1 Samuel 15:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.

NIV: Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you.

NASB: So Samuel said to him, 'The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you.

CSB: Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingship of Israel away from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.

NLT: And Samuel said to him, 'The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else — one who is better than you.

KJV: And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.

NKJV: 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.

After hearing that the Lord had rejected him as king over Israel, Saul finally confessed that he had sinned in disobeying God's command (1 Samuel 15:24). He begged Samuel to pardon him and return to bow before the Lord, but the prophet had simply restated that the Lord had rejected Saul as king (1 Samuel 15:26). In a moment of desperation, Saul grabbed the edge of Samuel's robe as he was turning to leave. Holding the hem of a robe in this way symbolized showing submission to a superior. Saul, though, apparently grabbed at the robe with too much force and tore it (1 Samuel 15:27).

Samuel uses this as a symbolic illustration: the Lord has torn away the kingdom from Saul and has given it to someone else. Samuel identifies this other man only as a "neighbor" and someone who his better than Saul (cf. 1 Samuel 13:13–14). The fulfillment of this promise, David, will be introduced in the next chapter (1 Samuel 16).

Samuel uses the phrase "this day" to declare exactly when the kingdom was removed, in God's view, from Saul and given to David by the Lord. While the spiritual connection is severed, an earthly transfer of power will not take place for some time.

First Samuel 15:24–35 demonstrates that the Lord is firm in His rejection of Saul. Saul disobeyed God's commands about the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:3, 9). After Samuel's confrontation (1 Samuel 15:22–23), Saul admits his guilt. Samuel refuses to offer a pardon. As he leaves, Saul clutches at Samuel's robe and tears it. Samuel says this symbolizes how the throne will be torn out of Saul's hands. Samuel follows Saul to Gilgal and personally, brutally executes the Amalekite king Agag. This is the last time Samuel will come to meet with Saul.

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.