1 Samuel 15:8

8 He took Agag the king of 'Amalek alive; but he completely destroyed the people, putting them to the sword.

1 Samuel 15:8 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 15:8

And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive
This name seems to be a common name of the kings of these people, as Pharaoh was of the Egyptians, see ( Numbers 24:2 ) . When this king fell into the hands of Saul, he did not put him to death, as he should have done, but preserved him; for what reasons, see in the following verse:

and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword;
that is, all that came in his way, or fell into his hands; all between Havilah and Shur; all excepting those that made their escape, for we after read of Amalekites, and that in large bodies, ( 1 Samuel 27:8 ) ( 30:1 ) .

1 Samuel 15:8 In-Context

6 Sha'ul said to the Keni, "Go away, withdraw, leave your homes there with the 'Amaleki. Otherwise, I might destroy you along with them, even though you were kind to all the people of Isra'el when they came out of Egypt. So the Keni went away from among the 'Amaleki.

7 Then Sha'ul attacked 'Amalek, starting at Havilah and continuing toward Shur, at the border of Egypt.

8 He took Agag the king of 'Amalek alive; but he completely destroyed the people, putting them to the sword.

9 However, Sha'ul and the people spared Agag, along with the best of the sheep and cattle, and even the second best, also the lambs, and everything that was good - they weren't inclined to destroy these things. But everything that was worthless or weak they completely destroyed.

10 Then the word of ADONAI came to Sh'mu'el: