1 Samuel 28:18

18 Because thou didst not hearken unto the voice of the LORD nor execute his fierce wrath upon Amalek; therefore, the LORD has done this thing unto thee today.

1 Samuel 28:18 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 28:18

Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord
At Gilgal, as Abarbinel thinks; which is the first thing for which the kingdom was threatened to be taken from him, ( 1 Samuel 13:13 1 Samuel 13:14 ) ;

nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek:
in sparing Agag, and the best of the cattle, ( 1 Samuel 15:9 1 Samuel 15:28 ) ;

therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day;
forsaken him, rent his kingdom from him, and would deliver him into the hands of the Philistines, as follows: had he been the true Samuel, he would have told him of some other sins of his, provoking to the Lord; as his slaughter of the priests at Nob, his cruel persecution of David, and especially of his asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit at this time, of which not a word is said, and yet was the very transgression for which Saul died, ( 1 Chronicles 10:13 1 Chronicles 10:14 ) .

1 Samuel 28:18 In-Context

16 Then Samuel said, Why then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thy enemy?

17 The LORD, therefore, has done as he spoke by me! For the LORD has rent the kingdom out of thy hand and given it to thy neighbour, even to David.

18 Because thou didst not hearken unto the voice of the LORD nor execute his fierce wrath upon Amalek; therefore, the LORD has done this thing unto thee today.

19 And the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me; the LORD shall also deliver the camp of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.

20 Then Saul, as great as he was, fell suddenly to the earth and was sore afraid because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no bread all that day nor all that night.