God’s Word Translation
1 Samuel 15:3
3Now go and attack Amalek. Claim everything they have for God by destroying it. Don’t spare them, but kill men and women, infants and children, cows and sheep, camels and donkeys.”
1 Samuel 15:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
- New International Version (NIV)Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”
Context of 1 Samuel 15:3
1Samuel told Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king of his people Israel. Now listen to the Lord’s words. 2This is what the Lord of Armies says: I will punish Amalek for what they did to Israel. They blocked Israel’s way after the Israelites came from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek. Claim everything they have for God by destroying it. Don’t spare them, but kill men and women, infants and children, cows and sheep, camels and donkeys.” 4Saul organized the troops, and he counted them at Telaim: 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men from Judah. 5Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley.
Read all of 1 Samuel 151 Samuel 15:3 word by word
עַתָּה֩ לֵ֨ךְ וְהִכִּֽיתָ֜ה אֶת־עֲמָלֵ֗ק וְהַֽחֲרַמְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א תַחְמֹ֖ל עָלָ֑יו וְהֵמַתָּ֞ה מֵאִ֣ישׁ עַד־אִשָּׁ֗ה מֵֽעֹלֵל֙ וְעַד־יוֹנֵ֔ק מִשּׁ֣וֹר וְעַד־שֶׂ֔ה מִגָּמָ֖ל וְעַד־חֲמֽוֹר׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Now goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- and smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- Amalekעֲמָלֵק‛ămâlêq · AmalekH6002
- and utterly destroyחָרַםchâram · to devote/destroyH2763
- all that they have, and spareחָמַלchâmal · to spareH2550
- them not; but slayמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- both manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- and womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- infantעוֹלֵל‛ôlêl ‛ôlâl · infantH5768
- and sucklingיָנַקyânaq · to suckleH3243
- oxשׁוֹרshôr · cattleH7794
- and sheepשֶׂהώeh ώêy · sheepH7716
- camelגָּמָלgâmâl · camelH1581
- and assחֲמוֹרchămôr chămôr · donkeyH2543
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 15:3
- Leviticus 27:28“However, everything dedicated to the Lord for destruction—a person, an animal, or a field that belongs to you—must not be sold or bought back. Everything dedicated in that way is very holy. It belongs to the Lord.
- Numbers 24:20Then Balaam saw the Amalekites and delivered this message: “Amalek was first among the nations, but in the end it will be destroyed.”
- Deuteronomy 13:15you must kill the residents of that city with swords and destroy that city and everyone in it, including the animals, because they are claimed by God.
- Deuteronomy 20:16However, you must not spare anyone’s life in the cities of these nations that the Lord your God is giving you as your property.
- Joshua 6:17The city has been claimed by the Lord. Everything in it belongs to the Lord. Only the prostitute Rahab and all who are in the house with her will live because she hid the messengers we sent.
- Exodus 20:5Never worship them or serve them, because I, the Lord your God, am a God who does not tolerate rivals. I punish children for their parents’ sins to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.
- Numbers 31:17So kill all the Midianite boys and every Midianite woman who has gone to bed with a man.
- Isaiah 14:21Prepare a place to slaughter their sons because of their ancestors’ guilt. They won’t be able to rise, possess the earth, and rebuild cities all over it.
- Genesis 3:17Then he said to the man, “You listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree, although I commanded you, ‘You must never eat its fruit.’ The ground is cursed because of you. Through hard work you will eat ⌞food that comes⌟ from it every day of your life.
- Romans 8:20Creation was subjected to frustration but not by its own choice. The one who subjected it to frustration did so in the hope
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 15:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Slay both man and woman - Nothing could justify such an exterminating decree but the absolute authority of God. This was given: all the reasons of it we do not know; but this we know well, The Judge of all the earth doth right. This war was not for plunder, for God commanded that all the property as well as all the people should be destroyed.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Utterly destroy - Rather, “devote to destruction” (Leviticus 27:28 note). When a city or people were thus made cherem, everything living was to be destroyed, and no part of the spoil fall to the conquerors (compare 1 Samuel 15:21). The valuables were put into the sacred treasury.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3devote to destruction: See "Complete Dedication" Theme Note.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-32-3. Amalek--the powerful tribe which inhabited the country immediately to the eastward of the northern Cushites. Their territory extended over the whole of the eastern portion of the desert of Sinai to Rephidim--the earliest opponent (De 25:18; Ex 17:8-16)--the hereditary and restless enemy of Israel (Nu 14:45; Jud 3:13; 6:3), and who had not repented (1Sa 14:48) of their bitter and sleepless hatred during the five hundred years that had elapsed since…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 15:3
In the dictionaries
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
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