1 Samuel 15:1-6

Saul's Disobedience

1 Then Samuel said to Saul, "¹The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD.

2 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I will punish Amalek ²for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt.

3 'Now go and strike Amalek and ³utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but ⁴put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.' "

4 Then Saul summoned the people and numbered them in ⁵Telaim, 200,000 * foot soldiers and 10,000 * men of Judah.

5 Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley.

6 Saul said to ⁶the Kenites, "Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, so that I do not destroy you with them; for ⁷you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up from Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

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1 Samuel 15:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 15

In this chapter are recorded the order Saul had from the Lord to destroy Amalek utterly, 1Sa 15:1-3 the preparation he made to put it in execution, and the success thereof, 1Sa 15:4-9 the offence the Lord took at his not obeying his order thoroughly, with which Samuel was made acquainted, and which grieved him, 1Sa 15:10,11, upon which he went out to meet Saul, and reprove him; and a long discourse upon the subject passed between them, the issue of which was, that by an irrevocable decree he was rejected from being king, 1Sa 15:12-31 and the chapter is concluded with an account of Samuel's hewing in pieces Agag king of Amalek, and of his final departure from Saul, 1Sa 15:32-35.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 7

1. 1 Samuel 9:16; 1 Samuel 10:1
2. Exodus 17:8-16; Numbers 24:20; Deuteronomy 25:17-19
3. Numbers 24:20; Deuteronomy 20:16-18; Joshua 6:17-21
4. 1 Samuel 22:19
5. Joshua 15:24
6. Numbers 24:21; Judges 1:16; Judges 4:11
7. Exodus 18:9, 10; Numbers 10:29-32

Footnotes 3

[a]. Lit "sound of the words"
[b]. Or "visit"
[c]. Lit "mustered"