1 Samuel 15:1-6

1 Samuel said to Saul, "The Lord sent me to appoint you king over Israel. Now listen to his message.
2 This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: 'When the Israelites came out of Egypt, the Amalekites tried to stop them from going to Canaan. So I will punish them.
3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and destroy everything they own as an offering to the Lord. Don't let anything live. Put to death men and women, children and small babies, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'"
4 So Saul called the army together at Telaim. There were two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah.
5 Then Saul went to the city of Amalek and set up an ambush in the ravine.
6 He said to the Kenites, "Go away. Leave the Amalekites so that I won't destroy you with them, because you showed kindness to the Israelites when they came out of Egypt." So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.

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.

Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.