1 Samuel 16:6

Modern

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Surely here before the LORD is His anointed.”

Traditional

And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.

Literal

And it was in their coming that he saw Eliab and said, “Surely before YHWH is His anointed.”

Latin

Cumque ingressi essent, vidit Eliab, et ait: Num coram Domino est christus ejus?

Hebrew

English

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Surely here before the LORD is His anointed.”

his appearance or height: Like Saul, Eliab, Jesse’s oldest son, looked impressive (see 1 Samuel 9:2). But like Saul, God rejected him (see 1 Samuel 15:23). God had chosen someone else to anoint as king.
the LORD sees the heart: God can give a new heart (see 1 Samuel 10:9), touch hearts (see 10:26), and understand deep motivations (see Psalm 139:1). God sees what people cannot. God sees a person’s true character. Eliab’s character is revealed in 1 Samuel 17:28.

David replaced Saul as king. David and Saul were alike in these ways:

Samuel anointed both.
Neither was pursuing the position of king.
Both were unlikely choices (Saul was from the smallest tribe, and David was the youngest son).
They were both good-looking (1 Samuel 9:2; 16:12).
The Spirit rushed upon each when anointed as king (1 Samuel 10:10; 11:6; 16:13).

The main difference was that David was "a man after [God's] own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14; compare 16:7), while Saul was not.

Theme notes and profiles

1 Samuel 17:13
The three older sons of Jesse had followed Saul into battle: The firstborn was Eliab, the second was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah.
1 Chronicles 2:13
Jesse was the father of Eliab his firstborn; Abinadab was born second, Shimea third,
Judges 8:18
Next, Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” “Men like you,” they answered, “each one resembling the son of a king.”
1 Samuel 17:22
Then David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing.

Eliab: Eldest brother of King David