1 Samuel 28:18

18 Because thou hast not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, nor didst the fierceness of His anger on Amalek -- therefore this thing hath Jehovah done to thee this day;

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 And Samuel saith, `And why dost thou ask me, and Jehovah hath turned aside from thee, and is thine enemy?

17 And Jehovah doth for Himself as He hath spoken by my hand, and Jehovah rendeth the kingdom out of thy hand, and giveth it to thy neighbour -- to David.

18 Because thou hast not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, nor didst the fierceness of His anger on Amalek -- therefore this thing hath Jehovah done to thee this day;

19 yea, Jehovah giveth also Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow thou and thy sons [are] with me; also the camp of Israel doth Jehovah give into the hand of the Philistines.'

20 And Saul hasteth and falleth -- the fulness of his stature -- to the earth, and feareth greatly because of the words of Samuel; also power was not in him, for he had not eaten bread all the day, and all the night.