1 Samuel 15:22

22 et ait Samuhel numquid vult Dominus holocausta aut victimas et non potius ut oboediatur voci Domini melior est enim oboedientia quam victimae et auscultare magis quam offerre adipem arietum

1 Samuel 15:22 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 15:22

And Samuel said
In reply to Saul:

hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in
obeying the voice of the Lord?
no, certainly, the one being merely ceremonial, the other moral; the one supposes sin committed, for which sacrifice is offered; the other moral, and is a compliance with the will of God, and is neither sinful, nor supposes anything sinful, and therefore must be the more acceptable:

behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat
of rams;
which always was claimed by the Lord as his right and due; or the fattest rams or best sacrifices, of whatever sort, whether burnt offerings, or sin offerings, or peace offerings; for had man obeyed the will of God, and not sinned, there would have been no need of sacrifice; and that was only acceptable to God when offered with a heart truly sensible of sin, and penitent for it, and in the faith of the great sacrifice of Christ, of which all sacrifices under the law were typical, and led unto.

1 Samuel 15:22 In-Context

20 et ait Saul ad Samuhelem immo audivi vocem Domini et ambulavi in via per quam misit me Dominus et adduxi Agag regem Amalech et Amalech interfeci

21 tulit autem populus de praeda oves et boves primitias eorum quae caesa sunt ut immolet Domino Deo suo in Galgalis

22 et ait Samuhel numquid vult Dominus holocausta aut victimas et non potius ut oboediatur voci Domini melior est enim oboedientia quam victimae et auscultare magis quam offerre adipem arietum

23 quoniam quasi peccatum ariolandi est repugnare et quasi scelus idolatriae nolle adquiescere pro eo ergo quod abiecisti sermonem Domini abiecit te ne sis rex

24 dixitque Saul ad Samuhel peccavi quia praevaricatus sum sermonem Domini et verba tua timens populum et oboediens voci eorum