1 Samuel 15:20

1 Samuel 15:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
• New International Version (NIV)“But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Saul said to Samuel, "I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

Context of 1 Samuel 15:20

18and the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, totally destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are eliminated.’ 19Why did you not obey the voice of the Lord, but [instead] swooped down on the plunder [with shouts of victory] and did evil in the sight of the Lord?” Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have completely destroyed the Amalekites. 21But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things [that were] to be totally destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” 22Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obedience to the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed [is better] than the fat of rams.

1 Samuel 15:20 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֤ר שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ בְּק֣וֹל יְהוָ֔ה וָאֵלֵ֕ךְ בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־שְׁלָחַ֣נִי יְהוָ֑ה וָאָבִ֗יא אֶת־אֲגַג֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ עֲמָלֵ֔ק וְאֶת־עֲמָלֵ֖ק הֶחֱרַֽמְתִּי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלshemû'êl · SamuelH8050
• Yea, I have obeyedשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: obeyH8085
• the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• and have goneיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• me, and have broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• Agagאֲגָג'ăgag · AgagH90
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Amalekעֲמָלֵק‛ămâlêq · AmalekH6002
• and have utterly destroyedחָרַםchâram · to devote/destroyH2763

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 15:20

• 1 Samuel 15:13So Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord. I have carried out the command of the Lord.”
• Job 33:9‘I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent and there is no guilt in me.
• Job 34:5For Job has said, ‘I am righteous [and innocent], But God has taken away my right;
• Job 35:2“Do you think this is according to [your] justice? Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
• Job 40:8Will you really annul My judgment and set it aside as void? Will you condemn Me [your God] that you may [appear to] be righteous and justified?
• Matthew 19:20The young man said to Him, “I have kept all these things [from my youth]; what do I still lack?”
• Luke 10:29But he, wishing to justify and vindicate himself, asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
• Luke 18:11The Pharisee stood [ostentatiously] and began praying to himself [in a self-righteous way, saying]: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men—swindlers, unjust (dishonest), adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
• Romans 10:3For not knowing about God’s righteousness [which is based on faith], and seeking to establish their own [righteousness based on works], they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
• 1 Samuel 15:3Now go and strike Amalek and completely destroy everything that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 15:20

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-23Verses 10-23 Repentance in God is not a change of mind, as it is in us, but a change of method. The change was in Saul; "He is turned back from following me." Hereby he made God his enemy. Samuel spent a whole night in pleading for Saul. The rejection of sinners is the grief of believers: God delights not in their death, nor should we. Saul boasts to Samuel of his obedience. Thus sinners think, by justifying themselves, to escape being judged of the Lord…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-35After Saul disobeyed God by not completely destroying the Amalekites, God rejected him more strongly than before (see 1 Samuel 13:8–14).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-2313-23. Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord--Saul was either blinded by a partial and delusive self-love, or he was, in his declaration to Samuel, acting the part of a bold and artful hypocrite. He professed to have fulfilled the divine command, and that the blame of any defects in the execution lay with the people. Samuel saw the real state of the case, and in discharge of the commission he had…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 15:20

• Amalekites
• Church and State
• Falsehood
• Gilgal
• Minister, Christian
• Presumption
• Repentance
• Reproof
• Responsibility
• Rulers
• Self-Righteousness
• Self-Will

In the dictionaries

• Amalek
• Samuel
• Saul
• Amalek; Amalekite
• Paul, Saul
• Agag
• Better
• Chief
• Pardon
• Reject

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings