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 Yhwh sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. 19Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of Yhwh, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of Yhwh? And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of Yhwh, and have gone the way which Yhwh sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto Yhwh thy God in Gilgal. 22And Samuel said, hath Yhwh as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Yhwh? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken 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

• And Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלshemû'êl · SamuelH8050
• Yea, I have obeyedשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: obeyH8085
• the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• of Yhwhיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · 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 15:13And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of Yhwh: I have performed the commandment of Yhwh.
• Job 33:9I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.
• Job 34:5For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.
• Job 35:2Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?
• Job 40:8Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
• Matthew 19:20The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
• Luke 10:29But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
• Luke 18:11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
• Romans 10:3For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
• 1 Samuel 15:3Now 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 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