1 Samuel 15:25

25 So then, please pardon my sin and return with me {so that I can worship} Yahweh."

1 Samuel 15:25 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 15:25

Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin
It can hardly be thought that Saul was so ignorant as to imagine that Samuel could pardon his sin, as committed against God, which none but God can do, but that he would forgive it, so far as he had offended him; or rather his meaning is, that as he was a prophet of the Lord, and had great interest in him, that he would make use of it on his behalf, and pray to God that his sin might be forgiven him, and the sentence reversed concerning his rejection from the kingdom; which perhaps is the chief thing he means by the pardon of his sin, which sometimes means no more than averting a threatened judgment, or freedom from punishment:

and turn again with me;
to Gilgal, for he was come out from thence to meet Samuel, having heard that he was coming:

that I may worship the Lord:
by offering sacrifice, either in thankfulness for the victory obtained, or to atone for his sin, and seek pardon for it, or both; this he thought would be a motive and inducement to Samuel to go along with him.

1 Samuel 15:25 In-Context

23 For rebellion [is like] the sin of divination; arrogance [is like] iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, he has rejected you from [being] king!"
24 Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned because I have transgressed {the commandment of Yahweh} and your words, for I feared the troops and I listened to their voice.
25 So then, please pardon my sin and return with me {so that I can worship} Yahweh."
26 But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of Yahweh, and he has rejected you from being king over Israel!"
27 As Samuel turned around to go, he caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Literally "so that I can bow down to"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.