י ׀ לֹ֗א אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִרְאֶה֙ הָאָדָ֔ם כִּ֤י הָֽאָדָם֙ יִרְאֶ֣ה לַעֵינַ֔יִם וַיהוָ֖ה יִרְאֶ֥ה לַלֵּבָֽב ׃

Westminster Leningrad Codex
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל אַל־תַּבֵּט אֶל־מַרְאֵהוּ וְאֶל־גְּבֹהַּ קוֹמָתוֹ כִּי מְאַסְתִּיהוּ כִּי ׀ לֹא אֲשֶׁר יִרְאֶה הָאָדָם כִּי הָֽאָדָם יִרְאֶה לַעֵינַיִם וַיהוָה יִרְאֶה לַלֵּבָֽב ׃

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Look not: 1 Samuel 9:2, 1 Samuel 10:23, 1 Samuel 10:24, 2 Samuel 14:25, Psalms 147:10, Psalms 147:11, Proverbs 31:30

seeth not: Job 10:4, Isaiah 55:8, Isaiah 55:9, Luke 16:15, 1 Peter 2:4, 1 Peter 3:4

looketh: John 7:24, 2 Corinthians 10:7, 2 Corinthians 10:10

outward appearance: Heb. eyes

on the heart: 1 Kings 8:39, 1 Chronicles 28:9, 2 Chronicles 16:9, Psalms 7:9, Psalms 139:2, Proverbs 15:11, Proverbs 16:2, Jeremiah 11:20, Jeremiah 17:10, Jeremiah 20:12, Acts 1:24, Hebrews 4:13, Revelation 2:23

Reciprocal: Genesis 48:17 - displeased him Deuteronomy 1:17 - shall not Judges 7:4 - I will 1 Samuel 16:12 - of a beautiful countenance 1 Samuel 17:28 - I know 2 Samuel 7:3 - all that 2 Samuel 7:20 - knowest 1 Chronicles 17:2 - Do all 1 Chronicles 17:18 - thou knowest 1 Chronicles 29:17 - triest the heart 2 Chronicles 1:11 - this was 2 Chronicles 25:2 - but not Job 9:32 - not a man Psalms 45:13 - all glorious Psalms 51:6 - inward Proverbs 21:2 - the Lord Proverbs 24:12 - doth not he that Ecclesiastes 12:1 - Remember Isaiah 11:3 - and he shall not Zechariah 7:6 - did not ye eat for Matthew 23:28 - ye also John 2:24 - because John 4:24 - must John 8:15 - judge John 8:16 - yet Acts 15:8 - which Romans 2:29 - which 1 Corinthians 4:3 - it is

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But the Lord said to Samuel,.... By a secret impulse upon his mind, as if he had spoken with an articulate voice to him:

look not on his countenance; which was comely and majestic:

or on the height of his stature; which was like that of Saul's; and because the Lord had chosen him, who was superior to the people in this respect, Samuel thought he meant to have such an one now anointed king:

because I have refused him; or it is not my pleasure that he should be king; though Ben Gersom thinks this refers to Saul, that the Lord had rejected him, though of an high stature, and therefore Samuel should not look out for such a person to be king; and Abarbinel refers it to the height of stature itself, that God had rejected that, and laid it aside as a qualification of a king, or as a rule to judge of a proper person to be a king; but no doubt it respected Eliab:

for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; man only sees what is without, but the Lord sees what is within; only the outward visible form of the body is seen by man, but the inward qualifications and endowments of the mind are seen by the Lord:

for man looketh on the outward appearance; the comeliness of a man's person, the majesty of his countenance, the height of his stature, and size of his body, things which recommended men to be kings among the nations of the world; :-, or "to the eyes" a; the liveliness, and briskness, and sharpness of them, thereby to judge of the sagacity and penetration of the mind, as physiognomists do; who guess at the disposition of men by them, when they are small or great, watery or dry, of this or the other colour b;

but the Lord looketh on the heart; and knows what is in that, what wisdom and prudence, justice and integrity, mercy and goodness, and other princely qualifications are in that. The Jewish writers conclude from hence that the heart of Eliab was not right; it may be, full of wrath, pride, envy, &c. which disqualified him for government.

a לעינים "ad oculos", Montanus. b Vid. Schotti Thaumaturg. Physic. par. 4. l. 7. c. 8.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 16:7. Man looketh on the outward appearance — And it is well he should, and confine his looks to that; for when he pretends to sound the heart, he usurps the prerogative of God.

In what way were these communications made from God to Samuel? It must have been by direct inspirations into his heart. But what a state of holy familiarity does this argue between God and the prophet! I believe Moses himself was not more highly favoured than Samuel.