Lives of Scripture

Eliab was Jesse's firstborn son, David's oldest brother (1 Chronicles 2:13). When Samuel came to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse's sons as Israel's next king, Eliab was presented first, and his height and appearance struck Samuel as surely marking the LORD's choice. But God corrected him: "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:6-7). Eliab was passed over in favor of his youngest brother, David. Later, when David came to the battle line where Eliab served under Saul against the Philistines and asked why no one would face Goliath, Eliab's anger burned against him: "Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart, for you have come down in order to see the battle" (17:28) -- a harsh, dismissive rebuke from an older brother who had himself already been rejected for the very throne David would take. David did not let the accusation deter him, and went on to kill Goliath. Eliab's daughter Abihail later married into the royal line through Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:18).