1 Samuel 15

1 Samuel · Chapter 15

1 Samuel 15:15

1Samuel 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.10Then 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.24And 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.32Then 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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
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.Saul answered, “The troops brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but the rest we devoted to destruction.”And 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 Jehovah thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and he saidוַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai-YO-merH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Saulשָׁא֜וּלsha-'ULH7586G
Saul

שָׁאוּל (sha.ul) A king of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.9.2; son of: Kish (H7027); married to Ahinoam (H0293) and Rizpah (H7532); father of: Jonathan (H3083H), Abinadab (H0041H), Malchi-shua (H4444), Merab (H4764), Michal (H4324), Ish-bosheth (H0378), Armoni (H0764), Mephibosheth (H4648H) § Saul or Shaul = "desired" 1) a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the 1st king of Israel 2) an early king of Edom and a successor of Samlah 3) a son of Simeon 4) a Levite, son of Uzziah

from [the] Amalekite[s]מֵעֲמָלֵקִ֣יme-'a-mal-KIH6003
Amalekite

עֲמָלֵקִי (a.ma.le.qi) Someone descended from Amekek Group of a.ma.leq (עֲמָלֵק "Amalek" H6002) § Amalekite, of Amalek "people of lapping" descendants of Amalek, the grandson of Esau

people brought themהֱבִיא֗וּםhe-vi-'UMH0935P
to come (in): come

בּוֹא (bo) : come/go_in 1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to enter, come in 1a2) to come 1a2a) to come with 1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy) 1a2c) to come to pass 1a3) to attain to 1a4) to be enumerated 1a5) to go 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to lead in 1b2) to carry in 1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon 1b4) to bring to pass 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be brought, brought in 1c2) to be introduced, be put

thatאֲשֶׁ֨ר'a-SHERH0834A
which

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

it had compassionחָמַ֤לcha-MALH2550
to spare

חָמַל (cha.mal) (Qal) to spare, pity, have compassion on

the peopleהָעָם֙ha-'AMH5971A
people

עַם (am) : people/nation 1) nation, people 1a) people, nation 1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

onעַל־'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

[the] best ofמֵיטַ֤בmei-TAVH4315
best

מֵיטָב (me.tav) 1) the best 1a) as superlative

the sheepהַצֹּאן֙ha-tzoNH6629G
flock

צֹאן (tson) 1) small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks 1a) small cattle (usually of sheep and goats) 1b) of multitude (simile) 1c) of multitude (metaphor)

and the cattleוְהַבָּקָ֔רve-ha-ba-KARH1241
cattle

בָּקָר (ba.qar) 1) cattle, herd, oxen, ox 1a) cattle (generic pl. but sing. in form-coll) 1b) herd (particular one) 1c) head of cattle (individually)

so asלְמַ֥עַןle-MA-'anH4616
because

מַ֫עַן (ma.an) 1) purpose, intent prep 1a) for the sake of 1b) in view of, on account of 1c) for the purpose of, to the intent that, in order to conj 1d) to the end that

to sacrifice [them]זְבֹ֖חַze-VO-achH2076
to sacrifice

דְּבַח (de.vach) (P'al) to sacrifice Aramaic of za.vach (זָבַח "to sacrifice" H2076)

to Yahwehלַיהוָ֣הla-YAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

God yourאֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ'e-lo-HEI-khaH0430G
God

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God" Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

the restהַיּוֹתֵ֖רhai-yo-TERH3148
advantage

יוֹתֵר (yo.ter) 1) superiority, advantage, excess adv 2) excess, better conj 3) besides, moreover, more

we totally destroyedהֶחֱרַֽמְנוּ׃ סhe-che-RAM-nuH2763A
to devote/destroy

חָרַם (cha.ram) 1) to ban, devote, destroy utterly, completely destroy, dedicate for destruction, exterminate 1a) (Hiphil) 1a1) to prohibit (for common use), ban 1a2) to consecrate, devote, dedicate for destruction 1a3) to exterminate, completely destroy 1b) (Hophal) 1b1) to be put under the ban, be devoted to destruction 1b2) to be devoted, be forfeited 1b3) to be completely destroyed

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.