1 Samuel 15:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The word of the Lord came to Samuel:

NIV: Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel:

NASB: Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying,

CSB: Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel,

NLT: Then the Lord said to Samuel,

KJV: Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying,

NKJV: Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying,

In the previous chapter, Saul wanted to hear from God about an important military decision. The Lord's refusal to respond suggested to Saul that someone among the Israelites was guilty of sin (1 Samuel 14:36–39).

Now, when Saul is plainly and clearly guilty of sin himself, the Lord does not wait to be called upon. God initiates contact with Samuel about Saul's sin and the consequences. The phrase, "The word of the LORD came to" describes God's process of revealing Himself to people. So, the Lord seems to be the one who personally delivers to Samuel the news that Saul has failed to kill the king of the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:3, 9) and that many of the animals have been taken as plunder. This is disobedience because the Lord's orders were to entirely erase the Amalekite nation.

First Samuel 15:10–23 records God's response to Saul's partial obedience regarding the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:3, 9). The Lord tells Samuel that Saul's acts—which amount to rejecting God's commands—will result in the end of Saul's rule. When Samuel confronts Saul, the king makes excuses and claims he intended to sacrifice the condemned animals to the Lord. Samuel responds with a poetic statement about how God wants obedience, not arrogant attempts to improve on His commands.

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 8:22:04 AM