What does 1 Samuel 16:8 mean?
Samuel is in Bethlehem to anoint a new king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:1). This new king is one of Jesse's sons, but God has not yet told Samuel which one (1 Samuel 16:3). Samuel has invited the town elders and Jesse's family to a sacrifice. Now, Jesse's sons are passing before Samuel. They seem to know that God has chosen one of them for something (1 Samuel 16:10). It is unclear whether they know the specifics of the anointing.The Lord has already rejected the firstborn son Eliab (1 Samuel 16:6–7). Now Jesse calls Abinadab, his second-born son (1 Samuel 17:13), to step forward. It is possible Samuel was also consecrating the men for the sacrifice as they came to him (1 Samuel 16:5). It is unclear from the text whether it is the Lord speaking to Samuel in this verse or Samuel who says to Jesse that the Lord has not chosen this one, either.