1 Samuel 15:34 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul.

NIV: Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.

NASB: Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.

CSB: Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.

NLT: Then Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his house at Gibeah of Saul.

KJV: Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

NKJV: Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.

After Samuel carries out a graphic execution of Agag, king of the Amalekites, he and Saul part ways. Though they live less than a day's walk from each other, they will never again have an official meeting. Saul will see Samuel once during a strange incident (1 Samuel 19:18–24), and after this only on the day Saul dies (1 Samuel 28:19). Samuel returns to his hometown of Ramah, while Saul goes back to his own home in Gibeah, which could also be called "the hill of Saul."

Despite his apparent brutality, Samuel felt deeply for Saul and grieved over his fall from grace (1 Samuel 15:35). But as the prophet of the Lord, Samuel's absence demonstrated the Lord's absence. Spiritually, the Lord was done with Israel's first king. Saul remained on the throne politically for a time, but the Lord had rejected him (1 Samuel 15:23).

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.

Accessed 12/3/2024 1:02:35 PM