1 Samuel 15

King James Version

Full text for 1 Samuel Chapter 15

1¶ Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee [to be] king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.

2Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember [that] which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid [wait] for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.

3Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

4And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

5And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.

6And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

7And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah [until] thou comest to Shur, that [is] over against Egypt.

8And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

9But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all [that was] good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing [that was] vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

10¶ Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,

11It repenteth me that I have set up Saul [to be] king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.

12And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

13And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed [be] thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.

14And Samuel said, What [meaneth] then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

15And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

16Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

17And Samuel said, When thou [wast] little in thine own sight, [wast] thou not [made] the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?

18And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.

19Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?

20And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

21But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

22And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams.

23For rebellion [is as] the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness [is as] iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from [being] king.

24¶ And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

25Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.

26And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

27And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.

28And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, [that is] better than thou.

29And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he [is] not a man, that he should repent.

30Then he said, I have sinned: [yet] honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.

31So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD.

32¶ Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.

33And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

34Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

35And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Samuel commanded King Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites and all their possessions as divine judgment. However, Saul spared King Agag and the best of the livestock, claiming they were for sacrifice. Samuel rebuked Saul, declaring that obedience is superior to sacrifice and that God had rejected Saul as king for his disobedience. Samuel then personally executed Agag.

Medium Summary

The prophet Samuel delivered a divine command to King Saul, instructing him to utterly destroy the Amalekites and all their possessions, including every living creature, as retribution for their past hostility towards Israel. Saul gathered his army and defeated the Amalekites, but he and his people spared King Agag and the finest of the livestock, intending them for sacrifice. The Lord revealed to Samuel His regret for anointing Saul, as Saul had turned from His commandments. Samuel confronted Saul, who initially claimed full obedience, but the sounds of the spared animals exposed his partial compliance. Samuel delivered a strong rebuke, emphasizing that "to obey is better than sacrifice" and that rebellion is akin to witchcraft. Consequently, Samuel declared that God had rejected Saul from being king due to his disobedience, a pronouncement illustrated by the tearing of Samuel's mantle. Samuel then personally executed Agag, and thereafter, Samuel ceased to visit Saul, though he mourned for him.

Long Summary

Samuel, acting on the Lord's behalf, reminded King Saul of his anointing and conveyed a specific divine command: to utterly destroy the Amalekites, sparing neither man, woman, infant, nor any livestock, as a judgment for their ambush of Israel during the exodus. Saul mobilized a large army and successfully smote the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur. However, in direct defiance of the Lord's instruction, Saul and his soldiers spared King Agag alive and preserved the best of the sheep, oxen, and other valuable animals, destroying only what was considered worthless. The Lord subsequently expressed His deep regret to Samuel for having made Saul king, stating that Saul had turned back from following His commandments, which greatly grieved Samuel. Samuel rose early to confront Saul, who falsely claimed to have performed the Lord's commandment. Samuel challenged Saul's assertion by questioning the bleating of sheep and lowing of oxen, to which Saul admitted the people had spared them to sacrifice unto the Lord. Samuel then delivered a powerful rebuke, asserting that the Lord delights more in obedience than in burnt offerings and sacrifices, proclaiming, "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." He further equated rebellion with the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness with iniquity and idolatry. Samuel unequivocally declared that because Saul had rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord had also rejected him from being king. Saul confessed his sin, admitting he feared the people and obeyed their voice, and sought pardon. Samuel refused to return with Saul, reiterating the divine rejection and illustrating it by the tearing of his own mantle, signifying the rending of the kingdom from Saul. Samuel also affirmed that the "Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent." Though Saul pleaded for public honor, Samuel eventually returned with him to worship. Finally, Samuel commanded Agag to be brought forth and personally hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal, fulfilling the divine judgment. Samuel then departed to Ramah, and Saul to Gibeah, with Samuel never seeing Saul again, though he mourned for him, and the Lord continued to repent that He had made Saul king.

Core Concepts

  • Divine Command and JudgmentThe Lord commanded Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites, including all people and livestock, as a specific act of judgment for their historical aggression against Israel.
  • Disobedience and Partial ObedienceSaul failed to fully obey the Lord's command, sparing King Agag and the best of the livestock, despite claiming to have fulfilled the divine instruction.
  • Obedience vs. SacrificeSamuel emphatically declared that "to obey is better than sacrifice," highlighting that God values faithful adherence to His word more than ritualistic offerings.
  • Rejection of Saul as KingDue to Saul's rebellion and rejection of the Lord's word, Samuel announced that God had rejected Saul from continuing as king over Israel.
  • Consequences of DisobedienceSaul's fear of the people and his subsequent partial obedience led directly to his rejection by God and the rending of the kingdom from him.
  • Samuel's Role as Prophet and ExecutorSamuel not only delivered God's message and rebuke but also personally executed Agag, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to divine justice.
  • God's Repentance (Anthropomorphism)The text states that the Lord "repented" that He had made Saul king, an anthropomorphic expression signifying a change in divine action or relationship due to human unfaithfulness, not a change in God's perfect nature.