1 Samuel 15:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?"

NIV: But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?"

NASB: But Samuel said, 'What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the bellowing of the oxen which I hear?'

CSB: Samuel replied, "Then what is this sound of sheep, goats, and cattle I hear?"

NLT: Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?' Samuel demanded.

KJV: And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

NKJV: But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?”

The prophet Samuel has tracked King Saul down to deliver a message from the Lord. The Lord is angry with Saul for directly disobeying His command to kill every living person and animal among the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:3). Instead, Saul has spared the life of the king and the best of the livestock (1 Samuel 15:9).

When Samuel finds Saul in Gilgal, the first thing Saul says to the prophet is an outright and easily disproven lie: I have obeyed God's commandment (1 Samuel 15:13). It's unclear whether Saul hoped Samuel would simply not figure it out or whether he intended from the start to claim ignorance about exactly what the Lord was asking. It is also unclear whether Saul is knowingly trying to justify himself in sin or whether he is self-deceived enough to think he was obedient.

Samuel's response in this verse is written as if it were poetry in what is called a parallel form. The prophet asks the king a simple question: how can it be that Saul followed God's instructions when Samuel can hear the captive livestock from where he stands?

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 12/4/2024 3:02:01 AM