1 Samuel 15:1

The LORD Is Sorry He Has Made Saul King

1 Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over his people Israel. So listen now to a message from him.

1 Samuel 15:1 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 15:1

Samuel also said unto Saul
When and where he said to him what follows, it is not easy to determine, perhaps at Gilgal, where they after met again:

the Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over
Israel;
that is, he gave him orders to anoint him king of Israel, otherwise Saul was in providence sent to Samuel to be anointed, and not Samuel to Saul:

now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord;
for so great a favour, and such high honour he had conferred on him, laid him under great obligation to obey the commands of the Lord; and whereas he had been deficient in one instance before, for which he had been reproved, he suggests, that now he should take care to observe and do, particularly and punctually, what should be enjoined him.

1 Samuel 15:1 In-Context

1 Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over his people Israel. So listen now to a message from him.

2 The LORD who rules over all says, 'I will punish the Amalekites because of what they did to Israel. As the people of Israel came up from Egypt, the Amalekites attacked them.

3 " 'Now go. Attack the Amalekites. Set everything apart that belongs to them. Set it apart to me in a special way to be destroyed. Do not spare the Amalekites. Put the men and women to death. Put the children and babies to death. Also kill the cattle, sheep, camels and donkeys.' "

4 So Saul brought his men together at Telaim. The total number was 200,000 soldiers on foot from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah.

5 He went to the city of Amalek. He had some of his men hide and wait in the valley.