1 Samuel 15:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night." And he said to him, "Speak."

NIV: "Enough!" Samuel said to Saul. "Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night." "Tell me," Saul replied.

NASB: Then Samuel said to Saul, 'Stop, and let me inform you of what the Lord said to me last night.' And he said to him, 'Speak!'

CSB: "Stop!" exclaimed Samuel. "Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night." "Tell me," he replied.

NLT: Then Samuel said to Saul, 'Stop! Listen to what the Lord told me last night!' 'What did he tell you?' Saul asked.

KJV: Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

NKJV: 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.”

Samuel has heard enough of Saul's lame series of excuses, deflections, and blaming others. The Israelite king disobeyed God by refusing to fully cooperate with all the Lord's commands (1 Samuel 15:3, 9). One can imagine the prophet responding much as a modern reader would: shaking their head, lifting a hand, and saying, "Stop!" Samuel recognizes that Saul is only increasing his guilt by failing to acknowledge what he has done.

Samuel reveals that the Lord has already been talking to Samuel about Saul's disobedience. Saul's excuses and rearrangement of the facts are worthless. Samuel has heard the truth directly from the Lord (1 Samuel 15:10). Now he will tell Saul about God's response for this disobedience.

As king, Saul held the supreme authority over Israel, but he does not argue with Samuel's command to stop speaking. He tells the prophet to say what he has come to say.

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 8:11:21 AM