But the LORD said unto Samuel,
Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.
Read Chapter 16
Clement Of Alexandria
AD 215
They have gone beyond the limits of impropriety. They have invented mirrors to reflect all this artificial beautification of theirs, as if it were nobility of character or self-improvement. They should, rather, conceal such deception with a veil. It did the handsome Narcissus no good to gaze on his own image, as the Greek myth tells us. If Moses forbade his people to fashion any image to take the place of God, is it right for these women to study their reflected images for no other reason that to distort the natural features of their faces?
In much the same way, when Samuel the prophet was sent to anoint one of the sons of Jesse as king, and when he brought out his chrism as soon as he saw the oldest son, admiring his handsomeness and height, Scripture tells us, “The Lord said to him: ‘Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For man sees those things that appear, but the Lord beholds the heart.’ ” He finally anointed not the one who w...
Rejected, or not chosen. (Menochius)
God had positively rejected this eldest son, as his pride seems to have been the greatest, chap. xvii. 28. (Haydock)
Heart. This is one of God's perfections. Glorified saints see man's heart in his light, for their own and our advantage, (St. Gregory, Mor. xii. 11.; St. Augustine) as the prophets have sometimes done, 3 Kings xiv. (Worthington)
Do not say, “I do not mind a mere priest, if he is a celibate, and a religious [person], and of angelic life; for it would be a sad thing for me to be defiled even in the moment of my cleansing.” Do not ask for credentials of the preacher or the baptizer. For another is his judge and the examiner of what you can’t see. For humans look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. - "On Holy Baptism, Oration 40.26"
He goes to Bethlehem and considers every son of Jesse to be the very person that the Lord was looking for.… He makes the same mistake in each case, and he is reproved in each case, giving evidence of the weakness of the human mind. - "Defense Against the Pelagians 1.38"
You are human, and so you know other people only from the outside. You think as you see, and you see only what your eyes let you see. But “the eyes of the Lord are lofty.” “Man looks on the outward appearance, God looks on the heart.” So “the Lord knows them that are his” and roots up the plant which he has not planted. He shows the last to be first, he carries a fan in his hand to purge his floor. Let the chaff of light faith fly away as it pleases before every wind of temptation. So much the purer is the heap of wheat which the Lord will gather into his garner. - "Prescriptions Against Heretics 3"
