1 Samuel 15:21

21 Forsooth the people took of the prey, sheep and oxen, the first fruits/the chief fruits of those things that be slain, that they make sacrifice to their Lord God in Gilgal. (But the people kept of the prey, sheep and oxen, the first fruits/the chief fruits of those things that should be killed, to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord their God here in Gilgal.)

1 Samuel 15:21 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 15:21

But the people took the spoil, the sheep and oxen
Still he continues to lay the blame on the people, when he, as king, ought to have restrained them:

the chief of the things, which should have been utterly destroyed;
this betrays him, and is an evidence against him; he could not plead ignorance, he knew and he owns, that according to the command of God they were all devoted to destruction; and therefore he ought not to have suffered the people to have spared any on whatsoever pretence, but to have seen all destroyed; but he was as deeply in it as they, and therefore palliates the thing, and endeavours to excuse them by observing, that their end was good, the service and glory of God, which perhaps were never thought of till now: namely,

to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal;
as peace offerings, by way of thanksgiving for the victory obtained, ( 1 Samuel 15:15 ) .

1 Samuel 15:21 In-Context

19 Why therefore heardest thou not the voice of the Lord, but thou were turned to the prey (but instead, thou took that prey), and (so) didest evil in the eyes of the Lord?

20 And Saul said to Samuel, Yes, I heard the voice of the Lord, and I have gone in the way, by which the Lord sent me, and I have brought Agag, the king of Amalek, and I have killed Amalek. (And Saul said to Samuel, Yes, I did listen to the Lord's voice, and I have gone on the way where he sent me, and I have brought Agag, the king of the Amalekites here, and I have killed all the other Amalekites.)

21 Forsooth the people took of the prey, sheep and oxen, the first fruits/the chief fruits of those things that be slain, that they make sacrifice to their Lord God in Gilgal. (But the people kept of the prey, sheep and oxen, the first fruits/the chief fruits of those things that should be killed, to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord their God here in Gilgal.)

22 And Samuel said, Whether the Lord will burnt sacrifices, either slain sacrifices, and not more, rather, that men obey to the voice of the Lord? (And Samuel said, Desireth the Lord burnt sacrifices, and slain sacrifices, or rather, that people obey his voice?) Forsooth obedience to him is better than sacrifices, and to take heed to his word is more than to offer the inner fatness of rams;

23 for it is as the sin of maumetry to fight against God's behest, and it is as the wickedness of idolatry to not assent to God's behest. Therefore for that, that thou castedest away the word of the Lord, the Lord casted thee away, that thou be not king. (for it is like the sin of idolatry to fight against God's command, and it is like the wickedness of idolatry to not assent to God's command. And so because thou hast thrown away the word of the Lord, the Lord hath thrown thee away, so that thou not be king.)