1 Samuel 15
15
Saul Is Rejected as King
1 Then Samuel said to Saul, “I was the one the Lord sent to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now listen to what the Lord says.#tn Heb “to the voice of the words of the Lord” (so KJV). 2 Here is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘I carefully observed how the Amalekites opposed#tn Heb “what Amalek did to Israel, how he placed against him.” Israel along the way when Israel#tn Heb “he”; the referent (Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity. came up from Egypt. 3 So go now and strike down the Amalekites. Destroy everything that they have. Don’t spare#tn Or perhaps “don’t take pity on” (cf. CEV). them. Put them to death – man, woman, child, infant, ox, sheep, camel, and donkey alike.’”
4 So Saul assembled#tn Heb “caused the people to hear.” the army#tn Heb “people.” and mustered them at Telaim. There were 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. 5 Saul proceeded to the city#tc The LXX has the plural here, “cities.” of Amalek, where he set an ambush#tc The translation follows the LXX and Vulgate which assume a reading וַיָּאָרֶב (vayya’arev, “and he set an ambush,” from the root ארב [’rv] with quiescence of alef) rather than the MT, which has וַיָּרֶב (vayyareb, “and he contended,” from the root ריב [ryv]). in the wadi.#tn That is, “the dry stream bed.” 6 Saul said to the Kenites, “Go on and leave! Go down from among the Amalekites! Otherwise I will sweep you away#tc The translation follows the Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate which assume a reading אֶסִפְךָ (’esfÿka, “I sweep you away,” from the root ספה [sfh]) rather than the MT אֹסִפְךָ (’osifÿka, “I am gathering you,” from the root אסף[’sf]). with them! After all, you were kind to all the Israelites when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from among the Amalekites.
7 Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to#tn Heb “[as] you enter.” Shur, which is next to Egypt. 8 He captured King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but he executed all Agag’s people#tn Heb “all the people.” For clarity “Agag’s” has been supplied in the translation. with the sword. 9 However, Saul and the army spared Agag, along with the best of the flock, the cattle, the fatlings,#tn The Hebrew text is difficult here. We should probably read וְהַמַּשְׂמַנִּים (vÿhammasmannim, “the fat ones”) rather than the MT וְהַמִּשְׂנִים (vÿhammisnim, “the second ones”). However, if the MT is retained, the sense may be as the Jewish commentator Kimchi supposed: the second-born young, thought to be better than the firstlings. (For discussion see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 123-24.) and the lambs, as well as everything else that was of value.#tn Heb “good.” They were not willing to slaughter them. But they did slaughter everything that was despised#tc The MT has here the very odd form נְמִבְזָה (nÿmivzah), but this is apparently due to a scribal error. The translation follows instead the Niphal participle נִבְזָה (nivzah). and worthless.
10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from me and has not done what I told him to do.” Samuel became angry and he cried out to the Lord all that night.
12 Then Samuel got up early to meet Saul the next morning. But Samuel was informed, “Saul has gone to Carmel where#tn Heb “and look.” he is setting up a monument for himself. Then Samuel left#tn Heb “and he turned and crossed over.” and went down to Gilgal.”#tc At the end of v. 12 the LXX and one Old Latin ms include the following words not found in the MT: “to Saul. And behold, he was offering as a burnt offering to the Lord the best of the spoils that he had brought from the Amalekites.” 13 When Samuel came to him,#tn Heb “to Saul.” Saul said to him, “May the Lord bless you! I have done what the Lord said.”
14 Samuel replied, “If that is the case,#tn The words “if that is the case” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. then what is this sound of sheep in my ears and the sound of cattle that I hear?” 15 Saul said, “They were brought#tn Heb “they brought them.” from the Amalekites; the army spared the best of the flocks and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord our God. But everything else we slaughtered.”
16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait a minute!#tn Or perhaps “be quiet.” Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” Saul#tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading the singular (“he said”) rather than the plural (“they said”) of the Kethib.tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity. said to him, “Tell me.” 17 Samuel said, “Is it not true that when you were insignificant in your own eyes, you became head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord chose#tn Heb “anointed.” you as king over Israel. 18 The Lord sent you on a campaign#tn Heb “journey.” saying, ‘Go and exterminate those sinful Amalekites! Fight against them until you#tc The translation follows the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Targum in reading the second person singular suffix (“you”) rather than the third person plural suffix of the MT (“they”). have destroyed them.’ 19 Why haven’t you obeyed#tn Heb “listened to the voice of the Lord.” the Lord? Instead you have greedily rushed upon the plunder! You have done what is wrong in the Lord’s estimation.”#tn Heb “you have done what is evil in the eyes of the Lord.”
20 Then Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed#tn Heb “listened to the voice of the Lord.” the Lord! I went on the campaign#tn Heb “journey.” the Lord sent me on. I brought back King Agag of the Amalekites after exterminating the Amalekites. 21 But the army took from the plunder some of the sheep and cattle – the best of what was to be slaughtered – to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
22 Then Samuel said,
“Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as he does in obedience?#tn Heb “as [in] listening to the voice of the Lord.”
Certainly,#tn Heb “look.” obedience#tn Heb “listening.” is better than sacrifice;
paying attention is better than#tn The expression “is better” is understood here by ellipsis (see the immediately preceding statement). the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and presumption is like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as#tn Or “from [being].” king.”
24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have disobeyed what the Lord commanded#tn Heb “the mouth of the Lord.” and what you said as well.#tn Heb “and your words.” For I was afraid of the army, and I followed their wishes.#tn Heb “and I listened to their voice.” 25 Now please forgive my sin! Go back with me so I can worship#tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result. the Lord.”
26 Samuel said to Saul, “I will not go back with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel!”
27 When Samuel turned to leave, Saul#tn Heb “he,” but Saul is clearly the referent. A Qumran ms and the LXX include the name “Saul” here. grabbed the edge of his robe and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to one of your colleagues who is better than you! 29 The Preeminent One#tn Heb “splendor,” used here by metonymy as a title for the Lord. of Israel does not go back on his word#tn Or perhaps “does not lie.” or change his mind, for he is not a human being who changes his mind.”#sn This observation marks the preceding statement (v. 28) as an unconditional, unalterable decree. When God makes such a decree he will not alter it or change his mind. This does not mean that God never deviates from his stated intentions or changes his mind. On the contrary, several passages describe him as changing his mind. In fact, his willingness to do so is one of his fundamental divine attributes (see Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2). For a fuller discussion see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “Does God Change His Mind?” BSac 152 (1995): 387-99. 30 Saul#tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity. again replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel. Go back with me so I may worship the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel followed Saul back, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
Samuel Puts Agag to Death
32 Then Samuel said, “Bring me King Agag of the Amalekites.” So Agag came to him trembling,#tn The MT reading מַעֲדַנֹּת (ma’adannot, literally, “bonds,” used here adverbially, “in bonds”) is difficult. The word is found only here and in Job 38:31. Part of the problem lies in determining the root of the word. Some scholars have taken it to be from the root ענד (’nd, “to bind around”), but this assumes a metathesis of two of the letters of the root. Others take it from the root עדן (’dn) with the meaning “voluptuously,” but this does not seem to fit the context. It seems better to understand the word to be from the root מעד (m’d, “to totter” or “shake”). In that case it describes the fear that Agag experienced in realizing the mortal danger that he faced as he approached Samuel. This is the way that the LXX translators understood the word, rendering it by the Greek participle τρέμον (tremon, “trembling”). thinking to himself,#tn Heb “and Agag said.” “Surely death is bitter!”#tc The text is difficult here. With the LXX, two Old Latin mss, and the Syriac Peshitta it is probably preferable to delete סָר (sar, “is past”) of the MT; it looks suspiciously like a dittograph of the following word מַר (mar, “bitter”). This further affects the interpretation of Agag’s comment. In the MT he comes to Samuel confidently assured that the danger is over (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV “Surely the bitterness of death is past,” along with NLT, CEV). However, it seems more likely that Agag realized that his fortunes had suddenly taken a turn for the worse and that the clemency he had enjoyed from Saul would not be his lot from Samuel. The present translation thus understands Agag to approach not confidently but in the stark realization that his death is imminent (“Surely death is bitter!”). Cf. NAB “So it is bitter death!”; NRSV “Surely this is the bitterness of death”; TEV “What a bitter thing it is to die!” 33 Samuel said, “Just as your sword left women childless, so your mother will be the most bereaved among women!” Then Samuel hacked Agag to pieces there in Gilgal before the Lord.
34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, while Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Until the day he#tn That is, Samuel. died Samuel did not see Saul again. Samuel did, however, mourn for Saul, but the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.
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1 Samuel 15
15
Saul Defeats the Amalekites
1One day Samuel said to Saul, “It was the Lord who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the Lord! 2This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. 3Now go and completely destroy#15:3 The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering; also in 15:8, 9, 15, 18, 20, 21. the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”
4So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah. 5Then Saul and his army went to a town of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley. 6Saul sent this warning to the Kenites: “Move away from where the Amalekites live, or you will die with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites packed up and left.
7Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt. 8He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. 9Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.
The Lord Rejects Saul
10Then the Lord said to Samuel, 11“I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the Lord all night.
12Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.”
13When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. “May the Lord bless you,” he said. “I have carried out the Lord’s command!”
14“Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?” Samuel demanded.
15“It’s true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle,” Saul admitted. “But they are going to sacrifice them to the Lord your God. We have destroyed everything else.”
16Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! Listen to what the Lord told me last night!”
“What did he tell you?” Saul asked.
17And Samuel told him, “Although you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? The Lord has anointed you king of Israel. 18And the Lord sent you on a mission and told you, ‘Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, until they are all dead.’ 19Why haven’t you obeyed the Lord? Why did you rush for the plunder and do what was evil in the Lord’s sight?”
20“But I did obey the Lord,” Saul insisted. “I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else. 21Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
22But Samuel replied,
“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
23Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”
Saul Pleads for Forgiveness
24Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded. 25But now, please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the Lord.”
26But Samuel replied, “I will not go back with you! Since you have rejected the Lord’s command, he has rejected you as king of Israel.”
27As Samuel turned to go, Saul tried to hold him back and tore the hem of his robe. 28And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else—one who is better than you. 29And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!”
30Then Saul pleaded again, “I know I have sinned. But please, at least honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel by coming back with me so that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31So Samuel finally agreed and went back with him, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
Samuel Executes King Agag
32Then Samuel said, “Bring King Agag to me.” Agag arrived full of hope, for he thought, “Surely the worst is over, and I have been spared!”#15:32 Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek version read Agag arrived hesitantly, for he thought, “Surely this is the bitterness of death.” 33But Samuel said, “As your sword has killed the sons of many mothers, now your mother will be childless.” And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.
34Then Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his house at Gibeah of Saul. 35Samuel never went to meet with Saul again, but he mourned constantly for him. And the Lord was sorry he had ever made Saul king of Israel.
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