1 Samuel 16:11

11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

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1 Samuel 16:11 in Other Translations

KJV

11 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.

ESV

11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here."

NLT

11 Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.” “Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”

MSG

11 Then he asked Jesse, "Is this it? Are there no more sons?" "Well, yes, there's the runt. But he's out tending the sheep." Samuel ordered Jesse, "Go get him. We're not moving from this spot until he's here."

CSB

11 Samuel asked him, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," he answered, "but right now he's tending the sheep." Samuel told Jesse, "Send for him. We won't sit down to eat until he gets here."

1 Samuel 16:11 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 16:11

And Samuel said unto Jesse, are here all thy children?
&c.] For neither of these being the person God would have anointed king, and yet it was one of Jesse's sons that was to be anointed, he concluded he must have more, at least one more, and therefore puts this question to him:

and he said, there remaineth yet the youngest;
or, "the little one" {c}; not of a little diminutive stature, for he was a mighty man, a man of strength, courage, and valour, ( 1 Samuel 16:18 ) or of a puerile age, for the Jews say ^F4 he was now twenty nine years of age; but that is not likely, he hardly exceeded more than twenty, or was so much; thereabout he might be; but he is so called because he was the youngest son, as we render it:

and, behold, he keepeth the sheep:
and from following them, he was taken and anointed king; see ( Psalms 78:70 Psalms 78:71 ) . Some of the greatest of men have been taken from rustic employment, as Moses, Gideon, Saul, and others:

and Samuel said unto Jesse, send and fetch him;
out of the field by a messenger:

for we will not sit down till he come hither;
that is, at table, to eat of that part of the peace offerings which belonged to the offerer Samuel, and which he had invited Jesse and his sons to partake of.

FOOTNOTES:

F3 (Njqt) "parvulus", V. L.
F4 Seder Olam Rabba, c. 13. p. 36.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

1 Samuel 16:11 In-Context

9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the LORD chosen this one.”

10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The LORD has not chosen these.”

12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”

13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.