1 Samuel 15:13

13 Then Samuel came to Saul, and Saul offered burnt sacrifice to the Lord of the chief things of the preys, which he had brought from Amalek. And the while Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him, Blessed be thou of the Lord, I have [ful]filled the word of the Lord. (And when Samuel came to Saul, Saul was offering a burnt sacrifice to the Lord of the chief things of the prey which he had taken from the Amalekites. And when Samuel came over to Saul, Saul said to him, Blessed be thou of the Lord! I have fulfilled the word of the Lord.)

1 Samuel 15:13 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 15:13

And Samuel came to Saul
At Gilgal:

and Saul said unto him, blessed be thou of the Lord;
signifying that he had abundant reason to bless the Lord on his account, not only that he had anointed him king, but had sent him on such an errand, in which he had succeeded so well, and it was a pleasure to him that he might report it to him:

I have performed the commandment of the Lord;
either he was really ignorant that he had done amiss; and thought that his sparing Agag, when he had destroyed all the rest, and reserving some of the best of the cattle for sacrifice, could not be interpreted a breach of the orders given him; or if he was conscious he had broken the commandment of the Lord, this he said to prevent Samuel's reproof of him, and to sooth him with flattering words.

1 Samuel 15:13 In-Context

11 It repenteth me, that I made Saul king; for he hath forsaken me, and hath not fulfilled my words in work. And Samuel was sorry, and he cried to the Lord in all that night. (I repent, that is, I regret, that I made Saul king; for he hath deserted me, and hath not fulfilled my words in deeds. And Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the Lord all that night.)
12 And (then) when Samuel had risen up by night to go early to Saul, it was told to Samuel, that Saul had come into Carmel, and had raised up to him a sign of victory (and had raised up a victory monument for himself there); and that he had turned again from Amalek, and had passed forth, and had gone down into Gilgal.
13 Then Samuel came to Saul, and Saul offered burnt sacrifice to the Lord of the chief things of the preys, which he had brought from Amalek. And the while Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him, Blessed be thou of the Lord, I have [ful]filled the word of the Lord. (And when Samuel came to Saul, Saul was offering a burnt sacrifice to the Lord of the chief things of the prey which he had taken from the Amalekites. And when Samuel came over to Saul, Saul said to him, Blessed be thou of the Lord! I have fulfilled the word of the Lord.)
14 And Samuel said, And what is this voice of flocks (But what is this sound of the flocks), that soundeth in mine ears, and of (the) great beasts, which I hear?
15 And Saul said, They brought those from Amalek (They were taken from the Amalekites); for the people spared the best sheep and (the best) great beasts, that those should be offered to thy Lord God; and we killed the tother beasts.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.