And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

1 SAMUEL 16:11KJV
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1 Samuel 16:11 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 16:11 mean?

1 Samuel 16:11 shows Samuel asking Jesse if all his sons are present, and Jesse replying that the youngest is still out tending the sheep. Samuel insists that this youngest son be brought in before anything else happens. The verse highlights that someone important is missing, and Samuel will not proceed until he arrives.

Samuel, a prophet, is visiting Jesse’s family in Bethlehem to anoint the next king of Israel as God directed him. Jesse has presented his older sons, but left the youngest, David, out in the fields with the sheep. Samuel’s insistence on seeing every son sets up the moment when David, the overlooked youngest, is called in for a purpose no one expected.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 16:11

  • "youngest" (קָטָן, qāṭān): This word means the smallest or youngest, not just in age but sometimes in status or importance. Here, it emphasizes how David was not considered significant enough to be included at first.
  • "keepeth" (רָעָה, rā‘āh): This verb means to tend or shepherd, showing David’s role as a caretaker of the sheep, a humble and often overlooked job.
  • "children" (נַעַר, na‘ar): This word can mean sons, boys, or young men. It reminds the reader that Jesse’s sons were all still considered young, but David was the youngest among them.

Why 1 Samuel 16:11 matters

  • The verse makes it clear that God’s choice does not always follow human expectations, since the youngest and least likely son is the one God has chosen.
  • It sets up the contrast between outward appearance and inner worth, a theme that becomes central in the following verses when David is anointed.
  • The detail that David is tending sheep connects to his later role as a shepherd-king, showing that his humble beginnings are significant to his story.

Where else these words appear

“hither” Hebrew H6311 · used in 6 verses

  • Genesis 19:12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:
  • Job 38:11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
  • Ezekiel 40:10 And the little chambers of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side; they three were of one measure: and the posts had one measure on this side and on that side.

“Jesse” Hebrew H3448 · used in 39 verses

  • Ruth 4:17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
  • 1 Samuel 17:12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.
  • 2 Samuel 20:1 And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

“all” Hebrew H8552 · used in 62 verses

  • Genesis 47:15 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
  • Joshua 5:8 And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.
  • Isaiah 16:4 Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.

“youngest” Hebrew H6996 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
  • 1 Samuel 15:17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?
  • 2 Chronicles 34:30 And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.