1 Samuel 28:18

18 It's because you did not obey God, refused to carry out his seething judgment on Amalek, that God does to you what he is doing today.

1 Samuel 28:18 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 28:18

Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord
At Gilgal, as Abarbinel thinks; which is the first thing for which the kingdom was threatened to be taken from him, ( 1 Samuel 13:13 1 Samuel 13:14 ) ;

nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek:
in sparing Agag, and the best of the cattle, ( 1 Samuel 15:9 1 Samuel 15:28 ) ;

therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day;
forsaken him, rent his kingdom from him, and would deliver him into the hands of the Philistines, as follows: had he been the true Samuel, he would have told him of some other sins of his, provoking to the Lord; as his slaughter of the priests at Nob, his cruel persecution of David, and especially of his asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit at this time, of which not a word is said, and yet was the very transgression for which Saul died, ( 1 Chronicles 10:13 1 Chronicles 10:14 ) .

1 Samuel 28:18 In-Context

16 "Why ask me?" said Samuel. "God has turned away from you and is now on the side of your neighbor.

17 God has done exactly what he told you through me - ripped the kingdom right out of your hands and given it to your neighbor.

18 It's because you did not obey God, refused to carry out his seething judgment on Amalek, that God does to you what he is doing today.

19 Worse yet, God is turning Israel, along with you, over to the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. And, yes, indeed, God is giving Israel's army up to the Philistines."

20 Saul dropped to the ground, felled like a tree, terrified by Samuel's words. There wasn't an ounce of strength left in him - he'd eaten nothing all day and all night.