God's Command to Destroy the Amalekites
Study note
Samuel reminded Saul that God had chosen him to be king and that he must obey God's voice. The Amalekites had attacked Israel from behind during the exodus from Egypt, targeting the weakest and most tired people. Now God told Saul to completely destroy everything belonging to the Amalekites as judgment for that ancient crime. Saul gathered a massive army of 210,000 soldiers and warned the Kenites to leave the area since they had been kind to Israel in the past.
1 One day Samuel said to Saul, "I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now pay attention, because I have a message for you from the Lord." 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.
2 "The Lord of Heaven's Armies says: 'I have not forgotten what the Amalekites did to Israel. They ambushed the Israelites on their way up from Egypt.'" Thus 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.
3 "Now go and attack the Amalekites. Destroy everything that belongs to them. Leave nothing alive: men and women, children and babies, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys. Wipe them out completely." Now 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.
4 Saul assembled the army and did a count at Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers plus ten thousand men from Judah. And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 Saul advanced to the main Amalekite city and set up an ambush in the valley. And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
Saul's Partial Obedience
Study note
Saul defeated the Amalekites but did not fully obey God's command. He captured King Agag alive instead of killing him. He also kept the best sheep, cattle, and lambs, destroying only what was worthless and unwanted. This partial obedience was really disobedience disguised as doing enough.
6 He sent a warning to the Kenites: "Get out of here. Move away from the Amalekites, or you will be destroyed along with them. You showed real kindness to the Israelites when they came up from Egypt." So the Kenites packed up and left. And 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.
7 Saul attacked the Amalekites. He swept across their land from Havilah all the way to Shur, near the Egyptian border. And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.
8 He captured Agag, the king of the Amalekites, alive. But he wiped out every other person with the sword. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
9 Saul and his soldiers spared Agag's life. They also kept the best sheep and cattle, the fattest calves and lambs, and everything else that looked valuable to them. They were perfectly willing to destroy the worthless and unwanted things, but they refused to destroy the good things. But 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.
Samuel Confronts Saul
Study note
God told Samuel he was sorry he had made Saul king because Saul had turned away from following God. Samuel was so upset that he cried out to the Lord all night. When Samuel found Saul the next day, Saul claimed he had obeyed God. Samuel's famous response was, 'What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears?' Saul blamed the people and claimed the animals were for sacrificing to God. Samuel delivered one of the most important teachings in the Bible: 'To obey is better than sacrifice.' He told Saul that rebellion against God is as serious as witchcraft, and stubbornness is like worshipping idols.
10 Then the Lord spoke to Samuel: Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,
11 "I am deeply sorry that I made Saul king. He has turned his back on me and has not carried out my instructions." This news hit Samuel hard. He spent the entire night crying out to the Lord. It 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.
12 Samuel got up early the next morning to find Saul. Someone told him, "Saul went to Carmel and set up a monument to honor himself. Then he moved on to Gilgal." And 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.
13 When Samuel finally caught up with Saul, Saul greeted him cheerfully: "The Lord bless you, Samuel! I carried out everything the Lord told me to do." And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.
14 Samuel replied, "Then what is that bleating noise I hear? What is that mooing of cattle I am hearing?" And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
15 Saul quickly explained, "The soldiers brought those back from the Amalekites. They kept the best sheep and cattle so they could sacrifice them to the Lord your God. Everything else we completely destroyed." 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 the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
16 Samuel cut him off. "Stop there! Let me tell you what the Lord told me last night." Saul said, "Go ahead." Then 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.
17 Samuel said, "There was a time when you thought of yourself as unimportant. But then the Lord made you the head of all the tribes of Israel. He anointed you to be king." And 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?
18 "The Lord gave you a specific mission. He said, 'Go and completely wipe out those wicked Amalekites. Fight them until not one of them is left.'" And 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.
19 "So why did you disobey the Lord? Why did you grab the best of the plunder and do what the Lord considers evil?" Wherefore 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?
20 Saul protested, "But I did obey the Lord! I went on the mission he gave me. I brought back Agag, the Amalekite king, and I destroyed everyone else." And 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.
21 "The soldiers took some sheep and cattle from the plunder, the very best of what was supposed to be destroyed. They planned to offer them as sacrifices to the Lord your God at Gilgal." But 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.
22 Samuel answered, "Does the Lord enjoy burnt offerings and sacrifices more than obedience? Obeying the Lord matters more than any sacrifice. Listening to him is worth more than offering the best rams." And 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.
23 "Rebellion against God is just as sinful as witchcraft. Stubbornness is just as bad as bowing down to idols. Because you threw away the Lord's word, the Lord has thrown you away as king." For 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.
God Tears the Kingdom from Saul
Study note
Saul confessed his sin but seemed more concerned about his reputation than about truly repenting. He begged Samuel to come back with him so the people would still respect him. As Samuel turned to leave, Saul grabbed the edge of his robe and tore it. Samuel used this as a picture of what God was doing: tearing the kingdom of Israel away from Saul and giving it to someone better. Samuel agreed to go back with Saul so Saul could worship the Lord.
24 Saul finally admitted, "I have sinned. I went against the Lord's command and against your instructions. I was afraid of what the people wanted, so I gave in to them." 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.
25 "Please forgive me for what I have done. Come back with me so that I can worship the Lord." Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.
26 Samuel refused. "I will not go back with you. You tossed aside the Lord's word, and the Lord has tossed you aside as king over Israel." And 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.
27 As Samuel turned to walk away, Saul reached out and grabbed the edge of Samuel's robe. It ripped. And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.
28 Samuel turned back and said, "The Lord has ripped the kingdom of Israel away from you today, just like that. He has given it to someone who is better than you." And 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.
29 "And by the way, the Strength of Israel does not lie or change his mind. He is not a human being who goes back and forth on his decisions." And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.
30 Saul begged, "I know I sinned. But please, at least honor me in front of the elders and the people. Come back with me so I can worship the Lord your God." Then 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.
31 So Samuel turned around and went back with Saul, and Saul bowed down and worshipped the Lord. So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD.
Samuel Puts Agag to Death
Study note
Samuel called for Agag, the Amalekite king. Agag came confidently, thinking the danger was over. But Samuel said, 'As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless.' Samuel then put Agag to death before the Lord at Gilgal. After this, Samuel went home to Ramah and did not see Saul again. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.
32 Then Samuel ordered, "Bring Agag, the Amalekite king, to me." Agag came forward with confidence, thinking to himself, "The worst must be behind me now." 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.
33 But Samuel said, "Your sword made mothers lose their children. Now your own mother will lose hers." And Samuel cut Agag down there before the Lord at Gilgal. And 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.
34 After that, Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul went home to Gibeah. Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
35 Samuel never went to see Saul again for the rest of his life. But Samuel grieved deeply over Saul. And the Lord was filled with regret that he had ever made Saul the king of Israel. And 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.