16:6Meaning
Samuel’s immediate conclusion Samuel sees Eliab and, based on what he observes, declares that Yahweh’s anointed must be standing in front of Yahweh. The verse shows Samuel forming a confident judgment from a first impression, linking Eliab’s appearance to divine choice.
Unit 2 (v. 7a): God forbids appearance-based judgment
Yahweh speaks to Samuel and tells him not to focus on Eliab’s face or his tall stature. Yahweh adds that he has rejected him, directly overturning Samuel’s assumption and signaling that the decision has already been made from Yahweh’s side.
Unit 3 (v. 7b): The stated principle behind the correction
Yahweh explains the contrast: Yahweh does not “see” the way humans see. Humans look at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart. The logic moves from command (don’t look at externals), to verdict (he is rejected), to reason (God’s evaluation differs from human evaluation).