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 sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and devote to destruction the sinful Amalekites. Fight against them until you have wiped them out.’ 19So why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you rush upon the plunder and do evil in the sight of the LORD?” “But I did obey the LORD,” Saul replied. “I went on the mission that the LORD gave me. I brought back Agag king of Amalek and devoted the Amalekites to destruction. 21The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of the things devoted to destruction, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.” 22But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness 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

• But I did obeyשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: obeyH8085
• But I did obeyקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• ·אֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
• ·שְׁמוּאֵלshemû'êl · SamuelH8050
• ·אֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• repliedאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• I wentהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• on the missionדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• gave meשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• I brought backבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• Agagאֲגָג'ăgag · AgagH90
• kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Amalekעֲמָלֵק‛ămâlêq · AmalekH6002
• and devotedחָרַםchâram · to devote/destroyH2763

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 15:20

• 1 Samuel 15:13When Samuel reached him, Saul said to him, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”
• Job 33:9‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, with no iniquity in me.
• Job 34:5For Job has declared, ‘I am righteous, yet God has deprived me of justice.
• Job 35:2“Do you think this is just? You say, ‘I am more righteous than God.’
• Job 40:8Would you really annul My justice? Would you condemn Me to justify yourself?
• Matthew 19:20“All these I have kept,” said the young man. “What do I still lack?”
• Luke 10:29But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
• Luke 18:11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
• Romans 10:3Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
• 1 Samuel 15:3Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

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