New English Translation
1 Samuel 15:3
3So go now and strike down the Amalekites. Destroy everything that they have. Don’t spare them. Put them to death – man, woman, child, infant, ox, sheep, camel, and donkey alike.’”
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
1Then Samuel said to Saul, “I was the one the Lord sent to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now listen to what the Lord says. 2Here is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘I carefully observed how the Amalekites opposed Israel along the way when Israel came up from Egypt. So go now and strike down the Amalekites. Destroy everything that they have. Don’t spare them. Put them to death – man, woman, child, infant, ox, sheep, camel, and donkey alike.’” 4So Saul assembled the army and mustered them at Telaim. There were 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. 5Saul proceeded to the city of Amalek, where he set an ambush in the wadi.
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“‘Surely anything which a man permanently dedicates to the Lord from all that belongs to him, whether from people, animals, or his landed property, must be neither sold nor redeemed; anything permanently dedicated is most holy to the Lord.
- Numbers 24:20Then Balaam looked on Amalek and delivered this oracle: “Amalek was the first of the nations, but his end will be that he will perish.”
- Deuteronomy 13:15you must by all means slaughter the inhabitants of that city with the sword; annihilate with the sword everyone in it, as well as the livestock.
- Deuteronomy 20:16As for the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is going to give you as an inheritance, you must not allow a single living thing to survive.
- Joshua 6:17The city and all that is in it must be set apart for the Lord, except for Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house, because she hid the spies we sent.
- Exodus 20:5You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children to the third and fourth generations of those who reject me,
- Numbers 31:17Now therefore kill every boy, and kill every woman who has had sexual intercourse with a man.
- Isaiah 14:21Prepare to execute his sons for the sins their ancestors have committed. They must not rise up and take possession of the earth, or fill the surface of the world with cities.”
- Genesis 3:17But to Adam he said, “Because you obeyed your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ cursed is the ground thanks to you; in painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
- Romans 8:20For the creation was subjected to futility – not willingly but because of God who subjected it – in 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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