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1 Samuel
Chapter Fifteen
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 15
In
this chapter are recorded the order Saul had from the Lord to destroy Amalek
utterly
1 Samuel 15:1 the
preparation he made to put it in execution
and the success thereof
1 Samuel 15:4 the
offence the Lord took at his not obeying his order thoroughly
with which
Samuel was made acquainted
and which grieved him
1 Samuel 15:10
upon which he went out to meet Saul
and reprove him; and a long discourse upon
the subject passed between them
the issue of which was
that by an irrevocable
decree he was rejected from being king
1 Samuel 15:12 and
the chapter is concluded with an account of Samuel's hewing in pieces Agag king
of Amalek
and of his final departure from Saul
1 Samuel 15:32.
1 Samuel 15:1 Samuel also
said to Saul
“The Lord
sent me to anoint you king over His people
over Israel. Now therefore
heed
the voice of the words of the Lord.
YLT
1And Samuel saith unto Saul
`Me did Jehovah send to anoint thee for king over His people
over Israel; and
now
hearken to the voice of the words of Jehovah:
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 15:2 2 Thus
says the Lord
of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel
how he
ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt.
YLT
2`Thus said Jehovah of
Hosts
I have looked after that which Amalek did to Israel
that which he laid
for him in the way in his going up out of Egypt.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts
.... Of the celestial
host of angels
and of the army of Israel
yea
of all the armies of the earth:
this is premised to engage the attention of Saul:
I remember that which Amalek did to Israel; four hundred
years ago:
how he laid wait for him in the way when he came up from Egypt; in the valley
of Rephidim
just before they came to Mount Sinai
and fell upon the rear of
them
and smote the feeble
and faint
and weary
see Exodus 17:8
1 Samuel 15:3 3 Now
go and attack Amalek
and utterly destroy all that they have
and do not spare
them. But kill both man and woman
infant and nursing child
ox and sheep
camel and donkey.’”
YLT
3Now
go
and thou hast
smitten Amalek
and devoted all that it hath
and thou hast no pity on it
and
hast put to death from man unto woman
from infant unto suckling
from ox unto
sheep
from camel unto ass.'
Now go and smite Amalek
.... This was one of the
three things the Israelites were obliged to do when they came into the land of
Canaan
as Kimchi observes; one was
to appoint a king over them
another
to
build the house of the sanctuary
and the third
to blot out the name and
memory of Amalek
see Deuteronomy 25:19
and this work was reserved for Saul
their first king:
and utterly destroy all that they have
and spare them not; all were to
be devoted to destruction
and nothing remain to be made use of in any way
to
any profit and advantage; living creatures were to be put to death
and
everything else burnt and destroyed:
but slay both men and women
infant and suckling; neither sex
nor age were to be regarded
no mercy and pity shown to any; they had shown
none to Israel when weak and feeble
and by the law of retaliation none was to
be exercised on them:
ox and sheep
camel and ass; though useful creatures
yet not to be spared; as not men
women
and children
through commiseration
so neither these through covetousness
and neither of them on any pretence
whatsoever. Children suffered for their parents
and cattle because of their
owners
and both were a punishment to their proprietors; an ox
or any other
creature
might not be spared
lest it should be said
as Kimchi observes
this
was the spoil of Amalek
and so the name and memory of Amalek would not be
blotted out.
1 Samuel 15:4 4 So Saul gathered the
people together and numbered them in Telaim
two hundred thousand foot soldiers
and ten thousand men of Judah.
YLT
4And Saul summoneth the
people
and inspecteth them in Telaim
two hundred thousand footmen
and ten
thousand [are] men of Judah.
And Saul gathered the people together
.... Or
"made them to hear"F18וישמע
"audire fecit"
Vatablus
Drusius.
by the sound of a trumpet; or by
sending heralds into all parts of the land to proclaim the above order of the
Lord
and summon them to come to him
perhaps at Gilgal; so the Septuagint
version
and JosephusF19Antiqu. l. 6. c. 7. sect. 2. :
and numbered them in Telaim; thought to be the same
with Telem
a place in the tribe of Judah
Joshua 15:24
the
word signifies "lambs"; hence the Vulgate Latin version is
"he
numbered them as lambs;'and the JewsF20T. Bab. Yoma
fol. 22. 2.
Jarchi in loc. say
because it was forbid to number the children of Israel
which was the sin of David; therefore every man had a lamb given him
and so
the lambs were numbered
by which it was known what was the number of the
people; and the Targum says
this was done with the passover lambs
it being
now the time of the passover; but the numbering here made was not of the people
of the land in general
and so there was no occasion of such a precaution
only
a numbering and mustering of the army when got together and rendezvoused in one
place: the sum of which is here given:
two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah; which last
were reckoned separately
as distinct from the other tribes of Israel
to show
their obedience to Saul
who was of another tribe
though the kingdom was promised
to theirs; but R. Isaiah observes
that the reason why so few of the men of
Judah came
in comparison of the other tribes
was
because they envied the
government being in one of the tribe of Benjamin
when they thought it should
have been in one of theirs; the number is greatly increased in the Septuagint
version
which makes the whole to be 400
000
and 30
000 men of Judah; and so
JosephusF21Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 7. sect. 2.) .
1 Samuel 15:5 5 And Saul came to a city of
Amalek
and lay in wait in the valley.
YLT
5And Saul cometh in unto a
city of Amalek
and layeth wait in a valley;
And Saul came to a city of Amalek
.... With his army
perhaps the nearest city of it to the land of Israel; though some think that
Amalek was the name of the city
and was the metropolis of the nation
and had
its name from thence: and laid wait in the valley; which was near the city
to
intercept the inhabitants when they should come out against him: or "he
contended"F23וירב "et certavit
Pagninus"; "ut contenderet cum eo"
Junius & Tremellius. as
some render it
he fought with them there; the Targum
"he ordered his
army
'set them in battle array
or pitched his camp there.
1 Samuel 15:6 6 Then Saul said to the
Kenites
“Go
depart
get down from among the Amalekites
lest I destroy you
with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came
up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
YLT
6and Saul saith unto the
Kenite
`Go
turn aside
go down from the midst of Amalek
lest I consume thee
with it
and thou didst kindness with all the sons of Israel
in their going up
out of Egypt;' and the Kenite turneth aside from the midst of Amalek.
And Saul said unto the Kenites
.... Who were of the
posterity of Jethro the father-in-law of Moses
or related to him; why JosephusF24Ut
supra
(Antiqu. l. 6. c. 7.) sect. 3. calls them the nation of the Sicimites
who dwelt in the midst of the land of Midian
I know not:
go
depart
get ye down from among the Amalekites; for though
some of these people came with Israel into the land of Canaan
and were first
at Jericho
and then came into the wilderness of Judah
Judges 1:16 and
were in other tribes also; yet as they removed from place to place
and from
country to country
for the convenience of their flocks and herds
they
dwelling in tents
might come into the country of Amalek and pitch there
and
as they chose to dwell in rocks
and the caverns of them
to be near their
flocks and herds in the valleys
they are called upon to get down from thence
see Numbers 24:21.
lest I destroy you with them; they dwelling among the
Amalekites
might perish with them; and especially as the Amalekites
upon
their being routed
would naturally flee to the rocks
hills
and mountains
where these people had their tents
they would be in the greater danger of
being destroyed with them
unless they removed:
for ye showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they
came up out of Egypt; as Jethro
by the advice he gave to Moses to appoint proper
officers in Israel
and Hobab
by being eyes to the people
in conducting them
through the wilderness
and accompanying them to the land of Canaan:
so the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites; took the
advice of Saul
and removed and pitched their tents
elsewhere.
1 Samuel 15:7 7 And Saul attacked the
Amalekites
from Havilah all the way to Shur
which is east of Egypt.
YLT
7And Saul smiteth Amalek
from Havilah -- thy going in to Shur
which [is] on the front of Egypt
And Saul smote the Amalekites
.... Engaging in battle
with them
he overcame them
and beat them
and slew great numbers of them:
from Havilah until thou comest to Shur
that is over against Egypt; having routed
them in the valley
or in whatsoever place the battle was fought
he pursued
them from one end of their country to the other; from Havilah
which lay to the
northeast
to Shur
which lay to the southwest
and destroyed all that came in
his way between those two points
see Genesis 25:18.
1 Samuel 15:8 8 He also took Agag king of
the Amalekites alive
and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the
sword.
YLT
8and he catcheth Agag king
of Amalek alive
and all the people he hath devoted by the mouth of the sword;
And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive
.... This name
seems to be a common name of the kings of these people
as Pharaoh was of the
Egyptians
see Numbers 24:2. When
this king fell into the hands of Saul
he did not put him to death
as he
should have done
but preserved him; for what reasons
see in the following
verse:
and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword; that is
all
that came in his way
or fell into his hands; all between Havilah and Shur; all
excepting those that made their escape
for we after read of Amalekites
and
that in large bodies
1 Samuel 27:8.
1 Samuel 15:9 9 But Saul and the people
spared Agag and the best of the sheep
the oxen
the fatlings
the lambs
and
all that was good
and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But
everything despised and worthless
that they utterly destroyed.
YLT
9and Saul hath pity -- also
the people -- on Agag
and on the best of the flock
and of the herd
and of
the seconds
and on the lambs
and on all that [is] good
and have not been
willing to devote them; and all the work
despised and wasted -- it they
devoted.
And Saul and all the people spared Agag
.... Perhaps
Saul made the motion to spare him
and the people agreed to it; it may be
out
of respect to him as a king; or because of the comeliness of his person
the
height of his stature
and the largeness of his body
as JosephusF25Ut
supra
(Antiqu. l. 6. c. 7.) sect. 2. notes; or to carry him in triumph in a
public show
see 1 Samuel 15:12.
and the best of the sheep
and of the oxen
and of the fatlings; or "of
the second sort"
as in the margin
the second best; or rather which shed
their two long teeth
as sheep at two years old did when reckoned at their full
strength
and fittest for sacrificeF26Bidentes
Virgil. Aeneid. l.
6. ver. 39. Vid. Servium in ib. :
and the lambs
and all that was good
and would not utterly
destroy them; as they were commanded
but kept them for their own private use
and advantage
and this not only the best and fattest of the flocks and herds
but of their household goods:
but everything that was vile and refuse
that they destroyed
utterly: such of the cattle that were poor and lean
lame or blind
or
had any defect in them
and household goods that were mere rubbish and lumber;
such they entirely destroyed
killed the creatures
and burnt the goods; in
doing which they thought they fulfilled the will of God.
1 Samuel 15:10 10 Now the word of the Lord came to
Samuel
saying
YLT
10And the word of Jehovah is
unto Samuel
saying
Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel
.... The word
of prophecy
as the Targum; this came to him in a dream or vision
or by an
articulate voice:
saying; as follows.
1 Samuel 15:11 11 “I greatly regret that I
have set up Saul as king
for he has turned back from following Me
and
has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel
and he cried out to
the Lord
all night.
YLT
11`I have repented that I
caused Saul to reign for king
for he hath turned back from after Me
and My
words he hath not performed;' and it is displeasing to Samuel
and he crieth
unto Jehovah all the night.
It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king
.... Which is
not to be understood of any change of mind
counsel
purpose
or decree in God
which is not consistent with his unchangeable nature; but of a change of
dispensation
and outward dealings
and is spoken after the manner of men
who
when they repent of anything
change the course of their conduct and behaviour;
and so the Lord does without any change of his mind and will
which alters not;
and though he changes the outward dispensations of his providence
yet he never
changes and alters in the matters and methods of his grace; though he repented
he made Saul king
he never repents of his making his saints kings and priests
for himself; his outward gifts he sometimes takes away
as an earthly crown and
kingdom; but his gifts and calling
which are of special grace
are without
repentance; see Gill on Genesis 6:6.
for he is turned back from following me; from after my
worship
as the Targum
from doing his will and work:
and hath not performed my commandments: particularly
in this affair relating to Amalek:
and it grieved Samuel; that Saul should so soon
be rejected from being king
and that he should do anything to deserve it; and
whom Samuel had anointed king
and for whom he had a cordial respect
and to
whom he wished well
both for his own personal good
and for the good of the
people of Israel; so far was he from rejoicing at his fall
who came in his
stead
and to whom he gave way in the affair of government:
and he cried unto the Lord all night; or prayed
as
the Targum; either that the Lord would inform him of the particulars wherein
Saul had done amiss
or that he would forgive his sin
and not reject him from
the kingdom.
1 Samuel 15:12 12 So when Samuel rose early
in the morning to meet Saul
it was told Samuel
saying
“Saul went to Carmel
and indeed
he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around
passed
by
and gone down to Gilgal.”
YLT
12And Samuel riseth early to
meet Saul in the morning
and it is declared to Samuel
saying
`Saul hath come
in to Carmel
and lo
he is setting up to himself a monument
and goeth round
and passeth over
and goeth down to Gilgal.'
And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning
.... Having
had no sleep since the revelation of the will of God was made unto him
and
therefore rose early
being in haste to converse with Saul about it:
it was told Samuel
saying
Saul came to Carmel; not to Carmel
where Elijah offered sacrifice
for that was very remote from hence; but to
Carmel
a city in the tribe of Judah
which lay in the way of Saul's return
from Amalek
Joshua 15:55.
and
behold
he set him up a place; to divide his spoil in
as the Targum; or to encamp in
as Kimchi; or to build an altar on
as Jarchi
who takes it to be the same that Elisha after repaired; but
as before
observed
this place was at a great distance from Mount Carmel where Elijah
sacrificed. The word for a "place" signifies a hand; and
according
to the Vulgate Latin version
it was a triumphal arch
and was perhaps an
obelisk or pillar
a trophy or monument erected in memory of the victory he had
obtained over the Amalekites. So Jerom saysF1Heb. Trad. in lib. Reg.
fol. 76. B.
when a victory was obtained
they used to make an arch of myrtle
palm
and olive branches
a sign of it; these trophies were sometimes of brass
sometimes of marble; some were only heaps of stones
others a remarkable tree
with the branches cut offF2Vid. Alex. ab. Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 1.
c. 22. so the pillar Absalom erected is called his hand
2 Samuel 18:18.
and is gone about
and passed on
and gone down to Gilgal; he took a
circuit
and moved in great pomp and parade
carrying the king of the
Amalekites in triumph with him
and the spoil he had taken and reserves. To
Gilgal be went
expecting to meet Samuel there
and offer up peace offerings to
the Lord for the victory he had got.
1 Samuel 15:13 13 Then Samuel went to Saul
and Saul said to him
“Blessed are you of the Lord! I have
performed the commandment of the Lord.”
YLT
13And Samuel cometh in unto
Saul
and Saul saith to him
`Blessed [art] thou of Jehovah; I have performed
the word of Jehovah.'
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 15:14 14 But Samuel said
“What
then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears
and the lowing of the
oxen which I hear?”
YLT
14And Samuel saith
`And what
[is] the noise of this flock in mine ears -- and the noise of the herd which I
am hearing?'
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 15:15 15 And Saul said
“They have
brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep
and the oxen
to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we
have utterly destroyed.”
YLT
15And Saul saith
`From
Amalek they have brought them
because the people had pity on the best of the
flock
and of the herd
in order to sacrifice to Jehovah thy God
and the
remnant we have devoted.'
And Saul said
they have brought them from the Amalekites
.... That is
the people
laying the blame upon them
as Adam did on his wife
as if he had
no concern at all in it
when it is clear from 1 Samuel 15:9 he
was the principal one; nor is it probable the people should do this of
themselves
without his consent and authority
which was so directly contrary
to the express order of God; and then to excuse the people as well as he could
on whom he laid the blame
he observes this was not done for their own private
profit and advantage
but for the service and worship of God:
for the people spared the best of the sheep
and of the oxen
to
sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; by way of gratitude and thankfulness for
the victory they had obtained; and therefore
since they had so good an end and
design in sparing what they had
and those the best and fittest for sacrifice
he hoped they would easily be excused; and that the prophet would use his best
interest with the Lord
who was his God
to whom they designed to do honour
that he would overlook what was amiss in them:
and the rest we have utterly destroyed; as they were
commanded; but then it was only the vile and the refuse
the best they had
reserved for their own use; though he now coloured it with this specious
pretence of sacrificing to God
when he found it was taken notice of
and was
resented.
1 Samuel 15:16 16 Then Samuel said to Saul
“Be quiet! And I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” And
he said to him
“Speak on.”
YLT
16And Samuel saith unto Saul
`Desist
and I declare to thee that which Jehovah hath spoken unto me
to-night;' and he saith to him
`Speak.'
Then Samuel said unto Saul
stay
.... Stop a little
do
not be in haste to be gone
as he might seem to be
fearing a reproof
and that
something would be said to him not very agreeable; or "suffer"F3הרף "permitte"
Pagninus
Montanus; "sine
me"
V. L. so Abarbinel. me
that is
to speak
give me leave to say a few
words; for Saul being a king
Samuel treats him as such
and asks audience of
him
or leave of him to deliver what he had to say to him:
and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night; and since it
was not anything from himself
but from the Lord
he had to say
he might
expect the rather to be heard
and especially since it was what had lately
even that very night
been told him:
and he said unto him
say on; he gave him leave
perhaps hoping he should hear something said in his praise
commending him for
what he had done in destroying the nation of Amalek
see Luke 7:40. There is
a double reading of this clause
the Cetib or textural reading is
"and
they said unto him"; meaning Saul
and the elders with him; the Keri
or
marginal reading is
which we follow
"and he said unto him"; meaning
Saul
as Kimchi notes.
1 Samuel 15:17 17 So Samuel said
“When you were
little in your own eyes
were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And
did not the Lord
anoint you king over Israel?
YLT
17And Samuel saith
`Art not
thou
if thou [art] little in thine own eyes
head of the tribes of Israel? and
Jehovah doth anoint thee for king over Israel
And Samuel said
when thou wast little in thine own sight
.... Humble
and lowly
and had a mean opinion of himself
his family and tribe
and judged himself
unworthy of the kingdom; see 1 Samuel 9:21
suggesting
that now he was proud and haughty
and would have his own will and
way:
wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel; not of his
own tribe only
which was the least
but of all the tribes
and so they were
all subject to him
and at his command:
and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel; all which is
observed
partly to point out unto him the high honour he was raised unto
from
a low estate
which laid him under obligation to serve the Lord
and obey him;
and partly as an answer to him
excusing himself
and laying the blame upon the
people; whereas seeing he was made king over them
his business was to rule and
govern them
guide and direct them in the right way
and restrain them from
that which was evil; and since he was anointed by the Lord
and not by the
people
he ought to have obeyed him
and not regarded the pleasure of them.
1 Samuel 15:18 18 Now the Lord sent you on a
mission
and said
‘Go
and utterly destroy the sinners
the Amalekites
and
fight against them until they are consumed.’
YLT
18and Jehovah sendeth thee in
the way
and saith
Go
and thou hast devoted the sinners
the Amalekite
and
fought against them till they are consumed;
And the Lord sent thee on a journey
.... And therefore he
ought to have attended to the errand sent upon
and executed the orders given;
in vain
therefore
was it to lay the blame on the people:
and said
go
and utterly destroy the sinners
the Amalekites; those
notorious sinners
who deserve no mercy at the hands of God or men; who had so
highly offended the Lord
and had been so injurious to his people at their
first coming out of Egypt. The orders were plain
not to be mistaken
and full
and strong for the utter destruction of them without any exception
and
therefore nothing could be pleaded in excuse for the violation of them:
and fight against them until they be consumed; entirely;
they were not to be left until an end was made of them; or "until they had
consumed them"F4עד כלו־תאם א־תאם "donec
consumant ipsi eos"
Pagninus; so Vatablus.
the people of Israel
or the
soldiers with Saul.
1 Samuel 15:19 19 Why then did you not obey
the voice of the Lord?
Why did you swoop down on the spoil
and do evil in the sight of the Lord?”
YLT
19and why hast thou not
hearkened to the voice of Jehovah -- and dost fly unto the spoil
and dost do
the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah?'
Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord
.... Who had
made him king
and sent him on this errand
and gave him such plain directions
and such strong orders to make an entire consumption of Amalek:
but didst fly upon the spoil; like a bird of prey
such as an eagle or vulture
not to devote it to the Lord
by an entire
destruction of it
but to seize it for his own use
as being greedily desirous
and covetous of it:
and didst evil in the sight of the Lord? by disobeying
his commands
from whose sight nothing can be hid.
1 Samuel 15:20 20 And Saul said to Samuel
“But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord
and gone on the mission
on which the Lord
sent me
and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the
Amalekites.
YLT
20And Saul saith unto Samuel
`Because -- I have hearkened to the voice of Jehovah
and I go in the way which
Jehovah hath sent me
and bring in Agag king of Amalek
and Amalek I have
devoted;
And Saul said to Samuel
yea
I have obeyed the voice of the Lord
.... Here Saul
breaks in upon Samuel before he had declared all that the Lord had said unto
him; for having expostulated with him for not obeying the voice of the Lord
he
could not forbear interrupting him
but with the utmost assurance affirms he
had obeyed the voice of the Lord; but then it was very imperfectly
and poor
proof does he give of it:
and have gone the way which the Lord sent me; it is very
true he went into the country of Amalek
but he did not do there all the Lord
commanded him:
and have brought Agag the king of Amalek; took him
alive
and brought him captive; whereas he ought to have destroyed him at once
and not have reserved him for triumph; a sad proof this of his obeying the
voice of the Lord:
and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites; all that came
in his way
in which he did right; but then he had not destroyed the principal
of them
their king.
1 Samuel 15:21 21 But the people took of the
plunder
sheep and oxen
the best of the things which should have been utterly
destroyed
to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
YLT
21and the people taketh of
the spoil of the flock and herd
the first part of the devoted thing
for
sacrifice to Jehovah thy God in Gilgal.'
But the people took the spoil
the sheep and oxen
.... Still he
continues to lay the blame on the people
when he
as king
ought to have
restrained them:
the chief of the things
which should have been utterly destroyed; this betrays
him
and is an evidence against him; he could not plead ignorance
he knew and
he owns
that according to the command of God they were all devoted to
destruction; and therefore he ought not to have suffered the people to have
spared any on whatsoever pretence
but to have seen all destroyed; but he was
as deeply in it as they
and therefore palliates the thing
and endeavours to
excuse them by observing
that their end was good
the service and glory of
God
which perhaps were never thought of till now: namely:
to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal; as peace
offerings
by way of thanksgiving for the victory obtained
1 Samuel 15:15.
1 Samuel 15:22 22 So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great
delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold
to
obey is better than sacrifice
And to heed than the fat of rams.
YLT
22And Samuel saith
`Hath
Jehovah had delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as [in] hearkening to the
voice of Jehovah? lo
hearkening than sacrifice is better; to give attention
than fat of rams;
And Samuel said
.... In reply to Saul:
hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as in obeying the voice of the Lord? no
certainly
the one
being merely ceremonial
the other moral; the one supposes sin committed
for
which sacrifice is offered; the other moral
and is a compliance with the will
of God
and is neither sinful
nor supposes anything sinful
and therefore must
be the more acceptable:
behold
to obey is better than sacrifice
and to hearken than the
fat of rams; which always was claimed by the Lord as his right and due; or
the fattest rams or best sacrifices
of whatever sort
whether burnt offerings
or sin offerings
or peace offerings; for had man obeyed the will of God
and
not sinned
there would have been no need of sacrifice; and that was only
acceptable to God when offered with a heart truly sensible of sin
and penitent
for it
and in the faith of the great sacrifice of Christ
of which all
sacrifices under the law were typical
and led unto.
1 Samuel 15:23 23 For rebellion is as
the sin of witchcraft
And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because
you have rejected the word of the Lord
He also has rejected you
from being king.”
YLT
23for a sin of divination
[is] rebellion
and iniquity and teraphim [is] stubbornness; because thou hast
rejected the word of Jehovah
He also doth reject thee from [being] king.'
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft
.... Or
divinationF5חטאת קסם
"peccatum divinationis"
Pagninus
Montanus
Vatablus;
"ariolandi"
V. L. "magiae"
Munster
Tigurine version.
in whatsoever way it was exercised; for there were various sorts of it among
the Heathens
and all condemned by the law of God
Deuteronomy 18:10.
Now rebellion against God
or disobeying his commands
though in things
otherwise
were they not forbidden by him
lawful to be done
is as heinous a
sin as to be guilty of witchcraft
or any kind of divination forbidden by the
law of God
and deserves as sore a punishment:
and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry: for a man
when he has committed a sin
to persist in it obstinately
or to vindicate
himself in it
and insist on his innocence
which was Saul's case
is as
hateful to God as any iniquity whatever; yea
as bad as idolatry
or making use
of the teraphim
as is the word here; of which see Hosea 3:4 than
which nothing is more abominable to the Lord:
because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord; disregarded
his command
treated it with contempt and abhorrence:
he hath rejected thee from being king; not actually
for he continued to exercise kingly power and authority to his death
and was
treated as a king by his subjects
and even by David
though anointed by the
Lord; but the sentence of rejection was pronounced upon him
and the bestowal
of the government on his posterity was cut off.
1 Samuel 15:24 24 Then
Saul said to Samuel
“I have sinned
for I have transgressed the commandment of
the Lord
and your words
because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.
YLT
24And Saul saith unto Samuel
`I have sinned
for I passed over the command of Jehovah
and thy words;
because I have feared the people
I also hearken to their voice;
And Saul said unto Samuel
I have sinned
.... This
confession of his sin does not appear to be ingenuous
cordial
and sincere
and was made chiefly for the sake of getting the sentence of rejecting him from
being king reversed:
for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord
and thy words; which last
seems to be added to collogue with Samuel
and to ingratiate himself with him;
and Abarbinel thinks that Saul suspected that Samuel had aggravated the matter
of himself
and that he did not really transgress the words of the Lord
but as
the words of Samuel; and therefore according to the words of Samuel he had
sinned
but not according to the words of the Lord only:
because I feared the people; Doeg the Edomite
who
was reckoned as all of them
Jarchi says: this was a mere excuse of Saul's
he
stood in no fear of the people
he kept them in awe
and did as he would with
them
as a sovereign prince:
and obeyed their voice; in sparing the best of
the cattle; so be pretended
when it was his own will
and the effect of his
covetousness.
1 Samuel 15:25 25 Now
therefore
please pardon my sin
and return with me
that I may worship the Lord.”
YLT
25and now
bear
I pray thee
with my sin
and turn back with me
and I bow myself to Jehovah.'
Now therefore
I pray thee
pardon my sin
.... It can
hardly be thought that Saul was so ignorant as to imagine that Samuel could
pardon his sin
as committed against God
which none but God can do
but that
he would forgive it
so far as he had offended him; or rather his meaning is
that as he was a prophet of the Lord
and had great interest in him
that he
would make use of it on his behalf
and pray to God that his sin might be
forgiven him
and the sentence reversed concerning his rejection from the
kingdom; which perhaps is the chief thing he means by the pardon of his sin
which sometimes means no more than averting a threatened judgment
or freedom
from punishment:
and turn again with me; to Gilgal
for he was
come out from thence to meet Samuel
having heard that he was coming:
that I may worship the Lord: by offering sacrifice
either in thankfulness for the victory obtained
or to atone for his sin
and
seek pardon for it
or both; this he thought would be a motive and inducement
to Samuel to go along with him.
1 Samuel 15:26 26 But Samuel said to Saul
“I will not return with you
for you have rejected the word of the Lord
and the Lord has rejected
you from being king over Israel.”
YLT
26And Samuel saith unto Saul
`I do not turn back with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah
and
Jehovah doth reject thee from being king over Israel.'
And Samuel said unto Saul
I will not return with thee
.... Not being
satisfied with his repentance and confession
he still extenuating his sin
and
laying the blame of it on the people. This he said by way of resentment
and as
expressing his indignation at him
though he afterwards did return with him on
a change of his mind; which a good man may be allowed to make
without any
imputation of falsehood or a lie unto him:
for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord
and the Lord hath
rejected thee from being king over Israel; which is repeated from 1 Samuel 15:23 for
the confirmation of it
and to let Saul know that his pretended confession and
repentance had made no alteration in the decree and sentence of God respecting
the kingdom.
1 Samuel 15:27 27 And as Samuel turned
around to go away
Saul seized the edge of his robe
and it tore.
YLT
27And Samuel turneth round to
go
and he layeth hold on the skirt of his upper robe -- and it is rent!
And as Samuel turned about to go away
.... From
Saul
a different way from Gilgal
perhaps towards his own city Ramah
with an
intention to have nothing more to say to Saul
or to do with him
or to see his
face no more; so displeased was he with him:
he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle; in order to
detain him
and prevent his departure from him
and his going a different way:
and it rent; Samuel twitching away from him with great vehemence and warmth.
The JewishF6Midrash Schemuel
sect. 18. apud Jarchi
Kimchi &
Abarbinel in loc. Rabbins are divided about this
whose skirt was rent; some
say it was Samuel that rent the skirt of Saul
and by this signified to him
that he that cut off the skirt of his garment should reign in his stead;
whereby Saul knew that David would be king when he cut off the skirt of his
robe
1 Samuel 24:4
others
that Samuel rent the skirt of his own mantle himself
which is the way
of good men when things are not right; but the plain sense is
that Saul rent
the skirt of Samuel's mantle
which
when Samuel saw
he understood what that
rent was a sign of
as expressed in the following verse.
1 Samuel 15:28 28 So Samuel said to him
“The Lord
has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today
and has given it to a neighbor
of yours
who is better than you.
YLT
28And Samuel saith unto him
`Jehovah hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee to-day
and given it to thy
neighbour who is better than thou;
And Samuel said unto him
the Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel
from thee this day
.... Seeing his mantle rent by Saul
he took occasion from thence
to predict
and no doubt it was impressed on his mind by the Spirit of God
that his kingdom should be in a like manner rent from him
on account of his
own evil conduct and behaviour; and from this day forward he might expect it;
the sentence was gone forth from God
and it would not be reversed; and by a
like sign was signified the rending of the ten tribes from the kingdom of
Solomon in his son Rehoboam
1 Kings 11:30
and hath given it to a neighbour of thine
that is better than
thou; who was David
a man after God's own heart
that would fulfil
his will
who was more holy
just
and wise than Saul; whose works were better
and righter than his
as the Targum; who was an Israelite
of the same nation
and religion as he
and so his neighbour; and though he was not of the same
tribe
yet of a neighbouring tribe; Benjamin
and Judah
of which tribe David
was
joining closely to one another. It is highly probable that at this time
Samuel knew not personally who he was that was designed to be made king in his
room
though under the direction of the Spirit of God he thus describes him;
for after this he is bid to go to Jesse's family
from thence to anoint a king
and several passed before him ere the Lord pointed out the proper person to
him.
1 Samuel 15:29 29 And also the Strength of
Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man
that He should
relent.”
YLT
29and also
the Pre-eminence
of Israel doth not lie nor repent
for He [is] not a man to be penitent.'
And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent
.... Neither
of the evil which he had threatened to Saul in taking away the kingdom from
him; nor of the good which he had promised to David in giving it to him; nor of
his purpose and promise to Israel to protect and defend them
save and deliver
them from the Philistines
and continue them a nation and kingdom: and for the
confirmation of all this
this title or character of the Lord is given
"the Strength of Israel"; hence he cannot lie
which is the effect of
weakness; nor repent or change his mind
as men do
when something unforeseen
arises
which hinders the execution of their first design
and which through
weakness they cannot surmount: and hence God would support Israel as a nation
and strengthen them against their enemies
and work deliverance and salvation
for them: or "the victory of Israel"F17נצח
ישראל "victoria Israel"
Montanus
Vatablus
Piscator; "victor Israelis"
Tigurine version. ; the author
of Israel's victories
and to whom they are to be ascribed
and who is able to
give them more
and would; and as he did especially by David
to whom the
kingdom is promised: or "the eternity of Israel"F18"Aeternitas
Israelis"
Junius & Tremellius. ; that gives firmness
permanency
and
duration to them; all which is true of Israel in a spiritual sense; he gives
them spiritual strength
victory over their enemies
sin
Satan
and the world
permanent duration
everlasting salvation
immortality
and eternal life:
for he is not a man
that he should repent; men are weak
and feeble
and cannot perform what they purpose or promise
and therefore
repent; but God
the Strength of Israel
is able to perform whatever he has
purposed or promised
and therefore repents not; men are changeable in their
minds
and repent of their first thoughts and designs; but God is unchangeable
and never alters his counsels
breaks his covenant
reverses his blessings
repents of his gifts
nor changes his affections to his Israel. Abarbinel says
this may be understood of Saul
and so be given as a reason why God would not
repent of the evil he had threatened him with
because he was a man that
repented not of his sin; but the first sense is best
and agrees with and is
confirmed by Numbers 23:19.
1 Samuel 15:30 30 Then he said
“I have
sinned; yet honor me now
please
before the elders of my people and
before Israel
and return with me
that I may worship the Lord your God.”
YLT
30And he saith
`I have
sinned; now
honour me
I pray thee
before the elders of my people
and before
Israel
and turn back with me; and I have bowed myself to Jehovah thy God.'
Then he said
I have sinned
.... So he had said
before
1 Samuel 15:24 but
his confession there was attended with an extenuation of his sin
pleading in
excuse of it that it was through fear of the people
but here it is without
any; and yet by what follows it appears to be not ingenuous and sincere
but
hypocritical:
yet honour me now
I pray thee
before the elders of my people
and before Israel; with his company; since should he be slighted openly by the
Lord
and by his prophet
he would fall into contempt both with the principal
men
and with the common people; wherefore he seemed more concerned for the
loss of honour and reputation with the people
than for his sin against God
which is always the case of hypocrites:
and turn again with me
and worship the Lord thy God; See Gill on 1 Samuel 15:25.
1 Samuel 15:31 31 So Samuel turned back
after Saul
and Saul worshiped the Lord.
YLT
31And Samuel turneth back
after Saul
and Saul boweth himself to Jehovah;
So Samuel turned again after Saul
.... Though he before
said he would not
1 Samuel 15:26 yet
he did
changing his mind
as he might without being chargeable with a lie; and
he also might have an impulse from the Lord so to do
and which he did not in
order to worship with Saul
which it does not appear he did
but rather the
contrary; but that Saul might not be despised by the people
and his authority
lessened
while he continued king; and that he might do what Saul had neglected
to do
destroy Agag: and Saul worshipped the Lord; alone
by offering sacrifice
to him.
1 Samuel 15:32 32 Then Samuel said
“Bring
Agag king of the Amalekites here to me.” So Agag came to him cautiously. And
Agag said
“Surely the bitterness of death is past.”
YLT
32and Samuel saith
`Bring ye
nigh unto me Agag king of Amalek
' and Agag cometh unto him daintily
and Agag
saith
`Surely the bitterness of death hath turned aside.'
Then said Samuel
bring you hither to me Agag the king of the
Amalekites
.... This he said very probably to some of Saul's officers
and
in his presence
and before all the people met together for sacrifice:
and Agag came unto him delicately; fat and plump
as the
Vulgate Latin version
and yet trembling
as that and the Septuagint; well
dressed
in the garb and habit of a king
and with the air and majesty of one;
or with pleasure and joy
as Kimchi
choosing rather to die than to be a
captive
and live in such reproach as he did; though R. Isaiah and Ben Gersom
give the sense of it
that he came bound in chains
and fetters of iron
according to the use of the word in Job 38:31.
and Agag said
surely the bitterness of death is past; this he said
either as not expecting to die
that since he had been spared by Saul
the king
of the nation
a fierce and warlike prince
he had nothing to fear from an
ancient man and a prophet
and who now bore not the sword of justice; and
especially when he came into his presence
and saw his form
which showed him
to be a man of clemency and mercy
as Ben Gersom observes: or as expecting it
and so Kimchi interprets it to this sense
"the bitterness of death is
come"; and is near at hand
and will be soon over; or suggesting that that
which was bitter
to others grievous and terrible
was to him sweet and
desirable; but the former sense seems best by what follows.
1 Samuel 15:33 33 But Samuel said
“As your
sword has made women childless
so shall your mother be childless among women.”
And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.
YLT
33And Samuel saith
`As thy
sword bereaved women -- so is thy mother bereaved above women;' and Samuel
heweth Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal.
And Samuel said
as thy sword hath made women childless
.... Or
"bereavedF19שכלה "orbavit"
Pagninus
Montanus
Vatablus
&c. " them
not of their children only
but of their husbands also
and so made them both childless and widows; by
which it appears that he was a cruel prince
and justly died for his own
barbarity and wickedness
as well as for the sins of his ancestors four hundred
years ago:
so shall thy mother be childless among women; which was according
to the law of retaliation
and what the Jews call measure for measure:
and Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal; either before
the ark of the Lord
the symbol of the divine Presence; or before the altar
where Saul and the people had been sacrificing; this he did either himself
though an old man
or by others to whom he gave the orders; and which he did
not as being the chief magistrate
and by virtue of his office
but acting as
on a special occasion
at the command of God
and to show his zeal for him
and
indignation at such a breach of his command. In what manner this was done
is
not easy to say; he was not torn to pieces by the hand
without an instrument
as Baebius by the RomansF20Flori Hist. l. 3. c. 21. ; or sawn asunder
as some by CaligulaF21Sueton. in Vita ejus
c. 27. ; and as Isaiah
the prophet is said to be by Manasseh
king of Judah
to which it is thought
the apostle alludes
Hebrews 11:37.
According to Ben Gersom
the word signifies he cleaved him
as wood is cleaved;
or divided him into four parts
as Jarchi; perhaps he slew him with the sword
and then quartered him; that is
ordered it to be done.
1 Samuel 15:34 34 Then Samuel went to Ramah
and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.
YLT
34And Samuel goeth to Ramath
and Saul hath gone unto his house -- to Gibeah of Saul.
Then Samuel went to Ramah
.... His native place
and where was his usual residence:
and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul; which was
also his birth place
and where was his father's house
and where he had his
palace
and kept his court; and took its name from him
to distinguish it from
another Gibeah; and so JosephusF23De Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 2. sect. 1.
says it was called Gabathsaoule
and was about thirty furlongs or four miles
from Jerusalem.
1 Samuel 15:35 35 And Samuel went no more to
see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul
and
the Lord
regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.
YLT
35And Samuel hath not added
to see Saul till the day of his death
for Samuel mourned for Saul
and Jehovah
repented that He had caused Saul to reign over Israel.
And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death
.... Or
"added not to see him"F24ולא יסף־לראות "et non addidit ad videndum"
Montanus.
; not that he saw him no more
he saw him afterwards
1 Samuel 19:24
but
it was accidentally
he did not go to see him
but Saul came to him; and
Abarbinel supposes he might not see him then
but hid his face from him; and he
observes that it is said:
until the day of his death; which intimates
he
thinks
that he saw him after his death
when raised up by the witch of Endor;
but that Samuel was then really raised
and was seen
wants proof. The meaning
of the expression here is no more than this
that Samuel afterwards did not
visit Saul as he used to do; he did not go to him
to give him his advice and
counsel
as he wonted:
nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul; because of
his sin
his impenitence
and hypocrisy; and because of the loss of the kingdom
to him
and to his posterity; and he might be concerned also about his eternal
welfare; for he appears to have a natural affection for him
and was far from
envying him as his rival
and rejoicing at his fall:
and the Lord repented that he made Saul king over Israel; nor was his
mind altered
neither by the hypocritical confession of Saul
nor by the
cordial prayers and heart of Samuel; see 1 Samuel 15:11.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》