1 Samuel 15:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Samuel said to Saul, "The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord.

NIV: Samuel said to Saul, "I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord.

NASB: Then Samuel said to Saul, 'The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the Lord.

CSB: Samuel told Saul, "The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now, listen to the words of the Lord.

NLT: One day Samuel said to Saul, 'It was the Lord who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the Lord!

KJV: Samuel also said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord.

NKJV: 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.

In the previous chapter, Jonathan and his armor-bearer provoked a victorious war over the Philistines (1 Samuel 14:1). But Saul made a rash vow that limited the victory (1 Samuel 14:24). Now, Samuel visits Saul. Samuel is fulfilling the role of prophet during the era of the kings of Israel: bringing Saul a direct message, a new revelation, from Yahweh. In this case, the revelation is a specific command about Saul's mission as king in waging battle against one of Israel's enemies.

Samuel begins the message from the Lord by reminding Saul of how he fulfilled one of his other primary functions as prophet in Israel. He describes himself to the king as the one originally sent by the Lord to anoint Saul as the king over Israel. In other words, Saul is king because of the Lord and because of Samuel's obedience to the Lord. Based on that authority, Samuel commands Saul to listen now to the words spoken by the voice of the Lord to Samuel.

First Samuel 15:1–9 describes Saul's partial obedience to God regarding the Amalekites. Half-obedience is the same as disobedience; Saul spares the enemy king and many of the valuable animals. This is contrary to the Lord's command. As a result, God will inform the prophet Samuel that God intends to replace Saul as king over Israel.

Samuel gives Saul a mission from the Lord: fulfill God's judgment on the Amalekites by killing all the people and all the animals. Saul and his army defeat Amalek, but they spare the king and the best animals. Samuel confronts Saul and reveals that because of his disobedience, the Lord has rejected Saul as king over Israel. Samuel worships the Lord with Saul one last time and then executes the Amalekite king Saul failed to kill.

First Samuel 14 ended with a summary of Saul's reign; chapter 15 describes God's rejection of Saul as king. First Samuel 13 had already indicated that Saul's household would not retain the kingdom due to Saul's disobedience (1 Samuel 13:8–14); here Saul himself is rejected. The Lord commands Saul to fulfill His longstanding judgment against the Amalekites. Saul and his army defeat Amalek, but Saul disobeys God by sparing the king and the best animals. Saul eventually admits that he has sinned, but Samuel says God will not change His mind about rejecting Saul as king. From a heavenly perspective, Saul is rejected; but from an earthly perspective, he would continue his rule for another fifteen to twenty years.

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.

Accessed 11/21/2024 7:59:28 AM