1 Samuel 15:20

20 Saul said, "But I did obey the Lord. I did what the Lord told me to do. I destroyed all the Amalekites, and I brought back Agag their king.

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 on a mission. He said, 'Go and destroy those evil people, the Amalekites. Make war on them until all of them are dead.'

19 Why didn't you obey the Lord? Why did you take the best things? Why did you do what the Lord said was wrong?"

20 Saul said, "But I did obey the Lord. I did what the Lord told me to do. I destroyed all the Amalekites, and I brought back Agag their king.

21 The soldiers took the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal."

22 But Samuel answered, "What pleases the Lord more: burnt offerings and sacrifices or obedience to his voice? It is better to obey than to sacrifice. of sheep.