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1 Samuel 16:7
ESV But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
NIV But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
NASB But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'
CSB But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart."
NLT But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'
KJV 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.
NKJV But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

What does 1 Samuel 16:7 mean?

This verse is an efficient reminder that God sees in others everything we cannot. Good or bad, we can only assume another person's thoughts and heart. The Lord knows these things perfectly. He knows every secret sin (Luke 8:17). He knows the explanations behind things other people judge unfairly (John 7:24). Appearances can mislead us, but they can never fool God.

When Samuel saw Eliab, Jesse's firstborn son (1 Samuel 17:13), he thought this was the one the Lord had chosen as king (1 Samuel 16:1, 6). Apparently, Eliab looked like a king. But God does not choose based on human ideals or preferences. The Lord tells Samuel not to judge Eliab by outside appearances. Nor is God misled by the things that fool a limited person. Human beings can only see the outside of others. But the Lord has a different view; He looks at people's hearts. Though kingly by human judgment, Eliab is not God's anointed. The Lord says that He has rejected Eliab as Israel's next king.

The idea that a person's true nature is found in the inner person invisible to all but God is a theme throughout the Bible:
"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him" (2 Chronicles 16:9).

"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life" (Proverbs 4:23).

"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45).

"But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts" (1 Thessalonians 2:4).
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