Eliab of
Bethlehem, of the
tribe of Judah, was the eldest son of Jesse ( and ) and thus the eldest brother of
King David. He was apparently tall and had fair features, and was the first potential
king of Israel considered for
anointing by the prophet
Samuel after his disillusion with
King Saul. His features resembled those Samuel had first seen in Saul, and so Samuel may have considered him "a fit successor" to Saul. However, God told Samuel that Eliab did not have the proper heart to be king of
Israel: :
Do not consider his appearance or his height ... the Lord looks at the heart. Samuel went on to consider each of Eliab's brothers in turn. Some commentators have suggested that Eliab was rejected because of his temper, as he argued with David before David went to fight
Goliath, accusing David of pride and insolence. Eliab's daughter Abihail became the mother-in-law of
King Rehoboam, according to
2 Chronicles. ==References==