1 Samuel 15:14

14 But Samuel said, "¹What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"

1 Samuel 15:14 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 15:14

And Samuel said, what meaneth then this bleating of the sheep
in mine ears
For the orders were to destroy all living creatures belonging to the Amalekites, ( 1 Samuel 15:3 ) if therefore Saul had performed the commandment of the Lord, as he said he had, from whence were these sheep Samuel heard bleating?

and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
where do they come from? these questions he put to convict him of the falsehood he had delivered; the bleating and lowing of these creatures proved him a liar, and were witnesses of his breach of the divine command; and one would think every bleating and lowing of these must alarm his conscience, unless dreadfully stupefied.

1 Samuel 15:14 In-Context

12 Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal."

13 Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the LORD ! I have carried out the command of the LORD ."

14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"

15 Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed."

16 Then Samuel said to Saul, "Wait, and let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night." And he said to him, "Speak!"

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 32:21-24

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "sound"
• [b]. Lit "sound"