1 Samuel 15:1-11

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.

7 Then Saul defeated the Amalekites. He fought them all the way from Havilah to Shur, at the border of Egypt.

8 He took King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but he killed all of Agag's army with the sword.

9 Saul and the army let Agag live, along with the best sheep, fat cattle, and lambs. They let every good animal live, because they did not want to destroy them. But when they found an animal that was weak or useless, they killed it.

10 Then the Lord spoke his word to Samuel:

11 "I am sorry I made Saul king, because he has stopped following me and has not obeyed my commands." Samuel was upset, and he cried out to the Lord all night long.

1 Samuel 15:1-11 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.