Why didn't Jesse talk about David to Samuel?

[YoureMyBeloved]

Samuel asked Jesse to present his sons, but he only presented him seven. David was away with the sheeps, was this the reason or there was some obscure reason?

I'm asking this because his brothers seemed to not get along with him.

1 Samuel 17:28 When David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him talking to the soldiers, he got very mad at David. “Why did you come down here?” he said. “Who is watching those few sheep for you in the wilderness? I know how arrogant you are and your devious plan: you came down just to see the battle!”

“What did I do wrong this time?” David replied. “It was just a question!”

So David turned to someone else and asked the same thing, and the people said the same thing in reply.

Thoughts?

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

It seems comparative to Joseph's brothers. They were both much younger and in that culture those who were born later hadn't the same significance as the elders. So that may be why Jesse held him back or it may be like in the case of Jacob when he held back Benjamin for fear of losing him.

 

[brinny]

From reading that verse, it appears that David's older brother held David in very low esteem, and even perhaps had contempt for him. David wasn't even speaking to him, yet he imposed himself on his little brother as if David's very presence caused him to feel contempt towards him. It also possibly can be surmised that because of David's father's reaction, and his own words about David that David was sort of an "after-thought" for the entire family and that he was expected to be neither seen nor heard.

This is possibly why David was so skilled as a shepherd and why he was able to kill a bear and a lion to protect the sheep. All the time he was rejected by his family and out with the sheep, God was using as a "training ground" so to speak. And since it can be assumed that no one else paid him any heed nor talked to him, that he learned to commune with and speak to the living God. He also, during this time learned an un-faltering TRUST in God and a Godly "fear/respect" for God so that he neither feared man nor beast, which included a giant named Goliath, that the king and the entire army cowered in fear from.

 

[YoureMyBeloved]

It seems comparative to Joseph's brothers. They were both much younger and in that culture those who were born later hadn't the same significance as the elders. So that may be why Jesse held him back or it may be like in the case of Jacob when he held back Benjamin for fear of losing him.

Yes, maybe that was the reason.

From reading that verse, it appears that David's older brother held David in very low esteem, and even perhaps had contempt for him. David wasn't even speaking to him, yet he imposed himself on his little brother as if David's very presence caused him to feel contempt towards him. It also possibly can be surmised that because of David's father's reaction, and his own words about David that David was sort of an "after-thought" for the entire family and that he was expected to be neither seen nor heard.

This is possibly why David was so skilled as a shepherd and why he was able to kill a bear and a lion to protect the sheep. All the time he was rejected by his family and out with the sheep, God was using as a "training ground" so to speak. And since it can be assumed that no one else paid him any heed nor talked to him, that he learned to commune with and speak to the living God. He also, during this time learned an un-faltering TRUST in God and a Godly "fear/respect" for God so that he neither feared man nor beast, which included a giant named Goliath, that the king and the entire army cowered in fear from.

Excelent, it's a good answer!

I'd like to have these thought skills

 

[football5680]

David was probably chosen to stay with the sheep because somebody had to do this job and with David being the youngest you would assume he would be the least fit for battle.

David's brother probably got mad at him because of the way he was speaking.

David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17:26)

All the other Israelites were afraid of Goliath and by the way David was speaking he was basically positioning himself to take on the challenge. Eliab was the eldest son of Jesse and you would expect the eldest son to be the leader and the one to take on the challenge. Eliab, like the rest of the Israelites was unwilling and afraid to fight Goliath while a much younger and probably smaller person like David wasn't. Eliab was probably ashamed of this fact and he projected his anger against David.

 

[AnticipateHisComing]

Because men form opinions with their eyes. God chooses from the heart. David was the runt of the family, not fit to even wear battle armor. But, God knew David's heart. God chooses the weak to emphasize the strength we have with his Spirit in us.

Acts 13:22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’

 

[YoureMyBeloved]

Because men form opinions with their eyes. God chooses from the heart. David was the runt of the family, not fit to even wear battle armor. But, God knew David's heart. God chooses the weak to emphasize the strength we have with his Spirit in us.

Acts 13:22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’

Beautiful answer.