1 Samuel 15:20

20 "I did obey the Lord," Saul replied. "I went out as he told me to, brought back King Agag, and killed all the Amalekites.

1 Samuel 15:20 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 15:20

And Saul said to Samuel, yea, I have obeyed the voice of the
Lord
Here Saul breaks in upon Samuel before he had declared all that the Lord had said unto him; for having expostulated with him for not obeying the voice of the Lord, he could not forbear interrupting him, but with the utmost assurance affirms he had obeyed the voice of the Lord; but then it was very imperfectly, and poor proof does he give of it:

and have gone the way which the Lord sent me;
it is very true he went into the country of Amalek, but he did not do there all the Lord commanded him:

and have brought Agag the king of Amalek;
took him alive, and brought him captive; whereas he ought to have destroyed him at once, and not have reserved him for triumph; a sad proof this of his obeying the voice of the Lord:

and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites;
all that came in his way, in which he did right; but then he had not destroyed the principal of them, their king.

1 Samuel 15:20 In-Context

18 and he sent you out with orders to destroy those wicked people of Amalek. He told you to fight until you had killed them all.
19 Why, then, did you not obey him? Why did you rush to grab the loot, and so do what displeases the Lord?"
20 "I did obey the Lord," Saul replied. "I went out as he told me to, brought back King Agag, and killed all the Amalekites.
21 But my men did not kill the best sheep and cattle that they captured; instead, they brought them here to Gilgal to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord your God."
22 Samuel said, "Which does the Lord prefer: obedience or offerings and sacrifices? It is better to obey him than to sacrifice the best sheep to him.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.