But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. For Yahweh does not look at what a man looks at: Man looks at what is before his eyes, but Yahweh looks at the heart.
Don’t look at his opinion. 1Sa 9:2; 1Sa 10:23, 1Sa 10:24; 2Sa 14:25; Ps 147:10, Ps 147:11; pro 31:30.
Jehovah look no. Job 10:4; Isaiah 55:8, Isaiah 55:9; Luke 16:15; 1Pe 2:4; 1Pe 3:4.
the man looks. Joh 7:24; 2Co 10:7, 2Co 10:10.
Jehovah looks at the heart. 1Ki 8:39; 1Ch 28:9; 2Ch 16:9; Ps 7:9; Ps 139:2; Pro 15:11; pro 16:2; Jer 11:20; Jer 17:10; Jer 20:12; Ac 1:24; Hebrews 4:13; Rev 2:23.
Source: The Treasury of Biblical Knowledge
in his opinion… his height. Samuel needed to be reminded that God’s anointed was not going to be chosen because of his physical appearance. This was initially a difficult concept for Samuel, because he was used to a king whose only favorable attributes were physical. Jehovah looks at the heart. The Hebrew concept of “heart” includes the emotions, will, intellect, and desires. Man’s life will be a reflection of his heart (cf. Matt 12:34-35).
Source: MacArthur Study Bible
Isaiah 55:8-9; Ps 147:10-11; Job 10:4.
Source: Hispano-American Interdenominational Translation
— look at appearances: The principle of the difference of criteria between God and human beings is commonplace in the OT (Isaiah 55:8; Jer 11:20; Jer 17:10; Ps 7:9; Ps 44:21; Pro 15:11; Pro 17:3).
Source: Hispano-American Interdenominational Translation
GRADES
(1) “It is as God sees,” LXX; M omits this sentence.
(2) Lit., “see as for the eyes.”
(3) Lit., “sees as to the heart”.
CROSS-REFERENCES
ñ 792 1Sa 10:23
or 793 Job 10:4; Isaiah 55:8
794 2Co 5:12; 2Co 10:7
q 795 1Ki 8:39; 1Ch 28:9; 2Ch 16:9; Ps 7:9; Pro 24:12; Jer 17:10; Ac 1:24
Source: New World Translation
the Lord looks at the heart. God looks beyond outward appearances and knows what a person really is (cf. 1 Kings 8:39; 17:9, 10; Jn 2:25; Acts 1:24).
Source: The Bible of the Americas
Notice the contrast between the divine and the human perspective.
Source: Ryrie Annotated Study Bible
LXX follows.
Source: Textual Bible IV Edition
So in gr.; in heb., because it is not what
Source: The Bible of the Americas
The TM omits the phrase what God looks at. LXX: Well, not what man looks at is what God looks at.