1 Samuel 15:17

1 Samuel 15:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?
• New International Version (NIV)Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Samuel said, "Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Samuel said, “When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel?

Context of 1 Samuel 15:17

15Saul answered, “The army brought them from the Amalekites. They spared the best sheep and cows to sacrifice to the Lord your God. But the rest they claimed for God and destroyed.” 16“Be quiet,” Samuel told Saul, “and let me tell you what the Lord told me last night.” “Speak,” Saul replied. Samuel said, “Even though you don’t consider yourself great, you were the head of Israel’s tribes. The Lord anointed you king of Israel. 18And the Lord sent you on a mission. He said, ‘Claim those sinners, the Amalekites, for me by destroying them. Wage war against them until they’re wiped out.’ 19Why didn’t you obey the Lord? Why have you taken their belongings and done what the Lord considers evil?”

1 Samuel 15:17 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל הֲל֗וֹא אִם־קָטֹ֤ן אַתָּה֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ רֹ֛אשׁ שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אָ֑תָּה וַיִּמְשָׁחֲךָ֧ יְהוָ֛ה לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלshemû'êl · SamuelH8050
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• littleקָטֹןqâţân qâţôn · smallH6996
• in thine own sightעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
• the headרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
• of the tribesשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribeH7626
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• and the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• anointedמָשַׁחmâshach · to anointH4886
• thee kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 15:17

• 1 Samuel 9:21Saul replied, “I am a man from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe of Israel. My family is the most insignificant of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin. So why are you saying such things to me?”
• 1 Samuel 10:22They asked the Lord again, “Has he arrived here yet?” The Lord answered, “He’s hiding among the baggage.”
• Judges 6:15Gideon said to him, “Excuse me, sir! How can I rescue Israel? Look at my whole family. It’s the weakest one in Manasseh. And me? I’m the least important member of my family.”
• Hosea 13:1When the tribe of Ephraim spoke, people trembled. The people of Ephraim were important in Israel. Then they became guilty of worshiping Baal, so they must die.
• Matthew 18:4Whoever becomes like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
• 1 Samuel 15:1Samuel told Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king of his people Israel. Now listen to the Lord’s words.
• 1 Samuel 10:1Samuel took a flask of olive oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “The Lord has anointed you to be ruler of his people Israel. You will rule his people and save them from all their enemies. This will be the sign that the Lord has anointed you to be ruler of his people.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 15:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Little in thine own sight - Who can bear prosperity? Is it not of the Lord's great goodness that the majority of the inhabitants of the earth are in comparative poverty?Read the comment
• 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. 17As the anointed king of Israel, Saul was responsible for disobeying God. False humility or excuses could not lessen this responsibility.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 15:17

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

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Samuel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Agag
• Better
• Chief
• Pardon
• Reject
• Saul

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